Annotating

One of the best secrets to my success as a teacher lies in my decision to teach my students how to annotate. Too often, we - as teachers - expect students to be at a certain level or to come to us with certain skills. Many years ago, I learned that the majority of my students each year were severely deficient in reading comprehension skills. And I, unfortunately, was clueless about how I could help my students become more proficient in this area. Then I just decided to start reading aloud to them.

But I didn't just READ out loud; I TALKED out loud. I talked about all of the things that were going on in my brain WHILE I was reading aloud to my students. You see, I discovered that students who aren't avid readers in their leisure time don't really know how to THINK while they read text. All these years, I had erroneously thought that - because I knew how to think and, therefore, UNDERSTAND while I read - EVERYONE knew how to think and, therefore, understand while they read!

What a revelation to discover that, if I just modeled annotating for my students and had them do it with me over and over and over, I could slowly guide them into becoming master readers on their own!

Of all the skills I practice with my students each year, annotating is the one that seems to give my kids the most confidence, and it is where I always see the most growth. I discovered the handout below many years ago, and I share it with my students to help them "dig deeper" into what they read - no matter how simplistic or complex the text is.

If you like this handout, check out Laura Randazzo's OTHER amazing resources here!