Find a reading passage that you want to highlight in a book, magazine or journal. Select a highlight pen ink color according to your categorization system if you are using one. For example, you might want to highlight categories of material, using blue for opinions and green for facts.
Draw with the highlighter across each line in the reading passage you want to highlight. The ink shouldn't be dark enough to cover up the printed words. However, if you are using a highlighter that is the same color as the text, it may be difficult to read, so use a different highlighter color. Write notes and questions in the margins where you highlight materials. Include diagrams or other pictures to help you translate the highlighted material.
Underline the words in a reading passage with a pencil or a pen to highlight the words. This may not stand out as well as using a highlighting pen, but you might prefer to highlight passages this way.
Attach removable sticky note pages to passages if you don't want to mark up the material, or if you don't have permission to do so, such as items that belong to the library or a friend. Place the sticky note right alongside the passage you want to highlight, and draw an arrow to a particular line to make it easier to spot.
Clip paper clips to the page of a book or magazine if you don't want to mark it with ink. You can attach the paper clip on the side of the page exactly next to the first line you want to highlight. Paper clips and sticky notes are also useful for finding reading passages that you have highlighted with a marker or pencil.