Active Reading• Have you ever read something only to realize you

have no idea what you read?• Have you ever looked back over something

you’ve read and realized that you highlighted or underlined almost the whole page?

• Have you ever done poorly on a test, quiz, or essay even though you did the reading?

If you’ve answered yes, you may have been stuck in a passive reading mindset. This won’t work in college!

Annotating—A Key to Active ReadingTo become a more active reader, think of yourself as in dialogue with the text you are reading. • Do not just highlight or underline, but also write in

the margins of your text if you can (or in a notebook if you cannot). This is called annotating.

• Write questions.• Note why something is important.• Argue with the author.• Tell the author why you agree with him or her.• Record your surprise at something you have read.

Example of Strong, Thorough Annotations

This is an annotated poem, but you get the idea.

Why Become an Active Reader?

This approach will help you better remember what you have read. You will also start to develop a critical perspective on the reading and place it in relation to other texts you have read. In class, you will not only be able to say what the text said; you also will have something to say about it—this practice enables you to analyze!

How to Annotate Here are some kinds of responses you might want to write in marginal or other notes:• Questions (to the author, to yourself, to the professor)• What the text makes you wonder or want to learn more

about• Connections/comparisons to other readings or your life• Critique of the argument• Extensions (x could also apply to y)• How the text connects, to contradicts, or complicates

your own thinking

Practicing Annotations

• Read ALL of Zemliansky’s chapter on argument. It is a longer piece, so you only have to print and practice annotating pages 11-12. This will take longer than you may be used to, but it will result in three benefits:

1. You’ll be able to contribute to a discussion.2. You’ll be able to write about the concepts more

easily.3. You’ll have a better understanding and memory of

what you read.