If I could choose one skill that every one of my students achieves by the time they leave my classroom, it would be how to have a personal conversation with every piece of literature they read. That’s why I focus so much on teaching text annotation to my classes. It’s an essential close reading strategy that provides innumerable benefits to a young person’s life (both in school and out).

As educators, you and I both know that annotating a text is more than simply circling random words and underlining what may or may not be topic sentences. Annotation helps students track their thinking as they read in order to reflect on the evolution of their understanding. When applied effectively, the practice of annotation encourages rich interactions between reader and text.

As with all things worth doing, teaching text annotation to your students requires a differentiated approach, consistent practice, and follow-through. You’ll always have a few “squeaky wheels” who insist there’s no point in marking up everything they read. Stay strong, my friends. We know the value of this close reading skill, which is why I’m giving you several practical strategies for teaching text annotation in your own classroom.

Strategies for Teaching Text Annotation

Model Annotation Strategies

As with any new concept that I introduce to my students, I always model meaningful annotation before I have students practice independently. We start with guided instruction with the use of my Annotating Text Made Easy unit. I work through the guided instruction as students take notes, and then I show them my thought process as I go through a chunk of text -annotating just small pieces of text with my students as I display my work on the projector. This could be from a short section of a class novel, short story, poem, or even small sections of a high-interest YA novel off your bookshelf.

Annotating Text Made Easy

Use Mentor Texts

Another way to practice annotation is with shorter, well-known mentor texts that students can mark up in a class period and discuss with a partner or small group. Here, it would be helpful to provide your students with a reference guide, so you’re not being flagged down every five seconds to explain what it means to underline a word as opposed to circling it. I always recommend throwing up a digital copy of the annotation handout on your school’s learning platform so your students will always be able to access it.

Annotation Task Cards

Task cards are another great way to check for understanding and encourage independent practice because annotation task cards still provide students with guidance, but they have some choice for their annotations. These annotation task cards work well as informal assessments after students go through their mentor text with partners or the whole class. If you’re into the low-prep thing or if you like being able to use the same resource again and again with different texts, I have annotation task cards for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry texts that you can just print, cut out, and have ready to go. For longevity, I recommend laminating these cards to use year after year.

annotation task cards

Keep it Short and Have a Purpose

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned about either teaching students to annotate or assigning text annotations in class is to keep the passage relatively short and have a purpose. For example, when I annotate poetry with my students, we do it because I want the students to identify and explain various poetic elements, but then also be able to demonstrate those same elements in their own writing. By annotating the poems beforehand, students have a clear example of what to use in their own writing.

Practice Annotating Digital Texts

If your school has a 1:1 Chromebook or tablet program, I highly encourage you to have your students practice annotating PDF texts. In today’s hyper-digital world, it’s likely they already have digital textbooks, read novels on their phones and tablets, and spend many of their waking hours on a smart device. Not only does digital annotation help young people increase their digital literacy skills, but it also prompts them to think more critically about the information they’re absorbing online.

With annotating digitally, I like to teach my students several key strategies like using color-coded highlights and comments in Google Docs to mark up a text. You can also use Kami to digitally annotate documents with your students as well.

Teaching text annotation is an invaluable skill that students will take with them far beyond the boundary of your classroom. With regular practice, they’ll soon develop this essential close reading strategy and (hopefully) interact more authentically with any texts they read. If you’d like to see more annotation resources, check out my Annotation Made Easy bundle on TPT!

For more reading about teaching text annotation, you might want to read this blog post about why I teach text annotation the first week of school or this blog post about simple steps to help teach text annotation. 

It’s not the most popular activity in my classroom, but I believe teaching close reading is a vital skill for my students to feel comfortable and confident in their ability to closely read, understand, and analyze a text. If you’re looking to bring your students to the next level in reading comprehension and analysis, read on for tips and tricks.

What is close reading?

First, it’s important to know that close reading is not a summary of the main points and it’s not a personal response. It’s actually more in-depth than that. When you close read, you should be focused on analysis and interpretation. Students should pick apart the work. This is the time to uncover layers, make inferences, and look for specific textual evidence.

It’s more than a reader response. It is understanding what the author is doing. Why were these words chosen? Why described in this way? Why is this interesting (or not)? Notice that, while it is important that students acknowledge the need for tapping into prior knowledge and their own interests, they should not be focused on just their personal responses.

Why learn about close reading?

Our brains are muscles that need flexing and a bit of a challenge. Close reading helps students learn to find deeper meanings in a text. I honestly believe it is one of those “life-long skills” that students can use post-graduation. It is important to read with a critical eye. Close reading allows students to develop precise interpretations and deeper understanding. It also comes in handy for college readiness (though it certainly isn’t the only reason to learn).

