1. Using Annotating to Become an Active Reader
The Art of Annotating
Using Annotating to Become an Active Reader

2. WHAT is it and WHY should you do it?
Annotating simply means writing in your book as you read.
There are multiple reasons for marking a text as you read it .

3. Reason #1: Interact with the Book
You learn more from a conversation than you do from a one-sided lecture, so learn to TALK to your book!

4. Reason #1: Interact with the book
Typical marks:
Question marks & questions – be a critical reader by questioning what you read.
Exclamation marks to say “I agree” or “great point”
Smiley faces or other emoticons
Color or highlight your favorite sections
Create graphic organizers like Venn diagrams to help yourself understand relationships

5. Reason #1: Interact with the Book
Comments when you agree or disagree
A short personal narrative that ties to the story
Record the name of a song, a different book, a movie, a television show that maybe came to mind while you were reading a specific section

6. Reason #2: Learn What the Book Teaches
Underline, circle, or highlight key words and phrases
Use the textual clues to define unfamiliar words
If that doesn’t help, then get a dictionary and record the definition in the margins of the book
Put a reference to another page in the book to provide links between information

7. Reason #2: Learn What the Book Teaches
Summarize whole passages or even chapters
Leave a trail in the book that makes it easier to find information later
Create your own index in the back of the book
EX: Record each time a particular symbol is used in the work

8. Reason 3: Discover the Author’s Style
Annotate to highlight style – a particular way an author writes
Does the author use descriptions to convey tone? Highlight the super descriptive passages to find out.
Does the author use tons of dialogue in an effort to make the work more “real”?
Does the author use an abundance of figurative language (similes, metaphors, personification)?

9. Reason 4: Become an ACTIVE Reader
If nothing else, annotating keeps you AWAKE because it prevents you from zoning out.
Your BRAIN is constantly questioning, looking for repeated symbols, discovering style, making connections between the text and your life, etc.
Your HANDS are busy underlining, highlighting, circling, flipping back and forth to find passages to connect, etc.