Annotation Worksheets

ELA Standard: Secondary Level Writing

Core Standard

There are many ways we can make important sections of the texts we read stick out to ourselves. There are often many key parts of a written work that are essential for readers to comprehend so that we can recall and use that information to understand the significance of text that comes along later. One active learning method that can be used for this purpose is adding annotations to text that you read. This is an effective reading strategy. It takes on many different forms. It often begins by using a highlighter to point out either key concepts or key words. If you do not have a highlighter handy, underlining with any writing implement has the same affect, but I just find it a little messy and harder to focus when revisiting it. This then eventually progresses to paraphrasing or summarizing main ideas. As you begin to master annotation you with write short comments that indicate the value of what you have read in your own words. On this page you will find a series of worksheets that will introduce you to using this technique in your own reading.