In addition to having a reading plan, understand the reading process and having some strategies to get unstuck, experienced readers also have a system for annotating the text and taking notes as they read. Developing a consistent way to track your thinking is likely something that you have struggled with. You’re not alone. Many students struggle to find a system that works for them. Some students change how they take notes each time they read. Deciding how to take notes before you read will not only save you time, but it will also allow you to take notes more consistently and make retracing your thoughts much easier. This latter part is especially important as it will help you when it comes time to discuss the reading in class and write about it. Consider the following question before you begin reading.
How will you take notes?
Will you stop and take notes as you read or mark areas of interest and return to them later? If you struggle a bit with reading or if it’s a challenging text, then you might want to consider stopping every 1-2 pages to take a notes. If you’re a more experienced reader, you may choose to mark key excerpts as you read and take more detailed notes once you finish the chapter—depending of course of the length of the chapter.
How many notes will you take per chapter or section?
Everyone knows that stopping too often to takes notes can interfere with the reading experience. If you have time, you might consider reading the assigned section or chapter one time and only mark the areas that you find interesting. You can then read it again and write more detailed notes. This would mean, of course, setting aside more time to passages and If you struggle a little bit with reading, you should plan to note something every page.
Do you have a system for marking the text?
Will you use stickies? Will you use different color stickies to represent different ideas or aspects of literature? For example, will you use yellow for person responses and purple for passages that evoke theme? If you can write in the text, will you different color highlighters instead of stickies? Will you circle key literary devices and underline especially important passages ? Will you circle passages related to conflict?
Will you use graphic organizers?
Graphic organizers can be especially helpful when starting to read as the beginnings of texts tend to contain a lot of information. Will you make a list of key ideas and concepts? Or a chart to show how the ideas and concepts are related? Will you create a list of themes? Will you use a Venn diagram to compare concepts?