Targeted Reading Outcomes:

• Recognize the features of different literary genres
• Make inferences and draw conclusions based on explicit and implied information

What is it?

This is a technique that is used after students have already completed their own individual annotations on a poem or prose passage; it is a great strategy to stimulate a small or large group discussion that engages and honors different perspectives on the same text. In groups of 3-5, students pass their annotated copy to the person on the right. Each individual focuses on, and makes additions to, the original reader’s commentary; the next time the papers pass, each individual adds his/her commentary to both of the previous readers’ commentary and this process continues until the original reader has his/her paper back. Thus, each student has had three or four people build and expand on his/her ideas; this is a powerful way to encourage engagement and group participation. (Note: It is important that students understand that they are to expand on the original reader’s ideas and/or questions, not simply add what ideas they had on their papers.)