The purpose of an Anchor Activity is to provide meaningful work for students when they finish early, are waiting for further directions, are stumped, first enter class, or when the teacher is working with other students. In other words, students are anchored to an activity which is is usually a logical extension of learning during a unit Students must be well versed in the ground rules of working independently. The teacher must make adequate preparations so students are clear about the task and the instructions for completing it. The teacher should have a plan for monitoring and managing the activity. 
Examples of anchoring activities may include the following:
- Independent reading
- Content-related reading
- Journal Writing
- Creative writing prompts (introduce children to fun poetry forms and then make this a choice)
- On-going independent projects
- Working on a Portfolio
- Working on a Learning Packet or Task Card
- Working at a Learning or Interest Center
- Practicing skills related to content students learned in their small group lessons
- Working on an Extension Menu or Cubing activity
- Word games or puzzles
- Math facts games and practice
- Art projects
- Small group projects
Benefits of an Anchor Activity
- can be used to differentiate activities on the basis of student readiness, interest or
learning profile
- allows students time to work on independent research, to work more in depth with a
concept, or enrich their skill development
- can be used as a management strategy when working with small groups of students
- can be a vehicle for making the classroom more student centered
