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Annotating Text
Description
In order for a reader to truly engage with a text and begin to connect
with it intellectually and emotionally, that text must be treated as a partner
in the learning process. One way of making this engagement "hands-on"
is for students to annotate, or "mark up," the texts they read.
Marking can include underlining, writing comments in the margins, drawing
symbols next to different sections, or any other form students find helpful
and natural. This is a powerful way to bring home the idea that a text is
not sacrosanct, but can be written on, reacted to, and "argued with,"
and that doing so is the natural habit of all proficient readers. Having
students annotate as they read encourages them to be aware of what is going
on in their minds as they process the information. Annotation can be a springboard
to many other activities that use the reactions of the reader, from class
discussion to essay writing.
To demonstrate the technique, the teacher can give students a photocopied
text to read during class, with time left over for writing and discussing.
This text should be copied in such a way that there is a lot of blank space
left around the edges for taking notes. The teacher should read the first
few paragraphs aloud to the students, then stop and ask them to take out
their pens and "mark up" the text in some way that shows what
they thought as they heard the lines. They might underline those lines that
seemed most important, put question marks in the margin next to sections
they didn't understand, circle words they didn't know, write
reactions next to sections that caused an emotional response, or "talk
back" to the writer in places where they feel moved to do so.
After giving students some time to try this, the teacher should ask them
to share what they have done, with partners or with the class as a whole.
It is best to hear from a range of people and collect a variety of responses.
Teachers should refrain from judging the responses by deeming particular
ones "good" or "bad"; students need to see that there is not a "right" answer.
Some teachers might even want to share their own annotations with the class.
It is important that teachers note the range of responses in the classroom
and use them to make the point that every reader brings something different
to the text.
Benefits
This is a natural starting point for a range of reader-response activities.
It reinforces habits that are second nature to proficient readers and shows
students that their thoughts and reactions as they read are valuable. The
technique can also be used to encourage students who are ordinarily reluctant
to speak in whole-group settings; teachers can use it as a "scaffolding"
step, preparing students before initiating large-group discussions. This
will ensure that everyone has something to contribute. To add an additional
step, the teacher can have students pair up before the whole-group discussion
to share their annotations with a classmate. These students, by seeing that
everyone has something different to say about the text, will be much more
likely to venture their thoughts in a whole-class discussion.
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Small Peer Group Discussions