Let's Talk Annotations

A quick how to...

If you’ve made it to the final installment of the reading fundamentals series, first of all, thank you! Second, your feedback has been super encouraging. While I didn’t initially know how this type of content would be received, I’m grateful I had the room to take a little detour.

So, what’s the final topic?

Today, we’re digging into what I believe is a collective favorite in reading fundamentals: annotation.

Annotation is one of those habits that looks simple from the outside (“you highlight stuff, right?”). But in practice, it’s a powerful tool for building comprehension. It also helps the reader recognize patterns, remember details, and develop deeper literacy skills. Annotation boosts reading comprehension and literacy because it forces you to:

• Slow down: When you pause to mark a word, question a paragraph, or react to a passage, you’re interrupting autopilot reading mode. Theoretically, as you annotate, it increases retention and helps you track the author’s logic or narrative decisions.

• Actively interact with the text: You’re not just absorbing the words on the page; you’re also reacting. You are creating a record of something important and a system to recall it later. And for those who need a little assistance, annotation strengthens neural pathways related to meaning, analysis, and memory.

Think of annotation as having a conversation with the text; active reading (questioning, relating, etc.) instead of casually page-turning.

Whether you annotate or not, I hope you can learn something new from this skill. The goal is curiosity and skill-building. You become more aware of your own reading habits: What confuses you? What excites you? What patterns do you tend to miss? This self-awareness is huge for improving literacy.

Let me say this loudly: your annotations don’t need to be aesthetically appealing. While readers who spend time creating these beautiful annotated books, the point of this post is focus on function. And if I’m being quite honest, your style should fit your reading habits:

• Are you trying to finish school readings more efficiently?

• Trying to write better book reviews?

• Coaching yourself to read more actively?

• Working toward a deeper appreciation of craft or storytelling?

You get my drift. If you’re not sure what annotative approach to take, here are a couple of suggestions¹:

1. Highlighter (keep it simple)

Best for: Quick reference. Looks like: One highlighter color and underlines
Example:

• Highlight only key sentences: big reveals, topic sentences, evidence, moments of tension

2. The Color-Coded Highlighter/Tab

Best for: Readers who love structure, students, and researchers. Book influencer go-to approach. Looks like: Multiple colors for multiple categories. A simple starter key:

• Yellow: Key ideas

• Blue: Examples/evidence

• Pink: Emotional reactions

• Green: Questions or confusions

• Orange: Connections (themes, symbols, real-life ties)

Color coding helps you see patterns at a glance, especially across long texts.

I tend to be a color-coded Yellow for important information and Blue for new information, unfamiliar words, or things I want to come back to.

3. In the Margins

Best for: Readers who love reacting to what they are reading. Looks like: Lots of written reactions or commentary in the margins. Might help with writing reviews.

• “This reminds me of…”

• “Why did the author do this?”

• “This connects to…”

• “I think this foreshadows…”

• “This contradicts ___ earlier.”

This method combines reading, analysis, and journaling. You have to be okay with writing in your physical books, but a good alternative is to use transparent sticky notes.

4. The Symbol System (a.k.a. shorthand annotating)

Best for: Visual readers. Looks Like: Symbols help you annotate without writing full sentences. Example symbols:

• ✩ or underline = Important, or double underline the main idea

• ! = Surprising

• ? = Confusing

• Shapes (Circle or Rectangle) = Something to look up, i.e., vocabulary

If you want to learn more about using a margin and symbol system, here’s an academic example.

So what tools do you need? In my humble opinion, annotation doesn’t require fancy supplies, but the right tools can make the process more enjoyable and easier to maintain.

• For readers who prefer physical books

  • Highlighters are one of the simplest ways to make your reading more active and intentional. You can also use washi tape highlighter rolls. Some of my personal favorites are BIC, WRITECH, and Zebra Midliners.

  • Sticky tabs are another simple, flexible option, helpful for marking key moments, themes, or quotes without writing directly in the book, and especially useful for library books. Transparent sticky notes can give you extra writing space when margins are tiny, letting you jot down reactions or questions without covering the text.

  • If you like to keep your annotations, pens or mechanical pencils are ideal; they let you write your thoughts as you go. I highly recommend erasable pens to give you space to correct mistakes, but it is not necessary.

• Digital annotators have equally powerful options. Most e-reader devices have convenient tools for highlighting directly in the text, adding margin notes, and exporting everything for later review.

• Annotating audiobooks can feel different since you can’t physically mark up a page, but you can absolutely still capture meaningful notes. Start by using your audiobook app’s bookmark or clip feature; each bookmark creates a time‑stamp, and I recommend writing a short summary to help you remember the bookmark. Personally, I like pairing the audiobook with a physical or digital copy when possible because it creates a more immersive experience and makes it easier to review or deepen your annotations later.

I’m sure there are a ton more supplies out there, but I want to keep it very simple for you. A few parting words: don’t get stuck trying to choose the “right” method. Start with what feels doable, pay attention to what actually helps you understand the text, and let your annotation style evolve from there.

Finishing this reading comprehension series with annotation ties everything we learned this first quarter together: decoding, memory, and comprehension. I’d love to hear which method works for you. Even better if you have photos to give others ideas.

Happy Reading!

1. https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/art-of-annotation/