CT BES Module 8
Analyzing and Annotating Readings
Annotation is ostensibly a study skill but, when we teach students how to annotate
readings, we are challenging them to move a step up from a lower level on Bloom’s
taxonomy of critical thinking (knowledge of data) to the next higher one (comprehension
of information). For some, it’s a giant leap.
Source: http://www.techdis.ac.uk/index.php?p=9_5_32_4
Learning how to annotate effectively takes some practice so it’s useful to have more than
one copy of a practice reading on hand at the beginning. That way, after annotating
several paragraphs of a work, students can go back over their notes to see how they might
pare them down to more succinct ideas. As well, on a second reading they can decide
whether or not their first analyses and notes were accurate assessments of the main topics
of the paragraphs. Rather than struggle with a mess of edited or scratched out notes, they
can transfer pared down and accurate notes to a fresh copy of the reading, making
“cleaner” notes easier to use overall. With practice, they will be able to “get it right” the
first time as their understanding and comprehension increase.
Margin notes, underlining, highlighting. Each of these methods has its strengths and
weaknesses.
Margin notes are most useful as signposts to the content of a paragraph, particularly its
topic or a key point made.
Underlining is a quick and easy way to denote main ideas but, without margin notes,
requires hunting through whole paragraphs and can require re-reading whole sentences to
refresh memory. In a timed test situation, that can mean a loss of precious writing time.
Highlighting is also a quick and easy way to denote main ideas, but there is a tendency to
highlight too much information which then requires not only re-reading but redetermining the main point.
Suggestions:
1.
To help inexperienced students learn how to take apart (analyze) a paragraph in
order to identify and understand the main topic of it, it can be useful to suggest that they
underline or highlight one sentence in the paragraph that is the lynchpin of that
paragraph. Then ask them to think about what the sentence means overall, and to make a
2-4 word note in the margin. Repeat this method for about three paragraphs of a reading,
then have students read the next paragraph, decide on the core sentence but, instead of
underlining it, simply think about it and then make a short note in the margin. Students
can ask themselves, “What sentence expresses the main point or key idea of this
paragraph?” Then, “What are the most succinct words I can use for this sentence?” This
is, essentially, the process of asking students to read something and then “explain it in
your own words” to promote understanding.
2.
Whether for learning, research, or test preparation, encourage students to develop
abbreviations and symbols for efficient annotating. For example, “k.p.” could mean “key
point,” a very useful item for responding to test prompts such as the CPE that always
requires the test taker to discuss key points of a reading. In the timed test situation, that
abbreviation can help the student find all of the key points quickly. An exclamation point
(!) in the margin is very useful for identifying the location of a statement with which the
reader disagrees that could be discussed in the body of an opinion essay. For study
purposes, a circle (O) could indicate an item that bears further research for information
beyond that given in the paper at hand. An asterisk (*) can indicate an idea of particular
interest or importance that the student may want to emphasize in her writing, perhaps
developing a thesis from it. Using such symbols requires critical thinking and promotes
understanding of a given reading that goes beyond merely picking out the key points
made by the author. Such symbols are a shorthand way for a student to ask himself
critical thinking questions such as: “What is the key point here; what is the author trying
to say? What do I disagree with? What do I need to learn more about? What issue stands
out as more important than other points made?”
3.
Once students learn how to efficiently use marginal annotation, it can be very
useful to use underlining—sparingly—to mark a few sentences in a reading that might be
put to work as quotations in the student’s essay.
Method
for topic
of ¶
k. p.
Symbols
promote
CT
*
find
quotes