PRACTICE ANNOTATING
Start practicing your annotating skills now, so you can train yourself. At first, practicing this skill may
cause your reading speed to slow down. But, with time and practice, you’ll be back to reading quickly
and more deeply at the same time.
As you are learning this skill, practice annotating nearly everything you read. When you read, always
have a pen or pencil in hand, even if you are reading a magazine. Once you’ve mastered the skills you’ll
annotate only the texts you wish to study. Annotating is not something you would do for pleasure reading,
unless your pleasure is to read and understand difficult books. If so, read with a pen in hand.
On the AP Lit exam, definitely annotate the texts. Use your annotating skills on the passages and poems
in both the multiple-choice and free-response sections.
Once you’ve mastered your annotating skills, they’ll serve you well for any analytical reading you do.
You will have developed a reading skill that will help you read and study all kinds of texts in college and
beyond, not just literary works.
Practice, practice, practice!