What is Making Connections to Self?

S2-SA2-0298

Grade Level:

Class 4

NLP, Law, History, Social Sciences, Literature, Journalism, Communication

Definition

What is it?

Making Connections to Self means linking what you read or hear to your own experiences, feelings, and knowledge. It's like finding a part of yourself in a story or information, which helps you understand and remember it better.

Simple Example

Quick Example

Imagine you read a story about a child who feels nervous before a big cricket match. If you remember feeling the same way before your school's annual day performance, you are making a connection to self.

Worked Example

Step-by-Step

Let's say you are reading a chapter about a family moving from a small village to a big city like Mumbai.
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1. **Read the text:** The text describes the family's excitement mixed with a little fear about leaving their familiar home and starting fresh in a bustling new place.
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2. **Think about your own life:** Have you ever moved houses, or changed schools, or visited a new big city for the first time?
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3. **Find common feelings/experiences:** You might remember feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness when you moved to a new flat, or when you first visited your relatives in a huge city like Delhi or Bengaluru.
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4. **Connect the dots:** You connect the family's feelings in the story to your own feelings during your move or visit. This makes the story more real and relatable to you.
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**Result:** By linking the family's experience to your own, you understand their emotions deeply and remember the story better.

Why It Matters

Making connections to self helps you understand different perspectives and empathise with others, which is vital in journalism and social sciences. It strengthens your ability to interpret stories and arguments, skills crucial for future lawyers and communicators. This skill is also key for writers and poets to create relatable content.

Common Mistakes

MISTAKE: Thinking you need to have exactly the same experience as in the text. | CORRECTION: Connections can be about similar feelings, situations, or even just a small detail that reminds you of something from your own life.

MISTAKE: Not actively looking for connections and just reading passively. | CORRECTION: After reading a paragraph or a scene, pause and ask yourself, 'Does this remind me of anything in my life? How would I feel in this situation?'

MISTAKE: Confusing 'connection to self' with just liking or disliking a story. | CORRECTION: It's not just about your opinion; it's about finding a direct link between the text's content (events, feelings, ideas) and your personal experiences or prior knowledge.

Practice Questions

Try It Yourself

QUESTION: You read about a child who loves helping their mother cook traditional Indian sweets for Diwali. How can you make a connection to self? | ANSWER: I can connect this if I also help my parents or grandparents cook during festivals like Eid, Christmas, or Pongal, or if I enjoy making any special food at home.

QUESTION: A story describes a bustling market in a small town, filled with vendors selling vegetables, spices, and colourful clothes. What personal connection could you make? | ANSWER: I could connect this to visiting the local sabzi mandi or a weekly haat with my family, remembering the sounds, smells, and sights.

QUESTION: A character in a book feels very shy and struggles to speak up in front of a large group during a school debate. Describe a connection to self, even if you are not shy. | ANSWER: Even if I'm not shy, I might remember a time I felt nervous before giving a presentation or answering a tough question in class, or seeing a friend feel shy. This helps me understand the character's feelings.

MCQ

Quick Quiz

Which of these is the best example of 'Making Connections to Self' while reading?

Thinking the story is boring.

Remembering a time you felt sad, just like the character in the story.

Looking up new words in a dictionary.

Guessing what will happen next in the story.

The Correct Answer Is:

Option B directly links a feeling from the story to a personal experience, which is the core idea of making connections to self. The other options are about evaluating the story, vocabulary, or predicting, not personal connections.

Real World Connection

In the Real World

When journalists write articles, they often try to connect stories to common human experiences so readers can relate. For example, an article about a farmer struggling with crops might highlight feelings of hope and despair that many can understand, even if they aren't farmers themselves. Even social media influencers connect with their audience by sharing relatable personal stories.

Key Vocabulary

Key Terms

RELATE: To find a connection between things or people | EXPERIENCE: Something that happens to you or that you do | EMOTION: A strong feeling like joy, sadness, or fear | UNDERSTAND: To know the meaning of something | EMPATHY: The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

What's Next

What to Learn Next

Next, you can learn about 'Making Connections to Text' and 'Making Connections to World'. These concepts build on 'Connections to Self' by showing you how to link what you read to other books and to global events, making you an even better reader!