In our English reading classes, when students receive a new text, the first thing they do is not rush to the questions. They pick up a pencil and annotate as they read.
Every mark has a reason
Underlines, wavy lines, double lines, circles and boxes. At first glance the page may look a little messy, but every mark follows its own logic. Together they show a reader thinking actively: picking out key facts, flagging new terms, setting a rule against its exception.
Guided practice
When students first start practising annotated reading, some want to underline every line, while others don’t make a single mark. Through clear explanation and guidance from their teacher, they steadily learn which information deserves attention and which can be read past at a glance.
The results over time
With practice, a pencil in hand makes a real difference. Students read noticeably faster, and their analysis and the accuracy of their answers improve along with it.
What this means for your child
That is how we know a book or a text hasn’t just been read, but truly taken in.
Real Mandarin runs small-group Mandarin and English classes for children in Camberwell, Melbourne, aligned to the Victorian Curriculum and the VCE and IB pathways. If you’d like to find the right class for your child this term, book a free trial and pre-enrolment assessment, with no pressure.
Jingyi Jiang
Jingyi Jiang is the founder and director of Real Mandarin, a Mandarin and English tutoring school in Camberwell.