Stop & Jot

A processing activity that gives students the opportunity to record their perception of a key concept or idea about a lesson topic or a passage that they are reading. 

This technique allows students to take time to process new information that they are learning, and to make sense of it for themselves, before moving on in the lesson. It also helps students to highlight which information is most critical to their understanding. 

Stop and Jots are thinking, reactions and annotations about texts kept by a reader while they are reading. 

As students read, they take notes on post-its.  The small size of sticky notes makes the work seem more doable than taking notes on a large sheet of paper.  

Students may jot about:

• Tracking a character through a story. 

• Visual images that are evoked by the text.  

• Questions a reader has about the text.

• Inferences a reader is making about the text.

• Predictions about the text.

It is important to model this strategy with your students.  Stop at strategic points and pose  critical thinking questions such as, “What do you think will happen next and why?” or “Why do you think the author decided to include this part?” 

This active engagement tool provides you with quick documentation to show and track a reader's progress.  Not to mention, these quick little notes will provide the student with evidence and talking points for discussions and longer written responses.