Literacy Update

Making Connections: A key reading comprehension strategy

One of the key comprehension strategies we focus on in reading is making connections. Strong readers naturally connect what they are reading to their own experiences (text-to-self), to other books or texts they have read (text-to-text), and to events or ideas in the wider world (text-to-world). These connections help students move beyond simply reading words on a page and support them to think more deeply about meaning.

Developing the skill of making connections is an important part of becoming an engaged and thoughtful reader. When students relate a story to their own lives, compare characters or themes across different texts, or link ideas to real-world events, their understanding and enjoyment of reading grows. Encouraging these conversations at school and at home helps children build confidence as readers and strengthens their ability to reflect, question, and respond thoughtfully to what they read.

Families can support this strategy at home by encouraging simple conversations during and after reading. Making connections helps children think more deeply about texts and strengthens their understanding of what they read.

Some helpful prompts to use at home include:

Does this remind you of anything in your own life?
Have you read another book or seen a movie like this before?
What does this make you think about in the world around us?
How is this character feeling similar to someone you know?
What other story does this connect to?

These discussions help children see that reading is about making meaning, sharing ideas, and thinking beyond the words on the page.

National Simultaneous Storytime 2026

National Simultaneous Storytime was a wonderful success across our school this year, with students from Foundation to Year 4 taking part in this special live reading event. Across Australia, over 2 million students joined in at the same time, sharing the same story and celebrating the joy of reading together. It was a fantastic opportunity to highlight the importance of literacy and to connect classrooms and communities right around the country.

At our school, students were highly engaged throughout the experience. During the 20-minute live broadcast, you could have heard a pin drop as everyone listened so intently to the story. Luna Roo: The Kangaroo Baller, book one in the Animal World Cup series, is written by Adam Jackson and Adrian Lloyd, Australian soccer industry professionals with experience as players and coaches. The story is an inspiring underdog tale of courage, perseverance, determination and self-belief, with strong themes of teamwork and resilience.

If you would like to share this experience at home, the recorded broadcast is available via the link below: