Marginal Gloss: "I can read it if I know what you want and where it is"
Do you have students who can read information in a text when you point out where it is ("It's in this paragraph" or "look at this heading, it has this word in it, too"? Scanning is a skill many students struggle with; in digital environments they can use the "Find" tool and search for the word, but with traditional print on paper they have great difficulty. Marginal gloss is a low tech tool to build independence in those students.
To add marginal gloss (which many of us think of as the notes written down the side of the page in a classic text or a dictionary) to a textbook or novel without permanently defacing the book, simply fold a piece of paper and line up the top of the paper with the page, then use arrows to point to the important parts. Now the student can see which section you want her to focus on and answer the question that goes with that section.
This is what the folded marginal gloss sheet looks like:
This is what it looks like when you get ready to answer the question:
Click here for an alternate view: View image
You can have the students answer the questions right on the marginal gloss sheet! Added bonus: later on, they can refold the paper and quickly backtrack to the place where they found the information.
Interested in some research on marginal gloss? Check out:
Stewart, Roger A., and Cross, Tracy. A. (1993). Field Test of Five Forms of Marginal Gloss Study Guide: An Ecological Study. Reading Psychology,14 (2). 113-39.