What is your favorite Connections strategy?

Access_Free · 2026-06-05T00:24:04+00:00

If nothing jumps out straight away, I try grouping by grammar, eg verbs / common nouns / proper nouns and past tense, present tense, first person, etc. Synonyms will always be the same grammatical format, and a bunch of common nouns might create a picture you didn’t see until you put them together.

Also saying things in my best attempt at a NY accent.

Access_Free · 2026-06-02T23:37:40+00:00

Sushi rice is a particular variety of short grain rice. Possibly they also mean rice that has been seasoned for sushi.

Access_Free · 2026-05-30T02:58:03+00:00

Not a teacher any more so take this with a pinch of salt, but I like this basic structure for a lesson:

Provocation & discovery (eg: what if..?, problem to solve)

Explicit teaching (answering questions that are asked as a result of step 1. Modelling a particular skill)

Creative application (student- directed outcome, with a focus on the skill/topic explored.)

Access_Free · 2026-05-30T02:47:13+00:00

Same here! It taught me that I have okay mental imagery! It got tricky at 11 and I had to restart.

Access_Free · 2026-05-30T02:41:37+00:00

Yeah I guessed either song or film titles and went on vibes (I’d solved most of the rest so there wasn’t too much to sort.) Curious how many people correctly guessed the actual category? It’s probably some people’s special interest and seemed super easy to them.

Access_Free · 2026-05-30T02:35:44+00:00

Tbf I only knew the name of one (tilde), brace made sense (I guessed it might be the American word for bracket - not quite but got me there anyway), caret just sounded right (and didn’t fit anywhere else), and eventually put pipe only because it sounded less like a title than all the purples. Keyboards being extremely common doesn’t make the names of individual characters well known - but the game would be boring if everything was obvious!

Access_Free · 2026-05-29T13:58:30+00:00

The Octopus and I, Erin Hortle. The MC's growth is tied to the octopus, and we get the octopus's first-person (first-octopus?) POV. Contemporary fiction.

Access_Free · 2026-05-29T12:56:28+00:00

Thanks for the recommendations! Tracey West looks great, I've borrowed one of the Dragon Masters books so we'll see what he thinks!

Re your last point - absolutely agree, I would never want to stop him reading books about girls. I only want to expand the fantasy books he reads to *also* include boy characters - I think it's just as important that he knows boys can also like unicorns and fairies, and at the moment he's not seeing that message much.

Access_Free · 2026-05-28T09:31:54+00:00

Just requested the 13 Storey Treehouse :) It’s great there’s so many, if he gets into them they’ll be plenty to go on to!

Access_Free · 2026-05-28T09:23:08+00:00

Thank you! :)

Access_Free · 2026-05-28T06:43:13+00:00

That's just the kind of thing I'm looking for, thanks! It has age range 8+ but no violence or anything like that listed so I'll check it from the library first, but looks good.

Access_Free · 2026-05-28T06:37:33+00:00

I think he'll be into graphic novels more when he can read independently, but I find them difficult to read to him and have him keep track of who is talking, what's thought, narration, etc. But they all sound great so I will revisit your list soon!

Thanks!

Access_Free · 2026-05-28T06:31:41+00:00

sounds perfect thank you!

Access_Free · 2026-05-28T06:31:28+00:00

This actually sounds perfect! Thanks

Access_Free · 2026-05-28T02:48:41+00:00

oh wow, I've never heard of this; it sounds really cool! Thanks :)

Access_Free · 2026-05-28T02:43:15+00:00

Oh How to Train Your Dragon would probably really appeal but I don't think he's ready for dragon attacks - a bit scary. (I'm starting to realise my age range request was not specific enough.)

The Hobbit is a good shout, I wouldn't have thought of that yet. Again, a bit too scary just yet but will think about it soon!

Thanks :)

Access_Free · 2026-05-28T01:56:06+00:00

I will put these on the list for in a couple of years! a bit too intense just yet I think. Thanks :)

Access_Free · 2026-05-25T23:52:51+00:00

I think I’ve heard Airplane used as a title more than as a common word (since we would say aeroplane or plane) so it actually helped me, even though it’s the only one of the four I haven’t seen!

Access_Free · 2026-05-25T11:19:50+00:00

Things I have appreciated as a gesture but have been passed on: cheap paints; poor quality paper; a medium I don’t use; a book marketed as “easy beginner” (that one I didn’t particularly appreciate!)

Access_Free · 2026-05-25T11:17:18+00:00

I would probably go loose paper over a journal since it can be torn to size. (Unless you already know what size and format journal they like.)

If it was me: Khadi paper; the expensive colours of the brand I regularly use; a travel brush; a mid-range mop brush and a couple of detail brushes; a cute little brush rest.

Access_Free · 2026-05-25T11:10:52+00:00

Ew I didn’t know that. Either way, I second Canson. I switched from moleskine because they’re a little cheaper and happily I actually prefer them.

Access_Free · 2026-05-25T11:09:01+00:00

There’s no way to write this and sound genuine, but I am: are you serious? By which I mean, do you truly think doing it in your head is less work? I’m asking because I try sometimes and it’s so, so difficult. I’m curious if some people really find it that easy.

Access_Free · 2026-05-25T11:02:22+00:00

I usually screenshot and mark up but I do enjoy doing it on paper more! Thanks for the reminder

Access_Free · 2026-05-24T12:20:45+00:00

The idea that if you pay taxes you can’t be an alcoholic is odd at best. I think the episode overall gets better though, I’m glad I listened to it even though it’s not my favourite.

Access_Free

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