3 2 1 Strategy for High School English

Long ago, I was introduced to the 3 2 1 strategy for the classroom.  It is really such an easy fit for any classroom, elementary through high school because it is quick, easy and can require very little prep.

What is the 3 2 1 teaching strategy?

Simply put, the 3 2 1 teaching strategy is having students write three things about x, two things about y and one thing about z.  The great the thing about 3-2-1s are that they are super flexible.  In high school English, I use these a lot when we are reading whole class books; however they work well for any text (fiction, non-fiction, poetry) as well as for SEL check-ins.

They also super versatile to set up.  You don’t even need to do any prep.  Just say “Take our a half sheet of paper.  Now write three things you remember about character X, 2 things about the setting and one question you have.”  You can take it step farther by having a slide ready that students use with their own paper or you can have a handout ready.

What do I use the 3 2 1 Strategy for?

The 3 2 1 strategy may be one of the most versatile academic tools that I use.  They are a quick check for understanding that you can use at any point during a class.

Bell Ringers

Have a 3 2 1 ready to go at the start of class either on a slide or to pick up as students come in the door.  This is a great way to check to see what they remember and/or understood about the previous class.  Before you begin new instruction, you can quickly flip through them and address any questions or misconceptions. (For more on Bell Ringers, be sure to check out this post.)

Exit Tickets

I love to use a ticket out the door at the end of the period to check for understanding.  You can ask them 3 things they learned, 2 they have questions about and 1 connection to previous materials.  Or any variation on that works too.

Mid-period Check for Understanding

One thing that I love about the 3 2 1 strategy is how quickly you can look through them to get a feel for how things are going.  If you want to check understanding before moving on, you can have students complete a 3-2-1 mid-class.  Walk around while students are working on them and read over their shoulders to make the process go even more quickly.

3 2 1 Reading Strategy for Assessments

Three-two-ones can work well as assessments too.  This is a great way to do a reading check:  Three things that happened, two things about the characters and one prediction.  

Or you can use it as a way to assess a concept like figurative language.  Write 3 similes, 2 metaphors and 1 hyperbole.  

Close Reading assessment.  Give students a passage to read and have them identify 3 of x, 2 of y and 1 of z.

For Central Idea Development

Central Idea is a big deal on the New York State Regents.  And, I want kids to move beyond simply identifying topics as central idea to making central idea statements.  So one way we do this is with a 3-2-1 strategy of identifying 3 topics, 2 details to support one of those topics, 1 statement about what the author is saying about that topic.

For Discussion Prep

If you want to students to come prepared for a discussion, a 3-2-1 works really well.  Have students write three events in the text that seem important, curious or out of place, two quotations that stood out and one questions.  Have students keep them on their desks while the discussion is occurring that way they have something to fall back on when it is their turn or the conversation lags.

3 2 1 for Book Clubs or Literature Circles

Have students come prepared for the book club meeting with a Three-Two-One Strategy Sheet:  3 quotations that stood out, 2 observations about the characters, 1 question or prediction.  Again, students are ready to discuss when they arrive with these details.  I like this so much better than the traditional literature circle “roles” because everyone can be involved in a deeper level of thinking and understanding.

For Groups

Use a 3-2-1 as a Group Report for a small group assignment.  Student can report three things they talked about, 2 ideas they thought were most important and 1 disagreement they had.

For SEL

Three-two-ones work really well for doing a quick Social Emotional Learning (SEL) check.  You can ask three things that are going well, two things they need help with and one thing they are looking forward to.  Or you can use it to ask about their weekend:  three things you did over the weekend, 2 things you didn’t finish, one think you are looking forward to next weekend or during the week.

3 2 1 Writing Strategy for Pre-Writing

Start students off by brainstorming 3 details from the text, 2 reasons they matter and 1 claim.  They essentially have the outline of a paragraph.  They just need to fill in the extra words.  We use a variation on this at AP to develop line of reasoning (<—link line of reasoning anchor charts)

Variations of the 3 2 1 Strategy

Pyramid

Instead of having students simply list their 3-2-1 concepts, you might give them pyramid with three spaces at the base, two in the center and one at the top.  This is great for characterization:  3 things a characters does, 2 things a character says, 1 characteristic.  I have students do something similar with Characterization Pyramids.

5 4 3 2 1 Strategy

Instead of having students write 3-2-1, they write 5-4-3-2-1.  This is another one that is great for characterization,  They can focus on the methods of characterization at each level: 5 things a character does, 4 things the character says, three things about the character’s appearance, 2 things the character thinks and 1 thing other characters think about him/her.  Of course, you can vary the position of each based on the text your class is reading.

Use in Jamboard

You can use the 3-2-1 strategy in Jamboard.  (For more on ways to incorporate Jamboard in High School English, check out this post.) Create a template in Google Slides, then download as a png.  Then upload your PNG as the background in Jamboard.

Get Ready to Use the 3-2-1 Teaching Strategy Soon

If you like this idea, be sure to check out my 15+ 3-2-1 Templates for Print or Digital.  All you need to do is assign them.  They are designed to use with any text, several of them are focused on non-fiction texts while others focus specifically on characterization, figurative language, conflict and more.