How to teach close reading?

When we go about a workout for the first time, it can be tough. There’s resistance. It probably doesn’t look pretty. Students will need to practice, practice, practice with close reading. Since close reading as a whole really means looking at so many different parts of the whole, you can begin by looking at specific close reading questions.

For example, focus on vocab and diction. Look for the most important words and how they relate to each other. Ask your students to find what phrases appear repeatedly. What words seem odd or out-of-place? Are there double meanings? Are there different ways to read and interpret the text?

You can also look for patterns. Are there symbols repeated? Is a pattern established? Did the author build on one overall idea or is the structure more inferred? You can establish if the author seems valid, or they can identify in what areas they should have improved the writing.

I think the best bit of advice is to know you need to make close reading a habit so students learn through exposure. Always model and set a purpose for reading. Have students focus on connections and not worry about mistakes (in fact, I think “mistakes” are great for teaching students to explain their reasoning, interpretations and discuss finding textual evidence).

I have several close reading activities available in my store that are perfect for introducing close reading, practicing, or setting up as sub plans. This bundle has 14 resources (including distance learning options) which can also be purchased separately.

A great way to include close reading in the classroom is to incorporate the gradual release method. First, complete a small passage together as whole class, then release students in small groups to work together on this task, and after several rounds of collaborative close reading, students should then be ready to tackle the challenge on their own.

You probably won’t get very far in teaching without hearing about a plethora of sticky note activities. It might even seem overwhelming because you can use sticky notes for just about anything. What are the best practices for using sticky notes, especially when you’re teaching older students? Read on to see my suggestions.

1. Use them conscientiously

There are two points to consider – how to get ahold of them, and what to do with them when you’re done. Buy in bulk for the best bang for your buck. But if you are tight in the supply budget and it’s part of your school culture to provide supply lists to students, consider having students contribute to a class stock of sticky notes or have them bring their own supply.

The other thing to consider is how to dispose of sticky notes. There’s a myth that sticky notes can’t be recycled. While some types of sticky notes are harder to recycle (like those with fluorescent dyes), and not all recycling centers take “mixed paper”, I recommend considering alternatives to just tossing them in the trash. Check with your state and local recyclers if they accept mixed paper and consider starting a recycling program at your school if there isn’t one already. You can also keep sticky notes on a display wall for students to refer to later or keep an empty photo album as a collection of class notes and assignments to review as needed.

2. Use them consistently

I’m all for offering a variety of notetaking skills and options for organizing thoughts. But I also think students

thrive when they have a consistent style of notetaking. Consider practicing various forms of notetaking and letting students decide what works best for them – including sticky notes. If you want to use sticky notes for all close reading passages, then use them for all close reading passages. It will become second nature for students and they will know what to expect from the assignment when you create a habit.

3. Use them meaningfully

Ultimately, using sticky notes should focus on student retention. You could probably find a “sticky notes” version for just about any type of assignment – but that doesn’t mean you should. Your tried and true lessons don’t need a makeover. Remember these are just a tool. Assignments with in-depth organization needs, introducing any type of close reading work, preparing for debates, and working with new text are great ways to see increased productivity in student work. Think about how you will be productive and efficient. Don’t forget to include yourself! Think of your sticky notes as a vessel to guide students to whatever assessment you have ready. I.e. don’t fret trying to grade individual sticky notes for an assignment. Tie it together with what you really want students to get out of the work and focus on the meaning.

So where do I start with sticky notes in the classroom?

You can find so many ideas on Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teachers (see my sticky notes resources here). But take a look at your own lessons and see where they might be a good fit.

• Print exit tickets on sticky notes to take a quick assessment of how the class is doing with assignments.
• Have students jot notes and questions and place them in their textbooks as they read, or turn in to you after a lecture so you can see what needs to be reviewed.
• Encourage more productive reading by having students use sticky notes to mark questions, or use for close reading.
• Build up to class discussions or debates by using sticky notes. Students can jot notes individually, and build their discussion points with groups until they have a comprehensive list made from everyone’s thoughts.
• When dealing with tough subjects, ask students to use sticky notes to put their personal thoughts down in the moment, and they can revisit them later to journal or just have a space to get their thoughts out.
• If you have lengthy assignments like those related to research, students can compile their notes with sticky notes and then organize them into like-minded categories or topics without sifting through pages and pages of notes in different places.

