1. A Close Reading Strategy for Better Comprehension
Text Annotation
A Close Reading Strategy for Better Comprehension

2. Active vs. Passive Reading
What are Passive activities?
What are Active activities?
Active Reading:
Interact
Evaluate
Apply
Active vs. Passive reading
a. “Passive” activities are those that do not demand work or thought from the participant. An example is watching television: watching a show on television usually involves no active, critical thinking, or questioning from the viewer.
b. “ Active” activities are those that demand work or thought from the participant. An examples would be playing a sport (not just physically active but coordinating and strategizing with your team mates), playing games (chess, scrabble, or even some video games), and reading. To actively read one must always be thinking. Reading is (and should be) thinking).
What does someone do to “read actively?”
Interact – treat reading like you would a conversation and interact with the text: agree, disagree, sigh, visualize and be involved with the information. Interacting is asking questions and paraphrasing.
Evaluate – not everything in every book is true. Some text is dated, others may include bias, and others may be just giving an opinion. Every time you read a text ask yourself “Is this information correct? Does it reflect what I know about the world? Why or why not?” Its OK to disagree with another person’s opinion and if you find wrong information be sure to bring it to your teacher’s attention.
Apply – constantly compare the new information the text is giving you to information, experiences, and ideas that you are already familiar with. When you finish reading, look for examples, and experiences that are explained by the information in your text.

3. What is Text Annotation?
While reading, students mark the pages for
Important information
Text meaning or key details
Ideas and questions
Some readers mark the text extensively; some readers only mark the parts they think are important or problematic. It’s not essential how MUCH students annotate, only that they DO annotate. The act of marking the page while reading makes it more likely that students will read closely and attentively.

4. What is Annotation?
Annotation is the process of marking a piece of text (whether it be a book, essay, or article) while reading.
A good annotation process includes two basic elements:
1) Intratextual marking – highlighting, underlining, & symbols
help to zero in on what within the text is important (key words, ideas, phrases)
2) Marginal notes
Provide the why the intratextual marking is important
Asks questions
A good annotation strategy uses both types of markings: the intratextual markers help to zero in on what within the text is important (like key words or important phrases) A good place to start is every time you make an intellextual marking make a marginal note of why the intratextual mark you made is important.

5. Two Types of Annotation Remember to Use Both!
Intratextual Markings
Marginal Notes
Underlining
Definitions
Highlighting
Examples
Circling
Signs/Symbols
Numbering
Sign/Symbols
Paraphrasing
Asking Questions
Underline, highlight, circle key terms, short phrases, descriptive words, names, dates, etc. Number steps in a process or lists of evidence in support of main ideas. Use markings and symbols to draw attention to and provide emphasis.

6. Developing an Annotation Code
You can create whatever system you like. There are many examples out there, but really its about finding something that works for you. Here is an example to the right to get you started, and while this may seem complicated at first, it will become automatic in no time!
Annotation Code Main Idea: underline and * in margin Supporting Ideas: squiggly line with  in margin Other important ideas: underlined Vocabulary: circled Definitions: square around the words Interesting ideas: underlined with ! In the margin Questions: ? In the margin

7. What About Highlighters?
Students often think text annotation simply involves highlighting almost every word in a text. It’s important to note that highlighting may be part of student’s system for annotation but it is NOT effective if it’s the only system.
It’s important to note that highlighting may be part of student’s system for annotation but it is NOT effective if it’s the only system.

8. Selective Highlighting
Use three or four different colors and establish a code to help you differentiate between ideas.
For example:
Use one color to highlight key vocabulary and provide definitions and/or explanations in margin
Use different colors to highlight main ideas and supporting details
Use another color to highlight key facts and concepts
Review your highlighted information, and create marginal notes. Create lists, add comments, and questions
To make this a useful strategy, remember to use pencil to underline the first tie you read a section or paragraph; otherwise you could highlight too much information. Then go back over the underlines to pick out key words and phrases to highlight as suggested above.
Please point out how distracting and complicated this seems. Also, if the reader doesn’t remember the color code, this could be meaningless later.

9. 5 Steps to Annotation Survey Determine Purpose
effective!
5 Steps to Annotation
Survey
Determine Purpose
Plan Annotation Strategy:
Intratextual Markings
Margin Notes
Annotate text and graphics
Ask questions
1.       Survey.
Look over the text you must read to see what is in store for you.
2. Determine purpose.
After looking over the text determine why you are reading it and what you need to get out of it. Are you familiar with the topic? Is it reviewed material or new material? Why do you have to read it: is it as part of required reading for a course, extra reading assigned outside the textbook, or research for a paper you must write?
3. Plan annotation strategy.
Decide BEFORE you start annotating how you will annotate. Your purpose will determine your annotation: must you focus on facts and dates that your instructor will give you more information on later? Or are you supposed to analyze the information for yourself and build it into your notes? Each time you read your purpose might be different and using the same strategy every time will really hurt your comprehension. Remember that once you start annotating you want to TRY to stay consistent but change your strategy as you need to.
Examples of things to annotate (you will probably have more):
Information your instructor mentioned in class.
Information in the text that you don’t understand.
Information in the text that is new, important or interesting.
4. Use intratextual markings.
Intratextual markings include underlining, highlighting, circling, and numbering. The help you to identify the main ideas and key points within the text, and make it so you can go back to specific lines and locate them later.
Write margin notes (marginalia) and paraphrase.
Marginalia and paraphrasing performs two functions: you can respond to what the author is saying and it allows you to stop and check that you understand what is being said. It does not need to be complete sentences and, often, short phrases and single words might be more effective.
Annotate graphics.
Don’t skip pictures and graphics while reading. The information provided usually ties together (visually) the ideas within the surrounding paragraphs. To read graphics:
Look at the caption(s) and read carefully.
Note any information presented as part of the graphic (notes, labels, keys, etc.)
Make sense of the graphic with the information provided.
Ask questions: what is the relationship(s) between the information? Why did the author put this here? How might this information be important to my class? What am I supposed to learn?
Write your questions and any answers you may have near the graphic.
5. Ask questions. When you come to something you don’t understand, slow down and read carefully. You may have to read a few times to understand a paragraph. If you’re still confused, then write questions in the margin: the more detailed the better. A question like “Will you explain chapter 3?” will be less effective in your class than a question like “On page 75, can you explain the process involved to go from information A to information B?” These planned, detailed questions will also signal to your teacher you at least attempted to read, and make sense of, the material.

