1. Critical Reading Strategy: Annotating
Reading for school is different from reading for pleasure. Close reading with a purpose requires active reading strategies.

2. ANNOTATING an active reading strategy
Annotating is an important skill to employ if you want to read critically. Successful critical readers read with a pen/pencil in their hand, making notes in the text as they read. Instead of reading passively, critical readers create an active relationship with what they are reading by "talking back" to the text in its margins (marking the text).

3. ANNOTATING an active reading strategy
This sounds familiar….
“Marking the text”
SUBSEARCH-PS

4. ANNOTATION an active reading strategy…
Why isn’t highlighting enough?
Highlighting is more passive. Annotating a text helps you to stay focused and involved with the text. You'll find that the process of marking the text and taking notes as you read will help you to monitor and improve your comprehension.
**You cannot use a highlight on AP exam or ACT!

5. Methods of Annotation
While ways to annotate a text are limitless, several are important to know and use:
Preview—title, special features, etc.
Number each paragraph,
Underline key words and/or phrases,
Bracket thesis statement (if explicitly stated)[ ]
Circle repeated words; note unfamiliar words
Identify imagery, literary devices, figures of repetition, rhetorical devices
Summarize main idea of each paragraph in margin (briefly/few words).

6. Write questions and/or comments in margin,
Types of Annotation
Write questions and/or comments in margin,
Mark ideas or personal reactions using abbreviations that make sense to you

7. Additional Active Reading Strategies: SUBSEARCH P.S.
S – Skim, Scan, Survey [previewing]
U – Underline key ideas or
B – Brackets [thesis or major ideas]
S – Symbols (in margin) or
E – Enumeration (list of facts details) or
A – Abbreviate (text message, ex, fyi)
R – React Personally [must do!]
C – Connect to text [must do!]
H – Highlight (always put a limit; use like gold)
P – Paraphrase or S – Summarize (Write statement after reading, as review)

8. Additional Reading Strategies
Dialectical Journals
(double column notes)
Notes in left column
Reader Response in right column
Page or paragraph # in middle

9. Additional Reading Strategies
Cornell Notes
Left column – Cues such as main ideas, key words, questions, etc. (after taking notes)
Right column – notes (during class)
Bottom Section – summary of notes(after class, during review)

10. Additional Reading Strategies
Post-It Notes
When you cannot write on a text, use sticky notes/Post-it notes as an active reading strategy.