If you’re looking for a good list of resources to start using sticky notes in tried and true methods, visit my store and find some great options such as

• Sticky Note Analysis Bundle: Literary, Rhetoric, Poetry 
  
• Long Way Down: Literary Analysis with Sticky Notes
• Literary Analysis Sticky Note Organizer for Any Text
• Analysis Mini Flip Book Bundle: Literary, Rhetorical, and Poetry

When it comes to reading nonfiction, my students tend to get bleary-eyed and hard-of-hearing. It’s like they instantly think of their history textbooks and informational articles and they decide before they even know the topic that they aren’t going to like it. And that is one of the big hurdles when it comes to teaching nonfiction texts at the middle school and high school level.

For many students, nonfiction is like the vegetable of literature, but it doesn’t have to be this way. This is why I work hard to make sure I have a variety of activities to engage my students. Read about some of my favorites below.

1. Teaching Nonfiction: Fact vs Opinion

This super easy activity simply involves you presenting the topic of study and having students create a class list of information. Students share what they know (or think) they know about the subject. You can then assign a pre-reading activity separating fact from fiction, or have students revisit the list after reading.

2. Teaching Nonfiction: Learn to Annotate

Annotating is such an important skill because your students learn to engage with the text. It also has shown to improve retention, and helps increase critical thinking. My annotating fiction task cards is a great nonfiction annotation that you can use for any nonfiction text. The task cards and activities will help students grow more confident in their annotating skills as they explore a variety of nonfiction articles. There’s also a full annotation bundle that includes fiction and poetry annotation. You can find that here in my Annotating Task Cards Bundle.

3. Teaching Nonfiction: Connect to Real Life

It truly is important for readers to connect to text in order to retain information and stay engaged.

Have students keep a journal during the reading to jot down connections that they see either to themselves, or to society as a whole. While not every subject will necessarily personally resonate with students, they can learn to look at the “bigger picture” and see the connections to the world around them.

4. Teaching Nonfiction: Mix Nonfiction and Fiction

Sometimes choosing nonfiction study feels like we are making a sacrifice in the literature category. It seems hard to fit everything in, so why not combine? Teaching nonfiction works very well when you pair it with the literature you are already reading in class. When you have fictional literature to study, take time to showcase the nonfiction connections with your students. For example, a contemporary novels class reading The Hunger Games might choose to make connections to works like Diary of Anne Frank or Elie Wiesel’s Night. You can also work with your librarian to showcase fiction/nonfiction pairings to encourage students to read a variety of different types of texts.

5. Teaching Nonfiction: Artistic Vocabulary

Another turn-off for nonfiction is that it also comes with vocabulary. Instead of a vocabulary list paired with a quiz, consider tapping into creative and artistic activities instead. Students can create a visual word wall on the bulletin board, digitally create slides or images (a great alternative for those working virtually), or have students create Wordles after reading the text to show their understanding.

6. Teaching Nonfiction: Sticky Note Questions

Sticky notes are so versatile. Give your students a small stack before reading and have them write questions, connections, or thoughts and stick them right on the page. Students can then turn to their sticky notes rather than leafing through their notebooks for their questions and figuring out where in the reading their thought came from. You might have students read individually with their sticky notes and then come together as a class or group to answer. This also can pair nicely with annotation activities.

7. Teaching Nonfiction: Tweet About It

Another way to have students practice critical thinking and summarizing skills is to have students “tweet” about the nonfiction work. You can provide prompts about specific events or people, or simply have students jot down their tweet as you check for understanding. This is a great way to break up long texts into manageable “chunks” by tweeting about independent events, people, or chapters. The tweets can later serve as a class review in manageable bits.

8. Teaching Nonfiction: …or TikTok

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but there’s no doubt that viral video trends are a major influence in students’ lives. Use that to your advantage and let students create short videos to showcase information. Find school-appropriate challenges or songs that are trending and let students use their creativity. Even if you’re virtual, students can use their video features to film. Have them think about how they would recreate an event in a modern way, and make it bite-size to fit the one-minute time limit. Have them pretend to be a person you’re studying – what challenges would they attempt?

9. Teaching Nonfiction: Play to Interests

It can seem overwhelming trying to fit in all of the topics of study during the year, but it is worth the time to squeeze in the opportunity for your students to choose their own topics. Why not make it nonfiction study to help encourage engagement? Alternatively, you can have the class make a list together of their interests and then you select at your discretion.

10. Teaching Nonfiction: Make it Interactive

Rather than a go-to research paper, or simply studying from autobiographies, make a more interactive assignment. There are many different types of escape rooms for a variety of subjects. There are even escape room templates so you can design your own with the puzzles already created – you just need to fill in the information. If you’re not looking for a full scale escape room, start with smaller puzzles, riddles, or decoding and apply it to a scavenger hunt style of assignment. Your students will still read the same nonfiction, but might be more invested in solving brain teasers like these.

