To annotate is to make your own marks on the pages you read in order to remind yourself of words or phrases that caught your attention, and to record your thoughts and impressions in the margins.

Although many of us were told at a young age not to write in books, reading with a pencil can help to sharpen our engagement with the text at hand, especially if the text is new or unfamiliar.

Before Reading

• Procure good writing equipment (pencil, pen, post-its, notebook, etc.)
• Have a dictionary nearby. (Use your phone if you need to.)
• Examine the design of the front and back covers.
• Read the title and any other text on the cover or dust jacket.
• Examine the table of contents.
• Examine the print (italics, font size, etc.)
• Examine the way the text is set up (chapters, section titles, endnotes, index, etc.)

As you examine these features, write questions and make predictions and connections. Write them near those parts of the text or in your notebook.

During Reading

Mark in the text

• Key ideas, key terms, key words
• Dates, names, and places
• Vocabulary (be sure to look these words up)
• Interesting turns of phrase
• Passages that confused you
• Passages that excited you
• Endnotes that were particularly interesting or useful

Write in the margins

• Summarize the main ideas in your own words.
• Make predictions.
• Formulate opinions (including objections or doubts).
• Ask questions.
• Analyze the author’s craft—how do they do things with words?
• Write reflections, reactions, and comments.
• Look for patterns and repetitions.

After Reading

• Reread your annotations—and perhaps even annotate them.
• Reread sections you enjoyed or were puzzled by—try to figure out something new the second time through.
• Examine patterns and repetitions, and determine possible meanings.
• Make connections to examples not included in the book.

Adapted from Carol Porter-O’Donnell, “Beyond the Yellow Highlighter,” English Journal 93:5 (2004).