Download - Annotation
Pamela M. SanterreUniversity of New England
EDU742November 6, 2011
Getting Started
Last night, you were asked to read “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell & write a short written response.
There are different ways good readers respond to a text
Reread your response and choose one sentence to share with the class.
What category of response would you and your classmate’s response fit into?
Activity
Ways Good Readers Respond to a Text
Make ConnectionsAsk QuestionsMake PredictionsDraw Conclusions using EvidenceState OpinionsAnalyze the way the author
writesReflect on the ContentReflect on the Reading Process
Activity Create a poster of the ways good readers respond to a text. This poster should be on computer paper, so that you can keep in your Language Arts binder to refer to as you read.
Make Connections
To Self To world events
To other texts (books, TV
shows, songs, movies,
artwork, etc.)
AskQuestions
Make Predictions
Analyze the writing style
Good readers pay attention to their thoughts while they’re reading
Scientists call this being “metacognitive,” which means “thinking about our thoughts.”While reading ,if we pay attention to
◦ questions we have◦ things we find strange or confusing◦ things we connect with◦ things we like
we will be able to understand the story and better understand how and why we get confused
AnnotationStrategy that readers use to be
metacognitive.Annotation means writing down your
thoughts of what you’re reading as you read
Short comments in the margins of the book, not long paragraphs
Good readers annotate to:Identify important informationRecord connectionsAsk questionsInterpret ideas
Miss Santerre being metacognitive while reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
I predict that Harry Potter will catch the snitch
and win the Quidditch game for Gryffindor
I wonder if Ron has a crush on
Hermione. Does Hermione like
him back?
Professor Snape doesn’t have many friends because he
never sits with the other
teachers in the Great Hall during
dinner
Annotating Text BookmarkBefore Reading
Examine the front and back covers (books) Read the title and subtitles Examine the illustrations Examine the print (bold, italics, etc) Examine the way the text is set up (book, short story, diary, dialogue,
article, etc)
During Reading
Mark in the text Characters When (setting) Where (setting) Unfamiliar Words ? Important Information
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
Write in the margins Summarize Make predictions Formulate opinions Make connections Ask questions Analyze the way the author writes Write
reflections/reactions/comments Look for patterns/repetitions
Adapted from Porter-O’Donnell (2004)
Practice
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
While I read the first page of the story aloud, follow along and use the symbols on the bookmark to mark information.
Annotating Text BookmarkBefore Reading
Examine the front and back covers (books) Read the title and subtitles Examine the illustrations Examine the print (bold, italics, etc) Examine the way the text is set up (book, short story, diary, dialogue,
article, etc)
During Reading
Mark in the text Characters When (setting) Where (setting) Unfamiliar Words ? Important quotations or passages Important Information
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
Write in the margins Summarize Make predictions Formulate opinions Make connections Ask questions Analyze the way the author writes Write
reflections/reactions/comments Look for patterns/repetitions
Adapted from Porter-O’Donnell (2004)
Take a few moments to add marks you may have missed.
◦Who would like to share what they marked?
◦Did anyone make any comments in the margins?
Go back and make at least one comment in the margins.
The Lottery
What if I can’t write in the book?
You should NOT write in a book borrowed from the school, library, or a friend.
But… You can make your
marks and write your thoughts on sticky notes, and then stick it on the correct page!
No matter what type of annotation you use, remember…
You are being metacognitive; you are thinking about your thoughts
By keeping track of your thoughts while you read, you will have a clearer picture in your mind of what is happening in the story and who the characters are.
Because annotating slows your reading down, you will discover and uncover ideas you would not have discovered otherwise.
However, the time it takes to read a piece once and annotate is less than the time it takes to reread several times.
Resources
Daniels, H., & Zemelman, S. (2004). Subjects matter: Every teacher’s guide
to content-area reading. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Jackson, Shirley. The lottery. Retrieved from http://www.jeanloupbenet.com/
lottery.pdf
O’Shaughnessy, K. (2001). Everything I know about teaching language arts I
learned at an office supply store. The Quarterly, 23(2). Retrieved from
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/147
Porter-O’Donnell, C. (2004). Beyond the yellow highlighter: teaching
annotation skills to improve reading comprehension. English Journal, 93(5),
82- 89.