Critical Reading for Informational Text

By Maria Topliff

Annotating a Text

Critical Reading

• Critical Reading: is a way to break down a story or text so that you can read it simply.

• We will demonstrate how to do that in this presentation, and then you can practice on your own.

• You will be asked to read a text several times, but don’t worry…. Good readers always RE-READ!!

• Go to the next slide to review your first task.

How to Annotate?

Lots of ways!

Make Connections

Text to Self How does this relate to me?

Text to Text How does this relate to something else I’ve seen/read/heard?

Text to World How does this relate to real world events (past and present)?

Ask Questions

• Confused? Not sure what something means? Or why it’s included?

• Put a ? next to confusing parts

• Jot down your questions

Make an Inference

An inference is an educated guess based on 2 things:– What you’re reading (text clues)– What you already know outside

the reading (schema)

What can you infer from the reading? Make an educated guess or prediction!

Reading Task

• Task 1- Read the passage• Note: it is okay if you don’t know all the words,

or you don’t understand the text. You are not supposed to at this point, but you still need to read it fully.

Task 1 Questions:

• What did you notice about the story?– Is there a heading?– Bold Words?

• What do you think it is about?

Task 2- Annotate: or mark the story

• Pay attention to headings. – Why are the headings important to this story?– Draw a line from the heading and write your

answer on the page.• Mark the number of paragraphs, with a

number next to each paragraph. • Read the story again. – Circle or highlight any words that you do not know

Task 3: Annotate some more• Context Clues: are clues/evidence within a sentence or selection that

helps a reader figure out what a difficult word means!• You will need to look up the definitions for all of your highlighted words.

– Dictionary– Internet

• After you have looked up the definition, make sure it makes sense for that particular word in that specific sentence.

• Some words have multiple meanings, these words are called homonyms. • That is why the definition should make sense in the context of the

sentence. • Draw a line from each word and write the definition in the margin of the

page.

Task 4: Re-read the passage

• Re-read the passage with the new meanings of your unfamiliar words.

Task 5: Underline the main idea of the paragraphs and find a sentence that supports the main idea.

• Now it is time to re-read the passage again• While you are reading underline the main idea

in one color– The main idea of a paragraph tells you what the

paragraph is about.

Task 6: Questions

• Annotating a Passage: is when you make notes in the margins of the work you are reading. Answer the following question by annotating!

• The main idea of a paragraph tells you what the paragraph is about. – What is the 1st paragraph about? Use your own words and

write the answer in the margin of your passage.– What is the 2nd paragraph about? Use your own words and

write the answer in the margin of your passage.– Please continue asking yourself these questions for each

paragraph and write it in the margin.

Task 7: Identify

• In one color either underline or highlight major plot events of the story

• In another color either underline, highlight, or box any conflicts in the story.

• At the end of the story write down the word: THEME- and try to explain the message the author is trying to convey to you.

Task 6: Write a Summary or Draw a Picture

• Write a summary on a separate sheet of paper (1 paragraph= 5 sentences)

Task 7: Reflection

• Write a reflection about how the topic has affected your life, how you connect this story to something else you have read/watched, or how you connect this story to an experience. (1 paragraph = 5 sentences)

• Remember GOOD readers ALWAYS re-read!!!