What is the purpose of annotation while reading?

The purpose of annotation while reading is primarily to ensure retention and enhance comprehension. When readers annotate, they actively engage with the text by highlighting important ideas, writing notes in the margins, and asking questions or making connections. This active involvement helps in understanding the material at a deeper level and aids memory retention, as it requires the reader to process and reflect on the content rather than passively reading. Annotation is a method of facilitating active learning, which is key to grasping complex themes, arguments, and concepts effectively.

While creating summary notes for future reference, critiquing the author’s style, or summarizing the entire text in one phrase may have their own merits, they do not capture the primary intent behind annotation, which centers around understanding and retaining the core material during the reading process.