ANNOTATION

Annotate and Underline (or Highlight)  Perhaps two of the most important things a student can do while reading for school—and reading anything really— is annotate and underline.  Annotating is when you write a brief note to yourself in the margin of the text.

Annotation  More than likely, if an instructor has assigned a specific reading or text, you can assume that the text is valuable to the class and to your overall education (and you might be tested over it).  You need to be able to refer back to the text for papers and tests, so by annotating in the margins and underlining important information, you eliminate the need to reread the entire work for that one specific piece of information.

Annotation  This year we will focuse on reading both fiction and nonfiction.  We know that there are differences between fiction and nonfiction. We also need to annotate differently, depending on if we are reading fiction or nonfiction.

Annotation of Fiction DURING READING (Adapted from Porter-O’Donnell) Mark in the text: (Highlight)  Important character traits or dialogue(who)  When - what is the time period? How do you know?(setting)  Where are the character? City, State, House(setting)  What is happening? Important events  Figurative Language  Circle Vocabulary – word you can’t figure out through context  Literary elements  Data for themes Write in the margins: (Pen or pencil)  Make predictions  Formulate opinions  Make connections  Ask questions  Analyze the author's craft  Write reflections/reactions/comments  Look for patterns/repetitions/motifs  Analysis of theme, literay items, characterization.

Annotation Non-Fiction Mark in text:  The thesis or main topic of piece  The main points in each paragraph or paragraphs.  Important ideas and memorable images  Circle unfamiliar words  Mark confusing parts that you want to reread or ask about. Write in Margins:  Annotating can be a summary of the paragraph you just read, a note about what you read, or even an idea or question that came to you while reading a passage  Write your comments in the margin  Write any personal connection to the piece in the margin  Write questions you have about parts you don’t understand. Don’t stop reading, just put a ? and keep reading.

Important parts only  Tip: While reading, you should continually search for the most important parts.  So what are these important parts? Things like thesis statements, main ideas, supporting evidence, and the like are all good things to underline and annotate.  Reading then becomes a search that causes you to stay deeply focused on what you’re reading.

Less is more  A few words of warning about underlining or highlighting: Make sure that you only underline (or highlight) the most important parts of your study material. It really wouldn’t help to underline an entire page of text; it would take forever to find the information you really need. So, use this tool sparingly.