two elementary students working on tablet together in class

Classroom Strategy Library

Our library provides effective, research-based classroom strategies to help strengthen your students’ skills in phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.

Welcome to our strategy library! 

All of the reading and writing strategies in our collection are evidence-based and can be adapted for all learners. Many of the strategies support collaborative learning and give your students a chance to work independently and in small groups.

Find the strategies that support the specific literacy skills you are teaching — the filters below can help you get started. As you introduce a strategy, clearly model how the strategy will be used, and let the kids know if they will be working as a whole class, in small groups, or individually. Demonstration and modeling, follow-up independent practice, and class or small group discussion are keys to success. Instruction should encourage active participation and lots of conversation!

Each strategy includes:

  • Instructions on how to use the strategy
  • Classroom video
  • Downloadable templates and examples
  • Differentiation for second language learners, students of varying reading skill, and younger learners
  • Supporting research
  • Recommended children’s books to use with the strategy

Reading Rockets is made possible with generous support from the National Education Association.

Which strategy?

The chart below lists all of the strategies currently in our library. To quickly find the strategies you need, use the filters below.

For many of the strategies, you can also see which are best used before, during, and/or after reading (B/D/A). “Before” strategies activate students’ prior knowledge and set a purpose for reading. “During” strategies help students make connections, monitor their understanding, generate questions, and stay focused. “After” strategies provide students an opportunity to summarize, question, reflect, discuss, and respond to text.

Select a strategy

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Classroom Strategy

Anticipation Guide

Focus:
Comprehension
When:
Before reading, After reading
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Classroom Strategy

Concept Maps

Focus:
Comprehension
When:
During reading, After reading
kindergarten teacher pointing at word in picture book during read aloud

Classroom Strategy

Concept of Word Games

Focus:
Phonological awareness, Print awareness
When:
During reading
two elementary school students working on assignment on whiteboard

Classroom Strategy

Concept Sort

Focus:
Comprehension
When:
Before reading, After reading
teacher reading text for students to practice writing

Classroom Strategy

Dictation

Focus:
Phonics, Spelling, Writing
child using color chips to identify sounds in simple words

Classroom Strategy

Elkonin Boxes

Focus:
Phonics, Phonological awareness, Spelling
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Classroom Strategy

Exit Slips

Focus:
Comprehension
When:
After reading
two elementary students reading the beginning of a book together

Classroom Strategy

First Lines

Focus:
Comprehension
When:
Before reading
magnifying glass over the ransome-style letters for the word "clue"

Classroom Strategy

Inferencing

Focus:
Comprehension
When:
During reading, After reading
two elementary students filling out a strategy chart class

Classroom Strategy

Inquiry Charts

Focus:
Comprehension, Writing
When:
During reading
four hands putting together puzzle pieces

Classroom Strategy

Jigsaw

Focus:
Comprehension
When:
Before reading, During reading, After reading
three elementary students making a list of words on flip chart paper

Classroom Strategy

List-Group-Label

Focus:
Comprehension, Vocabulary
When:
Before reading, During reading, After reading
three elementary students discussing a text together in class

Classroom Strategy

Listen-Read-Discuss

Focus:
Comprehension
When:
Before reading, During reading, After reading
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