Abstract: In English teaching, the cultivation of students' core quality is inseparable from reading teaching. As the main way of knowledge input, reading is the basis of language expression, writing and translation. Traditional English reading teaching is difficult to improve students' reading ability because of its single teaching method, passive reading subject and lack of students' emotional experience. Therefore, English teaching should innovate teaching methods to improve the quality of English reading teaching. In the teaching of English reading in higher vocational colleges, the introduction of the stratified teaching model can stimulate students' reading interest, improve the quality of classroom teaching and cultivate students' English subject accomplishment. Therefore, teachers should divide students scientifically, prepare, teach and evaluate them at different levels, so as to cultivate students' reading interest, meet the reading needs of students at different levels and improve the quality of English reading teaching in higher vocational colleges.

Key words: Stratified teaching, Higher vocational English, Reading teaching, Application strategy