This document provides instructions for how to critically read and annotate an informational text through a series of tasks. It explains that critical reading involves breaking down a text to understand it better. Readers are instructed to read the text multiple times and annotate by making connections, asking questions, making inferences, underlining main ideas, and identifying themes. The tasks guide the reader to closely analyze the text through re-reading, defining unfamiliar words using context clues, and writing summaries and reflections.

1. Critical Reading for
Informational Text

2. Annotating
a Text

3. 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.

4. How to
Annotate?
Lots of ways!

5. 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)?

6. Ask Questions
• Confused? Not sure what something means?
Or why it’s included?
• Put a ? next to confusingparts
• Jot down your questions

7. 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!

8. Task 1 Questions:
• What did you notice about the story?
– Is there a heading?
– Bold Words?
• What do you think it is about?

9. 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

10. 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.

11. Task 4: Re-read the passage
• Re-read the passage with the new meanings
of your unfamiliar words.

12. 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.

13. 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 ownwords
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.

14. 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.

15. Task 6: Write a Summary or Draw a
Picture
• Write a summary on a separate sheet of paper
(1 paragraph= 5 sentences)

16. 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!!!