One of the most vital components to any effective literacy program is a bridge between student's lives and the text.  Research shows that students get more comprehension out of a story if they can relate to its events.  The best way to see that this happens is to draw connection between the story and something that happened in the students' lives. 

1. Bring index cards and pencils.

2. Write the proverb, idiom, or rhyming riddle on the board.

3. Use RGRS to explore its meaning.

4. Ask students to copy down the expression.

5. Invite them to think of a way it relates to their own life.

6. Give the students two minutes to discuss these events before they begin to write.

7. If students are working with partners or small groups, continue to allow discussion while they write.

8. Use a Sharing Strategy.