Building Substantive Engagement through the Use of Connection Prompts

Conversation is a strategy that helps students build reading skills and improve reading comprehension. This study describes the implementation of connection prompts in a 2nd-grade classroom to support students in making predictions, questioning the text, and initiating further conversation. Research suggests that once conversation is initiated, students learn how to carry a conversation and can use it to help build understanding. A qualitative research design was used to identify key themes that emerged from multiple visits to the classroom. There was an increase over time in the frequency of students making connections/predictions, questioning the text, questioning other students, using the connections to think about the text, and working together to build a deeper understanding of the text with the regular use of connection prompts. Further, the connection prompts helped the teacher and students remain focused and on-task. The connection prompts are a simple tool to promote critical thinking through conversation.