Topic: Reading and Annotation

10-second review: Authors suggest a system for identifying key ideas and words.

Title: “Annotating to Support Learning in the Content Areas: Teaching and Learning in Science.” J Zywica and K Gomez. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy (October 2008), 155-165. A publication of the International Reading Association (IRA).

Summary: Assuming students can write in books or use copies of materials from the textbook, the authors suggest a system of marking to note important ideas and key words. For example, circle headings, rectangle around key vocabulary, triangle around other difficult words, double underline main ideas, single underline supportive ideas, etc. The purpose of these marks is, of course, to help students master the ideas in the text.

Comment: The authors’ definition of annotating is to mark important sentences and words in the text. I define annotation differently. For me, to annotate means restating briefly key ideas in the margins. Forces the reader to reduce the ideas to a few words. RayS.