Selective Underlining/Highlighting Marking the text Monroe County School District Department of Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment

Marking text is probably the most used study/comprehension strategy. For this strategy to be effective, students must be selective and have a clear idea of the purpose for reading If the purpose in unknown, students will underline too much and will not transform the text into useful information

Steps to follow for marking text 1. Explain underlining and marginal notes as critical tools for understanding and remembering/transforming text 2. Model a preview a.Read introductory paragraph b.Note bold headings c.Examine pictures/graphs/charts d.Read concluding paragraph 3. Guide students in discussion about setting purpose for reading 4. Use a copy of the assigned text to model selective marking – Develop procedural steps which might include: a.Read or skim selection b.Mark each paragraph and re- read one paragraph at a time c.Underline words or phrases rather than sentences d.Organize main ideas and details by powers (MI, 1, 2, 3), colors, or other types of notations e.Generate topics or categories for ideas – write in margins Make a Graphic Organizer f.Justify your underlining with a partner

5. Engage students in discussions about why certain words/phrases are highlighted or underlined while others are not 6. Have students make “FACT” or “DATA” statements based on their marginal notes/graphic organizer This activity can be taken to a speaking and/or writing activity if desired…

More Ideas to explore… Underline main ideas and details with different colors If a main idea is not stated (implicit) generate your own and jot in the margin Marginal notations contain queries for facilitating “Questioning the Author” discussions

Let’s move to a piece of text… Read introductory paragraph silently What do you suppose this text is going to be about? Advantages and disadvantages of the different sides fighting a war What text structure will you most likely encounter? Why do you say that? Compare/Contrast … the words “advantages and disadvantages “

Let’s move to a piece of text… Note bold headings The North and the South… Jefferson Davis North & South important… Jefferson Davis?? Examine pictures/graphs/charts None Read concluding paragraph Based on this and the beginning paragraph, I think I’ll learn about the advantages and disadvantages the North and the South faced during the Civil War.

SET THE PURPOSE FOR READING … I am reading this page in order to determine the advantages & disadvantages of both the North and the South as they entered the Civil War. Knowing this, I should be able to see how it effected the outcome of the war…

If we know the purpose, and we know the structure… What are the important things we are comparing/ contrasting? ◦ NORTH and SOUTH  This becomes our first level; first color ◦ Advantages and Disadvantages  This becomes our second level; second color What is critical to remember? ◦ This becomes our highlighted/third level phrases and ideas

MODEL A SUMMARY USING THE HIGHLIGHTED NOTES Have students then model a summary For younger students or students who seem to have difficulties with the abstract representation of leveled ideas, you can take this to a graphic organizer