Have you ever read a page of a book and realized you have no idea what you just read? Reading isn’t just about seeing words on a page—it requires multiple parts of your brain working together to create meaning. Annotating is a powerful strategy that strengthens this process by increasing your engagement with the text and improving memory and understanding.

Annotating involves actively interacting with what you read through underlining, highlighting, using symbols, and writing notes in the margins. These actions help you slow down, ask questions, make connections, and identify important ideas. There are many effective annotation techniques, and learning how to use them can transform passive reading into active learning. Explore the strategies below to discover how to annotate with purpose and confidence. Explore strategies and examples!