In Reading Open Response

This shows that_________ BECAUSE _____ _, JUST LIKE _____.

 Listen to your brain as you read.  Your brain will be trying to make connections.  Your brain will be linking your prior knowledge (things you already know) to the new information (things you read) in order to understand it better.  The new information will plug into the information that is already there to form a connection.

And gets you a “4”on Open Response!

 Good readers always think as they read.  Sometimes, the story or text reminds the reader of something that happened to them.  “That reminds me of when I went to Florida and saw a shark.”  The reader just made a connection with the story.  We call this a text-to-self connection. To YOU =

 Good readers always think when they read.  Sometimes a text will remind the reader of another text they have read.  “That reminds me of a book I once read because……”  The reader just made a connection with a prior text.  This is called a text-to-text connection. To =

 Good readers always think as they read.  Sometimes, the story or text reminds the reader of something else.  “That reminds me of the way people on Wheel of Fortune want to spin the wheel for more money…..”  The reader just made a connection to something in the world.  We call this a text-to-world connection. To =

 Internet  TV  History  Movies  Life experiences

 Question: Explain why Rudolph was asked to lead the sleigh on Christmas Eve.

 Rudolph was asked to lead the sleigh on Christmas Eve because…..

 …his bright red nose would help guide the way on a foggy night.

 In the story Santa says, “Rudolph with your nose so bright, won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?”

This shows that Rudolph would be a good choice to lead the sleigh BECAUSE….

 … because his nose would light up the foggy night just like my flashlight at home lights up my room when the lights go out.

 ….because his nose would light up the foggy night just like the night light lit up the dark room in the book, “Eli’s Night Light.”

 …because his nose would light up the foggy night just like the headlights of a car do.

 Question: Explain why the children on Bobtail Ring were having fun.

 The children on Bobtail Ring are having fun because….

 …They are riding through the snow in a sleigh.

 In the story the author said, “Dashing through the snow in a one horse open sleigh, over the fields we go laughing all the way.”

 This shows that the kids are having a great time BECAUSE….

 Because they are playing out in the snow in the sleigh just like I have the most fun ever when I get to go sled riding in the winter.

 Because they are playing out in the snow in the sleigh just like the children who had so much fun in the book, “On a Wintry Morning.”

 Because they are playing out in the snow riding in the sleigh just like they do in the movie, “Santa Claus.”

 Question: Explain why stars in the sky are compared to diamonds.

 Stars in the sky are compared to diamonds because…

 They both twinkle and shine.

 In the text the author said, “Twinkle, twinkle little star…..like a diamond in the sky.”

 This shows that stars are like diamonds BECAUSE….

 Because they both sparkle and shine brightly, just like the city lights twinkle and shine in the book, “Bright Lights, Big City.”

 Because they both sparkle and shine brightly in the sky, just like we now know through science that some stars really do have diamonds that can be found in the material that surrounds them.

 Because they both sparkle and shine brightly, just like my lights shine against my dark green Christmas tree.

 Question: Explain why the spider got to climb up the spout again.

 Take off “Explain why” and add because:  The spider got to climb up the spout again because…..

 The rain had knocked him down, but it quit raining.

 In the story the author said, “The sun came out and dried up all the rain, so the Itsy Bitsy Spider climbed up the spout again.”

 Make a connection that is either:  Text – to – Self  Text – to – Text  Text – to - World

Connect to the Text and Score a Four!!