Active Reading
As you read any work of literature, you have the opportunity to learn more about the work than just its meaning. You can learn new vocabulary, or even more about history. When annotating a text, you are looking for important key elements of a work like the main ideas of paragraphs; key elements of plot such as rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution; and words or phrases with which you are unfamiliar. When you come across these things in literature, you can highlight, underline, or star them to draw your attention back to them as you read. In addition, you can look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary, or better yet, use context clues to figure out the meanings of words.
Denotation and Connotation
Authors choose their words very carefully to convey meaning in a text. Often, their use of specific words or phrases can make texts more descriptive. Words have a literal meaning, which is known as their denotation. Denotation is a word’s dictionary definition. When authors use words because of the emotional attachments associated with a word or phrase, this is known as connotation. For example, the word snake can be used to describe a legless, reptilian serpent; however, if an author used the word “snake” to describe a person, what would that bring to mind? You would probably think that the person is evil, or crafty, or untrustworthy. When you read works of literature, it is important to take special note of any negative or positive connotations you find, and to think about why the author used them.
Active-Reading Strategies and Annotation
Quality annotation starts with pre-reading, during-reading, and after-reading strategies. In this interactivity, click on each active-reading strategy to explore how each can help you in reading the works in this course. Click the player button to begin.
Download a printable version of the interactivity.
Connecting to the Text
By annotating a text, you are physically connecting with it; however, you are also mentally connecting with it. There are three ways a reader can connect with a text:
- Text-to-Text: You might discover that the text you are reading is similar to another text you have read. Maybe the characters, plot, setting, or theme is the same.
- Text-to-Self: Something you read might remind you of something in your own life or might reflect your own feelings.
- Text-to-World: The text might resemble or recount actual world history or current events.
Now it is time to see an annotation in progress! View this presentation to see how a copy of “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut can be annotated using active-reading strategies. Listen to the story, and take note of how the reader annotates the text, and poses questions and makes comments along the way. Many of the questions and comments show how the reader connects with the text on various levels. You may choose to make your own comments on your own printable version of “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut as you view the annotations being made.
Download a printable version of the interactivity.
Active-Reading Review
Now that you know how to annotate a text, check your knowledge by completing the non-graded activity. On each slide, click on the strategy to identify it as either a Pre-Reading Strategy, a During-Reading Strategy, or an After-Reading Strategy. After selecting each answer, click SUBMIT. Click the player button to get started.