Alphaboxes: A Vocabulary and Comprehension Strategy
“Alphaboxes,” as created by Linda Hoyt, is a strategy for activating prior knowledge, building vocabulary
and comprehension before, during, and after reading. The conversation that is elicited when using the
“Alphaboxes” strategy helps students make connections to the new information they will be learning
and aids comprehension.
With the Common Core Standards emphasis on increasing the amount of reading specifically in
nonfiction and informational text, Alphaboxes is a perfect strategy and tool to aid students with the
amount of vocabulary found in informational text.
While it’s a simple and straightforward graphic organizer, Alphaboxes can be used in a variety of ways
to build vocabulary and comprehension. I’ve summarized them below.
Alphaboxes: What works in the classroom
Pre-reading Activity: Announce the topic/concept and elicit discussion from students. Record key
terms, details in the specific Alphaboxes squares as students mention them. Talk about the meaning of
the terms before students read the text or watch a video, for example. Feel free to add key terms to the
chart as well. Then direct students to the text, video, recording and with the direction to record any
other key terms that they think should be included on the chart.
•Study Tool: For students in grade 4-12, the Alphabox graphic organizer is a tool that students can add
to as they read and learn content information. It can also serve as a study aid for quizzes and texts.
•Pairs/Cooperative Learning Groups: The Alphabox tool used for before- and after-reading activities is
a perfect time for students to work with partners or in cooperative learning groups to share and refine
their learning.
•After-Reading Strategy: The “Alphaboxes” graphic organizer can be used as a tool to promote
reflection, summarize key terms, and monitor comprehension.
•Students work individually to add key terms or details related to the topic in the appropriate box on
the alphabox form.
•Then students can come together in pairs, small groups, or as a class to discuss specific terms added to
the graphic organizer and any words they now think are irrelevant and should be removed. It is
important that, when sharing words, student justify why the word is important.
•After sharing their words, group members create a compilation of the most interesting words
generated during their sharing. The group members must be able to justify the inclusion of any word on
their list in relation to its importance or significance to the text.
•Topical Word Wall: As the class comes together to discuss which terms should be included on the class
Alphabox organizer, the Alphabox chart becomes a portable, content/topical word wall. After all, word
walls are not just for primary students!