| L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz is a great | | | | Your child will have a better understanding of the |
| book that can help your child improve his or her | | | | text when he or she can make personal and text |
| reading comprehension skills. | | | | connections to the written material. |
| You can have your child use the reading | | | | Have your child make connections with the |
| strategies he or she learns in school while reading | | | | characters in the story. For example, your child |
| The Wizard of Oz or your child can use the | | | | might have seen a real lion at the zoo. This is a |
| strategies while you read the book out loud. | | | | text to self connection. |
| Here is an excerpt from the book that provides | | | | Or maybe your child can connect to Dorothy's |
| an example of how your child can improve his or | | | | bravery. Your child probably didn't hit a lion on the |
| her reading comprehension skills: | | | | nose, but maybe your child once performed a |
| "Little Toto, now that he had an enemy to face, | | | | brave act. This is another text to self connection. |
| ran barking toward the Lion, and the great beast | | | | Lastly, your child may have just done a report on |
| had opened his mouth to bite the dog, when | | | | lions, read a book about large cats, or read |
| Dorothy, fearing Toto would be killed, and | | | | another book such as the Chronicles of Narnia. All |
| heedless of danger, rushed forward and slapped | | | | of which contain references to lions. This type of |
| the Lion upon his nose as hard as she could, while | | | | connection is a text to text connection. |
| she cried out: | | | | Inferring |
| "Don't you dare to bite Toto! You ought to be | | | | Inferring (also known as thinking) is absorbing |
| ashamed of yourself, a big beast like you, to bite | | | | what is known from clues from the text, and |
| a poor little dog!" | | | | thinking about the theme, moral, making |
| "I didn't bite him," said the Lion, as he rubbed his | | | | speculations, and predictions. The reader must |
| nose with his paw where Dorothy had hit it. | | | | make 'guesses' and create their own meaning |
| "No, but you tried to," she retorted. "You are | | | | from the text. Inferring is taking what is written |
| nothing but a big coward." | | | | and making discoveries. |
| While reading the text, your child can incorporate | | | | You can ask your child to make an inference |
| the following reading strategies: | | | | about Dorothy's character. Have your child look |
| Visualization | | | | for clues based on her actions. She slapped the |
| Visualizing when reading helps readers make the | | | | lion in order to protect her dog, Toto. Your child |
| words on the page real and meaningful. When | | | | can infer that she is, "brave", "caring", and |
| students create pictures in their minds, they | | | | "protective". |
| become more involved with the text. | | | | Classic books such as The Wizard of Oz contain a |
| Ask your child what part he or she visualized. | | | | rich vocabulary with descriptive characters, plot, |
| Your child might say that he or she visualized the | | | | and settings. Have your child use the reading |
| lion opening its big mouth. Or perhaps your child | | | | strategies he or she learns in school while reading |
| visualized the part when Dorothy slapped the lion | | | | high quality books and your child should improve |
| on the nose. | | | | his or her overall reading comprehension skills. |
| Making Connections | | | | |