To Be Successful in Your College Career, You Need to Practice Strong Reading, Writing And

To Be Successful in Your College Career, You Need to Practice Strong Reading, Writing And

Highlighting & Annotation

To be successful in your college career, you need to practice strong reading, writing and thinking skills. A successful reader practices conscientious reading approaches. In college, and in life, you will read material for different classes and from different disciplines. No two texts are alike. Before you even begin to read any given text, you need to strategize and evaluate the text to determine how long it will take you, how much attention and focus the text will demand and if you need supplementary material to assist your comprehension.

Practice these skills for every reading assignment and you’ll be on your way to successful reading comprehension:

1. Read the title of the piece, and try to predict what the piece will be about. What is the topic? What will the author’s point of view on the topic be?

2. Look for an author bio. Is there any information given on the author other than the name? If so, then evaluate that information and make more predictions. Will the author be credible? Are they an expert? Will their ideas be biased?

3. Pre-review the length of the text. How many pages? Scan some of the paragraphs and assess the vocabulary. Will you need a dictionary? Will you need more time to read and process complex concepts and ideas? How much time and energy will you need to invest to read, comprehend and evaluate the text?

4. Are there any pictures, images and graphs included in the text? If so, how can this information supplement your knowledge before you even begin reading?

5. Are there any sub-headings that organize the piece? You can turn them into questions or evaluate and make predictions on how the ideas may develop as the piece progresses.

6. Read the first paragraph of the piece, often the introduction. Sometimes this gives background information, and lays down the author’s main idea and plan for proving that main idea.

7. Read the very last paragraph of the piece, the conclusion. Sometimes this sums up the piece and restates the author’s main idea, how the author has proved that main idea.

8. Try and predict what the piece will be about before you even read it. What will the author’s main point be? How will the author support and prove their point? Don’t be afraid to make educated guesses.

Now you’re almost ready to begin reading! But before you dive into the text, be sure to have a pen, highlighter and paper handy. All successful readers, take notes, ask questions, and highlight. Engaging with the text involves utilizing prior knowledge and experience to apply, compare, contrast and evaluate reading material. This involves stopping while reading to annotate & highlight, meaning ask questions and contemplate ideas.

As you read, it’s essential to stay active and engaged with the text. One way to promote engagement is to highlight, annotate, and make margin notes, in the text while you read. This allows you to analyze and evaluate the information and will help you recall the information after you’re finished reading the text.

Highlighting a Reading Selection

Highlighting a selection involves using a combination of underlining and symbols to identify key ideas. This active reading strategy will help you to understand the writer’s ideas and make connections among these ideas when you re-read. Your highlighting should be selective. Remember, you will eventually be rereading every highlighted word, phrase, and sentence—so highlight only the most important, most useful information.

The most effective highlighting uses different symbols to indicate different things. When you reread—for example, when you are preparing to take an exam or write a paper—these symbols will convey specific information to you. The number and kinds of highlighting symbols you use are up to you. All that matters is that your symbols are clear and easy to remember.

Using Highlighting Symbols

  • Underline key ideas—for example topic sentences

Box or words or phrases that you want to remember.

  • Place a check mark (√ ) or (* ) star next to an important idea.
  • Place double check marks (√√) or double stars (**) next to an especially significant idea.
  • Draw lines or arrows to connect related ideas.
  • Put a question mark (?) beside a word or idea that you’re not sure about.
  • Number the writer’s key supporting points or examples.

As you highlight, you should also annotate what you are reading. Annotating a passage involves writing notes—of questions, reactions, reminders, ideas for writing or discussion—in the margins or between the lines. Keeping this kind of informal record of ideas as they occur to you can help prepare you for class discussion and provide a useful source of material for writing.

As you read a passage, ask yourself the following questions, which will help you make useful annotations.

  • What is the writer’s purpose in writing? What is the writer trying to prove?
  • Who is the audience the writer is addressing?
  • What is the writer’s main idea?
  • How does the writer support his or her points? Does the writer use facts? Opinions? Both?
  • Are there enough convincing, appropriate and reliable supporting ideas & examples?
  • What pattern of development does the writer use to arrange his or her ideas? Is this development effective and strong?
  • Do you understand the vocabulary?
  • Do you understand the writer’s ideas?
  • Do you agree with the points the writer is making?
  • Can you make any connections between the ideas presented with other materials you’ve read or reviewed?
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