Over the past few years, there has been a major shift in education towards more interactive and student-centered learning. Traditional lecturing is slowly being replaced by approaches that engage students in the learning process. One teaching strategy that promotes active learning is the use of choice boards. A choice board is a grid that offers students multiple options for demonstrating understanding. Rather than giving every student the exact same assignment, a choice board empowers learners to choose activities tailored to their individual interests and learning styles. As classrooms continue moving away from “one-size-fits-all” instruction, choice boards have emerged as a dynamic tool with immense potential to transform interactive learning.
What Are Choice Boards?
A choice board consists of a grid with various activities listed in each square. The activities all focus on meeting the same learning objective but offer differentiated options. Students are assigned a certain number of squares to complete, allowing them to choose which activities best fit their needs. For example, a 2nd grade math choice board may include options like solving word problems, drawing models, completing fact family charts, playing online games, doing crafts to represent concepts, and more. The key is providing an array of meaningful and engaging choices.
Teachers can design their own choice boards or find pre-made templates online that just need to be filled in with activities. Choice boards work for all subjects and age levels. Boards can be used for a single assignment or as an ongoing center rotation. They can be formatted digitally or printed out. The goal is to give students autonomy over how they get to demonstrate their learning.
Benefits of Choice Boards
- Promotes differentiation and flexibility
Choice boards allow teachers to assign one task while catering to diverse learning styles. Visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners can all find options tailored for them. Some students work better alone while others thrive in groups, so incorporating independent and collaborative activities provides needed balance. When students get to make choices, it creates a flexible and inclusive learning environment.
- Develops self-directed learning skills
Giving students choice over their assignments allows them to practice making smart decisions about their own learning. They get to evaluate their skills and interests, then select the activities that will be most meaningful to them. Being able to self-direct through informed choices is an important lifelong skill.
- Increases student engagement and motivation
Choice boards add an element of fun and interactive learning. When students enjoy the process, they are intrinsically motivated to put forth more effort and take ownership of the material. Choices give students a sense of freedom and control that engages them.
- Allows for differentiation and flexibility
Students get to challenge themselves at their own optimal level while reviewing the same material as the rest of the class. Since they choose activities tailored to their abilities, needs, and learning preferences, the work is neither too easy nor too difficult. Choice boards provide built-in scaffolds and extensions.
- Easy to implement with clear expectations
Choice boards are user-friendly for both teachers and students. The objectives, options, and requirements are all clearly displayed in a simple grid. There is no prep work needed to provide differentiated options—it’s built into the board. Students know exactly what is expected of them by choosing the required number of squares. The process is straightforward for everyone.
Ideas for Using Choice Boards
Choice boards are tremendously versatile. They can be used for one-time assignments or ongoing center rotations. Boards work equally well in-person and remotely. Teachers can get as creative as they want with the activity options:
- Review core skills and knowledge
- Apply learning through projects
- Extend concepts
- Integrate cross-curricular learning
- Develop critical thinking
- Practice important skills
- Conduct research
- Create presentations to demonstrate understanding
- Tap into student interests/talents to deepen learning
Choice boards empower students to work in their optimal learning zones while engaging creatively with curriculum content. Students also learn to make smart academic choices—a skill that will benefit them throughout their education. With so many instructional benefits, it is clear that choice boards are an interactive learning tool with an exciting future in diverse modern classrooms. Their flexibility and ease of use makes differentiating instruction simple and engaging. As more teachers discover the power of offering choices, choice boards will continue gaining prominence as the future of interactive learning.