Making Connections

Who: This lesson will be good for adult learners who feel disconnected from the reading
material.

Why: The reader makes connections with the text when she is shown that she shares something
in common with the text. A tutee often assumes she does not know anything about the
topic, but making connections with the text helps her create meaning and remain focused
on her reading.

How:
 Choose a poem or short selection.
 Using a piece of paper, model how to make connections with the text.
 Mark the part of the text that with which a connection is made and write what
happened—how the connection was made.
 Talk about this out loud with the tutee.
 Explain that connections are personal, but they serve to create a visual image in
the head.
 Making connections makes the reading more interesting because the reader is
reacting to the text.
 Connections bring meaning to the words.
 Have the tutee make connections on her own.
 Have the tutee share her connections with you.