Annotating text involves adding notes that explain or comment on specific sections, improving your understanding of the material. Both Microsoft Word and Google Docs offer comment boxes, making it easy to highlight key ideas and insights. Utilizing these annotation tools not only clarifies your thoughts but also deepens your engagement with the text, providing valuable benefits for students and professionals alike. Let’s dive into using comment tools for effective text annotation and engagement with reading material.
The benefits of inserting comments:
- Promotes active engagement in reading
- Writing notes in your own words helps develop a deeper understanding of the text
What should you type in the comment box? Jot down key words, main ideas, or a short summary of each section of text in comment boxes. For more ideas, check out the suggestions from The Learning Center at the University of North Carolina’s blog post How do you annotate?
Tip: You can also annotate web pages by adding an annotation extension to either the Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome web browser (see the resources at the end of the article). Also, did you know that you can purchase transparent sticky notes to annotate text in a paper book?
Now, try annotating text in Word Online and Google Docs using your free Microsoft account and free Google account and the comment tool.
Microsoft: Insert Comment in Word Online
Use a comment box in Word Online to write down your thoughts about a section of text.
- Select text.
- In the pop-up window, click New Comment. Or in the menu, press the Insert tab then New Comment.
- Type in the comment box.
- Press the Post Comment button (paper airplane button). Repeat steps 1-4.
- To view all the comments, select the Review tab. Click Show Comments. Now, you have all the main concepts stacked in the side bar to review.
Microsoft Support article: Insert comments in a document
Google: Insert Comment in Google Docs
Insert a comment box in Google Docs to take notes about the concepts in the document.
- Select text.
- Right click and select Comment. Or in the menu, click the Insert tab then Comment.
- Now, type in the comment box.
- Press the Comment button when finished typing. Repeat steps 1 -4.
- All of the Comments will be stacked to the side of the document.
Google Help article: Use comments & action items
Additional reading comprehension tools
Explore 5 more reading comprehension strategies and technology tools that help with focus, identifying key concepts and, most importantly, understanding and remembering the information.
- Chunk text using a digital reading window
- Highlight key information with a digital highlighter
- Create an outline of the reading material
- Use graphic organizers to make connections
- Try a summary tool or text simplification tool
Annotation extensions for highlighting and commenting
This list is provided simply to create awareness about additional options.
Tip: You can install Chrome extensions in the Google Chrome web browser and the Microsoft Edge web browser.
Google Help instructions: Install and manage extensions
Microsoft Support instructions: Add, turn off, or remove extensions in Microsoft Edge
Diigo – An annotation tool for web pages. Once you create an account, Diigo allows you to add highlights and notes on web pages, then save the marked-up page to your library. The free version limits the amount of saved pages and does not include premium features.
Getliner – Another annotation tool for web pages. Create an account and start highlighting web pages and inserting comments for note taking. The free version limits you to 7 highlights and 3 notes per web page.
Kami – Annotation application. Install as a Chrome extension. The free version includes digital highlighting and text commenting. The paid version includes text-to-speech, digital dictionary, voice comments and more.
Scrible – An additional option for an annotation tool for web pages. Create a free account to start. Open a web page, click the Scrible extension, and use the toolbar at the bottom of the page. Use a digital highlighter to highlight text. Save the file to the library in your account. The free version has a limit of library storage space and does not include premium features.
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