10. Annotating and Note-taking
During the first reading: Use pencil only to underline key ideas during the first reading
After finishing a paragraph or section: Review the pencil underlines and then highlight only key ideas and key words (you still feel are important). Avoid highlighting more than 5 consecutive words.
When finished highlighting a paragraph: Make annotation in the margin Consider the purpose of the paragraph. These annotations may include: key ideas to remember, questions, lists, reactions, and notes to think about the content more.
After annotating: Finally, transfer your annotations to a word document or notebook dedicated to the course. This helps to consolidate understanding and is a great tool for studying for exams.

11. Annotation Styles and Strategies
Bracket [important] passages
The following seven slides illustrate multiple annotation styles. Move quickly through these as they are fairly self-explanatory. All of the annotation styles can be used at the same time by students while they read, depending on the purpose and comprehension level of the reader. Bracketing works for larger sections of text (like quotes, lines from other works, text within text). Labeling by the the brackets helps identify why the bracketed text is important.

12. Annotation Styles and Strategies
Connect related ideas with lines
Underline important ideas/details
Underlining important and key ideas allows readers to find essential information without having to reread the entire text. When sections of text are connected, drawing lines or arrows between connecting ideas allows the reader to “see” those connections without having to reread the entire text. It also helps readers make critical text-to-text connections while they read.

13. Annotation Styles and Strategies
Outline main ideas in margin
and/or
Write margin notes (comments and questions)
Margin notes are essential and can include comments, questions, and symbols that the reader understands. By both reading AND writing while reading, comprehension is improved.

14. Annotation Styles and Strategies
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
Circle unfamiliar vocabulary
This is a real word. It’s a disease of the lungs caused by inhaling small particles of dust from a volcanic eruption. Circling unfamiliar words (and sometimes looking them up in a dictionary or glossary) if there are no context clues within the reading, helps the reader know what questions to ask about the reading to improve his/her comprehension. It’s also a step frequently ignored by poor readers who skip over unfamiliar words and who never review them, even when reading in context doesn’t work.

15. Annotation Styles and Strategies
Place asterisks or exclamation points next to unusual or surprising details
****
Using asterisks or exclamation points next to unusual or surprising details allows readers to attend to the details and then move on to the more important or key details in the reading.

16. Annotation Styles and Strategies
Use symbols, drawings, and small drawings(text coding) to highlight important details
When using text coding, consistency is important. Students need to understand the key.
If students are using text codes, emphasize that there needs to be some consistency in the coding so that students remember what the symbols mean.

17. Annotation Styles and Strategies
Can’t write in books?
Label with sticky notes— Students can use all the same strategies by placing their annotations on different colors of sticky notes on the pages of their books.
Copy important sections from text (doesn’t break copyright if used for educational purposes)
This strategy works best with limited amounts of text. It can also be cost prohibitive because someone has to buy the sticky notes.

18. Annotation & Memory Quick Memory Tips:
Memory is formed with constant review
Review more frequently at first; less frequently later
Annotation, vocab, maps, grids, recitation, and notes will only work if you REVIEW them.
·         Problems with reading and memory.
Many students struggle with memory, especially when it comes to remembering what they’re reading. Interacting and WRITING in the text can help you to remember what’s in it, but also help you locate where to find things you’ve lost.
Tips to remember what you’ve read.
By writing down, paraphrasing, marking and noting where items are in a text you can make it easier for you to go back and REVIEW the information in the text helping along the transition from short-term to long-term memory.
How annotation can help.
Instead of reading the entire text over and over again, read the text once (or sometimes twice) and each time you read it focus on pulling out (through annotation) the most important, useful and interesting items for future use. Then go over ONLY the annotations, using the text only to help you remember the most detailed information. Once you have a grasp on the information in the text, then move your best paraphrases to your notes or other study materials. Always be looking through the book periodically to review.

19. Quick Memory Tips
Memory is formed by constant review of information. When you learn something new you cannot (and should not) expect to remember it if you don`t take the time to review it.
The best way to learn information and be able to remember it, is to review more frequently at the beginning, and less frequently later
Things like maps, grids, vocabulary lists, and good note-taking strategies are GREAT, but don`t work unless you continue to review them frequently.

20. Examples of Annotation

21. Examples of Annotation

22. Example of Annotation

23. Surviving your Sophomore year
Now that you’ve survived your freshman year, what will you do differently to make this year more successful?
In your reading assignment, you will find 5 suggestions for a more successful sophomore year.

24. Practice Makes Perfect
Quickly review the annotation codes and suggestions from today’s lesson. As you review these, decide on a coding system you want to try. As you practice this skill, your coding system is likely to evolve.
Using your chosen coding system, read and annotate the assigned article.
While you read, be conscious of how well the coding system is working for you and adapt as needed.
Please read and annotate the entire article.

25. Practice Makes Perfect
After completing the reading, discuss with your partner two important details you learned from the article.
Next, discuss the annotation strategies you selected.
Reflect on the process with your partner—did annotating the article improve or impede your comprehension? How will you change your strategy/system the next time you read?