Annotating Texts

A close reading strategy

Adaptation by Sharon Fulmer, Tiffany Holmes, & Laura HayesThe Academy of Irving, Texas, 2008

Good ReadingBackground

• Most reading is skimmed• When you need to learn, reading requires

close attention• Good reading is hard work• Good reading makes good writing

Adapted from The Bedford Reader and The Little, Brown ReaderAdaptation by Laura Hayes

Annotations: An Overview

• No one “right” way to annotate (take notes) as you read

• General principles for good annotating to keep in mind– Write marginal notes in the text – Taking Notes is not just summarizing. Ask questions and

write and comments– Close reading takes time – Taking time as you read will save you time and anxiety

later as you discuss & write about the text

Previewing: Before You Annotate

• Find a quiet place with no distractions (this means no music, cell phone, or TV)

• Look at the title– Usually includes author’s subject or method

• Who is the author?– What you already know helps you guess

something about the writing– If biographical sketch is provided, read it

Adapted from The Bedford Reader and The Little, Brown ReaderAdaptation by Laura Hayes

Previewing: Before You Annotate

• In what was it published?– Would you be more likely to believe “Living Mermaids: An

Amazing Discovery” if it were published in Scientific American or The National Enquirer?

– Indicates for whom it was written

• When was it published?– If it’s about mermaids, will you find it more reliable if

written in 1988 or 1788?

Adapted from The Bedford Reader and The Little, Brown ReaderAdaptation by Laura Hayes

Annotation Guidelines Read with a pen or pencil in hand.

Helps you focus and stay alert.

Create your own code / symbols & be CONSISTENT with your system. Abbreviate using things such as brackets, stars, exclamation points

Keep a list of characters & their key traits A good place: inside cover of the book Add brief notes to your lists as you read

Look for patterns What ideas do you see repeated? What connections can you draw between different concepts?

Annotation Guidelines Create your own code / symbols, cont.

Mark main idea supporting details key terms cause and effect explanations(Now brainstorm key concepts with your table)

Underline/highlight – CAUTION: Use this sparingly. Underline/highlight only a few words. Never underline an entire passage.

At the end of each chapter, bullet-point the key events as a summary or write a short summary.

Suggestions

• Underline the major points. • Circle keywords or phrases that are confusing or

unknown to you.• Use a question mark (?) for questions that you have

during the reading.Is something confusing? • Use an exclamation mark (!) for things that surprise you,

and briefly note what it was that caught your attention. • Draw an arrow ( ) ↵ when you make a connection to

something inside the text, or to an idea or experience outside the text. Briefly note your connections.

• Mark EX when the author provides an example.• Numerate arguments, important ideas, or key details

and write words or phrases that restate them.

Annotation Guidelines Have a CONVERSATION with the text. Talk back to it.

Take your time as you begin a new text. Ask yourself many questions as you begin:

Are there any fallacies in the text? How does this relate to your everyday experience? What formula will help me solve this problem?

Try to make a quick note on the top of each page indicating the most important point there.

Ask questions (essential to active reading). Use question marks. Be alert to what puzzles you. Good readers do not zip along without stopping to monitor their

comprehension. They stop to think and to note what they don’t understand.

Write down questions you would like to discuss. Your annotations must include comments as evidence of thinking.

Annotation Guidelines Of course, you should always pay attention to VOCABULARY.

A strong vocabulary comes from reading, not from memorizing lists. Your text includes many words that will be new to you.

Mark these words. Try to determine meaning from the context. If you are really puzzled by a word, look it up.

• DURING READING• Mark in the text:• > Characters (who)• > When (setting)• > Where (setting)• > Vocabulary ~~~~~• > _______ Important information

Write in the margins:•> Summarize•> Make predictions•> Formulate opinions•> Make connections•> Ask questions•> Analyze the author’s craft-literary devices•> Write reflections/reactions/comments•> Look for patterns/repetitions-what do they MEAN.

AFTER READING

• > Reread annotations—draw conclusions• > Reread introduction and conclusion—try• to figure out something new• > Examine patterns/repetitions—determine• possible meanings• > Determine what the title might mean