According to Carol Porter O' Donnell in her article entitled Beyond the Beyond the Yellow Highlighter:Teaching Annotation Skills to Improve Reading Comprehension students benefit from using the following list of steps to annotate a text and thus improve their reading skills
For our purposes ... since we are doing this mid book. You will be annotating using the During Reading section of Carol Porter O'Donnell's steps.
BEFORE READING
> Examine the front and back covers (books)
> Read the title and any subtitles
> Examine the illustrations
> Examine the print (bold, italics, etc.)
> Examine the way the text is set up (book, short
story, diary, dialogue, article, etc.)
As you examine and read these, write questions,
and make predictions and/or connections near
these parts of the text.
DURING READING
Mark in the text:
> Characters (who)
> When (setting)
> Where (setting)
> Vocabulary ~~~~~
> _______ Important information
Write in the margins:
> Summarize
> Make predictions
> Formulate opinions
> Make connections
> Ask questions
> Analyze the author’s craft
> Write reflections/reactions/comments
> Look for patterns/repetitions
AFTER READING
> Reread annotations—draw conclusions
> Reread introduction and conclusion—try
to figure out something new
> Examine patterns/repetitions—determine
possible meanings
> Determine what the title might mean
> Examine the front and back covers (books)
> Read the title and any subtitles
> Examine the illustrations
> Examine the print (bold, italics, etc.)
> Examine the way the text is set up (book, short
story, diary, dialogue, article, etc.)
As you examine and read these, write questions,
and make predictions and/or connections near
these parts of the text.
DURING READING
Mark in the text:
> Characters (who)
> When (setting)
> Where (setting)
> Vocabulary ~~~~~
> _______ Important information
Write in the margins:
> Summarize
> Make predictions
> Formulate opinions
> Make connections
> Ask questions
> Analyze the author’s craft
> Write reflections/reactions/comments
> Look for patterns/repetitions
AFTER READING
> Reread annotations—draw conclusions
> Reread introduction and conclusion—try
to figure out something new
> Examine patterns/repetitions—determine
possible meanings
> Determine what the title might mean