Which comprehension strategy best helps students attend to a text's essential vocabulary and main ideas?

Annotating a text systematically during reading is a powerful comprehension strategy because it encourages active engagement with the text. When students annotate, they highlight or take notes on key vocabulary and main ideas directly in the margins or in a separate notebook. This process requires them to identify and emphasize essential concepts as they read, making it easier to remember and understand the material later.

Additionally, annotation aids in summarizing information and connecting ideas within the text, reinforcing comprehension. Students are more likely to internalize important vocabulary and main concepts when they actively interact with the text rather than passively reading it. This systematic approach to annotation ensures that students can refer back to their notes, which can further support retention and understanding during discussions, assessments, or review.

Other strategies, while valuable, may not focus as directly on essential vocabulary and main ideas. For example, identifying a text's organizational structure is useful for understanding how information is presented but does not directly tackle vocabulary or synthesis of main ideas. Predicting outcomes can stimulate interest and engagement but may not concentrate on the acquisition of key terms or concepts within the text itself. Using visualization and mental imagery enhances understanding but often relies on prior knowledge rather than focusing explicitly on new vocabulary and main ideas in the current reading.