Teaching text-to-self connections to kindergarteners: A think-aloud approach

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In order to determine if kindergarten students could be taught to make or improve the comprehension strategy of text-to-self connection during reading, the think-aloud instructional approach was taught whole group using read-aloud books over a six-week period (Baumann, Jones, & Seifert-Kessell, 1993; Davey, 1983). This action research project used explicit modeling of text-to-self connections. Students practiced the strategy under teacher guidance and were encouraged to share their text-to-self connections during instruction (Block & Israel, 2004; Miller, 2002; Oster, 2001). The researcher scaffolded (Bruner, 1986) student acquisition of the comprehension strategy taught within each participant's zone of proximal development (Vygotsky, 1978). The Gradual Release of Responsibility model (Pearson & Gallagher, 1983) served as a framework for lesson design, delivery, and guided practice. Qualitative data showed improvement in 50% of the participants' ability to make text-to-self connections over the six-week study. Furthermore, results validated the think-aloud approach for improving kindergarteners' reading comprehension.