ADHD glossary · Family perspectives
Annotation: put your question beside the part you are reading
An annotation is a note or mark connected to a particular part of a text, image, or other material. Here we use it for an observation, a question, or a reminder about a passage. The connection to a specific location is what distinguishes it from a separate list of notes about the whole subject.
General education and practical perspectives. Editorial standards.
Label your annotation as your comment, and identify someone else's comment separately. Do not present either as the original author's claim. Marking a sentence does not verify that sentence or show that you agree with it.
Try it on an ordinary notice
Imagine a family reading a club notice that says, “Bring your completed entry to the next meeting.” A child writes a question beside “completed”: “Does this include the display label?” A parent marks “next meeting” and adds the date they want to confirm. A sibling writes nothing because the notice is not about their activity.
The two annotations show different uncertainties. Neither person needs to highlight the whole notice. When the club answers, they add the clarification beside the question and note where the answer came from.
If the notice is on a shared screen, they can use a separate note with the heading and paragraph location rather than editing the notice itself. The method is their choice; this example is not a claim about a particular application's features.
Keep a small annotation key
Material and location:
? A question I still have:
* Something I want to return to:
My words: What I think this part means:
Checked answer, with its source or contact:
These marks are an invented optional key, not a standard you must learn. Plain words work too. If a color system is used, add a text label so the meaning does not depend on remembering or distinguishing colors.
Separate observation from interpretation
“The notice does not give a date here” describes what the reader found. “They are deliberately making this confusing” assigns a motive. Keep those different kinds of statement separate. If you paraphrase a passage, label it as your wording and retain a way to return to the original.
A teen can keep personal reactions private while sharing the question they want answered. A parent or educator can ask what a mark means rather than interpreting it as proof of understanding. A partner reading the same document may annotate a different issue; matching marks are not the goal.
When marks become clutter
You can remove an annotation that no longer serves a purpose or move an unresolved question into a short list. Check before altering someone else's copy. An annotated document is not automatically a secure record, a full summary, or evidence that every important point has been noticed.
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Updates and corrections
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