How to Read Actively and Critically: Annotation Strategies

How to Read Actively and Critically: Annotation Strategies
If you find yourself reading something multiple times and you still can't explain what you read, then this is the video for you! Even if you think you're a great reader, the strategies discussed for active and critical reading will help you recall information for tests/quizzes and give you ideas on how to develop your writing for essays.

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#activereading #criticalthinking #annotation

Partial Transcript:
Before you even look at a reading you have to know your purpose for reading are you reading to extract information that you'll be tested on are you reading to write an essay or are you simply reading something for pleasure your purpose will depend on how you
interact with the text
once you know your purpose skim the text for clues and information first examine the title because it will give you clues about the author's main point next examine if the author's credentials are listed anywhere to get a sense of who the author might be finally if there are section titles read through them to see what topics are covered after briefly skimming read each paragraph carefully for comprehension and start
annotating
you can underline or circle words you
don't know
and write the synonym above it if there
is anything confusing note it and
possibly talk it over with a classmate
or a teacher
instead of underlining and highlighting
everything
underline or highlight the main point of
the writing and the evidence that's used
to support
each point i like to identify these
highlighted sections
by writing an e next to passages
containing evidence
you can also use flags or write on a
piece of paper
finally to really boost comprehension
write one to two sentences after each
paragraph
summarizing each one in your own words
you can do this in either the margins
a post-it note or a piece of paper
this helps so much with not only
comprehension
but also with recalling information
later on for a quiz or a test
because instead of passively skimming
through information
you're actively trying to put it in your
own words
and explain what something means you're
more likely to remember
information if you can explain it in
your own words
if you have to write an essay about a
text but you don't know what to write
about
this last step is for you in order to be
an active or critical reader
you need to respond to what you read
while the previous step was
all about comprehension and simply
making sure you understand what you read
this step is about analysis and
synthesis
in order to respond to a text pay
attention to your emotions while reading
what are your reactions to what you read
are you intrigued
surprised shocked confused bored
explain why a passage makes you feel a
certain way
is it the wording the imagery or the
ideas that make you feel that way
again write them down or flag them
the next tip for active reading is to
question
everything authors have choices when
they write
and they choose certain words and images
and ideas to portray
as a critical reader you need to ask
yourself
and answer why you think an author is
using certain language or imagery
or presenting ideas in a unique way tie
those questions and
answers you come up with to larger
points or themes from the reading
this will give you lots to write about
the next tip to responding to a reading
is to explain your agreements and
disagreements
use your personal experiences to connect
with what you read
for example based on your life
experiences do you agree with the ideas
in a given reading
or would your experiences call for
disagreement
reflecting on who you are in your
background is a great way to explore
why theories and readings may or may not
work
finally respond to a reading by
synthesizing information
when we synthesize we draw connections
between two or more ideas to make a
point
ask yourself what the ideas imagery and
language in the reading remind you of
this is the most sophisticated step
because you can combine it with other
strategies mentioned earlier
for example when you synthesize
information you can ask hypothetical
questions to apply ideas from one text
to another
for example what if we apply x's theory
to this work
what would that reveal another example
of synthesis is connecting pieces of
evidence from different sources
how are the two related and why is it
important to connect them
when you synthesize you demonstrate
critical thinking