Critical Reading

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Annotating is an important skill to employ if you want to read critically. Successful critical readers read with a pencil in their hand, making notes in the text as they read. Instead of reading passively, they create an active relationship with what they are reading by "talking back" to the text in its margins. You may want to make the following annotations as you read:

• Mark the Thesis and Main Points of the Piece
• Mark Key Terms and Unfamiliar Words
• Underline Important Ideas and Memorable Images
• Write Your Questions and/or Comments in the Margins of the Piece
• Write any Personal Experience Related to the Piece
• Mark Confusing Parts of the Piece, or Sections that Warrant a Reread
• Underline the Sources, if any, the Author has Used