For more reading about teaching nonfiction, check out this blog post about 5 ways to analyze nonfiction!

If you are looking for more nonfiction teaching materials, you might be interested in these resources:
Annotating Made Easy
Paraphrasing, Summarizing, and Quoting

Close reading is an integral and essential component of the common core standards. Close reading asks students to not only read a text for basic comprehension and understanding, but to really read the text, dig deeply into the text, and make connections with the text. Here is a look at close reading strategies that are effective and engaging in the middle school ELA and high school English classroom.

This can be a difficult and daunting task for a generation that grew up bubbling a scantron and moving on to the next task.

Close Reading Strategies: 1 – Don’t rush them.

When my students closely read a text, I make sure to not rush them. We as educators have to keep in mind that this is their first exposure to the text. We can’t take for granted that they will understand every word, metaphor, and rhetorical device in the text. Close reading is a process that takes time, patience, and multiple readings. There is no such thing as reading a sentence, a paragraph, or a composition too many times. To begin the close reading process, I like to teach my students how to annotate text.

My Annotation Bookmarks will help keep students focused when they are annotating. Sometimes students just need some time and a guideline to get used to annotating.

Close Reading Strategies 2 – Focus on a new concept for each reading.

Even the brightest and most advanced students will be overwhelmed when they are given too many concepts and/or rhetorical devices to look for and analyze in one reading. Sure, they may complete the task, but it won’t be at the depth in which they are capable. Instead, just work on one close reading focus at a time. Not only will this help students be more engaged with the text and really understand the concept, but they will also build a better understanding of the text because they will have more exposure to it.

If you are focusing on analyzing a piece of nonfiction for rhetorical devices, just focus on one at a time and start with the easier to understand rhetorical devices. This strategy will allow students to gain a better understanding of the text, which will then allow them to closely read the text for more difficult concepts. When I closely read short stories with my students, I use focused sticky note graphic organizers that help students identify key literary elements.

I rely on short story close reading assignments to help me guide my students through this step of the process. These units focus on just one literary element at a time. For example, if we are reading a short story, we might focus on just identifying suspense first. Then, after students are able to identify, quote, and explain examples of suspense, we will move to a new literary focus. This really provides students the opportunity to understand the text and the literary elements we are focusing one.

Short Story Close Reading Bundle

Close Reading Strategies: 3 – Don’t forget about vocabulary.

Whenever we do a close reading in my classroom, I am always amazed at the words students do not know. Even if a word seems like an easy, common word, we cannot simply assume that our students are familiar with it. For this reason, I do not like assigning vocabulary lists when I do close readings. Instead, I prefer to rely on my students and their existing vocabulary. One of our close reading focuses is just on vocabulary. I have the students box any words with which they are unfamiliar, and then write the definitions in the margins.

Taking time to do a vocabulary close read is essential. Students gain such a better understanding of the material once they become familiar with the unknown words. To make this activity even more meaningful, I like to have them partner up after completing an individual vocabulary close read. Many times students will overlook words they do not know. Providing them with an opportunity to partner up for a second vocabulary close read really enforces this activity. I urge the students to not copy each other’s work. Instead, they are to read the definitions to their partners. Once this is complete, the student read a document, identified unfamiliar words, defined these words, wrote down the definitions, and spoke the definitional aloud. All of these different interactions with the once unfamiliar words really provides the students with an opportunity to genuinely learn new words.

Close Reading Strategies: 4 – Place an emphasis on collaborative learning.

Close reading is not and should not be an individual effort. Every single student brings a unique perspective to the table, and we should embrace these unique perspectives. When we do close readings in my classroom, I like to have the students read individually, but I also like them to partner up, work in small groups, work in larger groups, and then start the process all over again, but this time with new partners and new groups.

One way to incorporate group work into close reading is to assign each group a specific task. For example, if your students are analyzing figurative language within a text, you can assign each group a specific type of figurative language. After a set amount of time, have the students either share their finding aloud and on the board or through a document reader. Similarly, you can also have the students change groups and share their findings with other students. This type of collaborative activity generates excellent classroom discussion.

Close Reading Strategies: 5 – Give the students time to work.

One of the most vital aspects of teaching close reading is providing students with the opportunity to complete the task. Once you teach the student how to closely read and annotate a text, you will need to model the skill using a small portion of the text. After that, you will need to step back and be a facilitator. You will spend the majority of your instructional time fielding questions and witnessing authentic learning at its best.