Megan Reynolds

Megan Reynolds

I am a teacher & designer. Connecting with students & seeing them enjoy learning is my favorite feeling on earth! I hope you enjoy this article!

1st Grade Writing Choice Board Tutorial for Teachers

Build your own Writing Choice Board for 1st Grade in minutes! Keep kids engaged & learning using these tactics & templates
To use a choice board in your 1st Grade Classroom during Writing you will need to create the Writingchoices (there are lots of examples), organize the classroom, and have a goal;

Time-saving, differentiation, and dynamic classroom management are my favorite reasons to use a choice board!

Integrating choices every day you will need to hone in on the best way to apply 1st Grade Writing choice boards to your classroom style!

Here are a few ideas and instructions on choices, classroom management and getting buy-in from your1st Graders

Ideas & Examples of Great 1st Grade Writing Choices

Draw & Write Your Favorite Animal
Draw your favorite animal on the top half of the paper. Below it, write 3 things you love about it. Use crayons for drawing and a pencil for writing. Have fun!
Write a Letter to a Storybook Character
Write a letter to your favorite book character. Tell them why you like them and ask them a question! Draw a picture for them too.
Create Your Own Superhero Story
Draw a superhero with special powers! Write a short story about how they save the day. Use your imagination and have fun with the adventure!
Make a Story Map of Your Day
Draw a path for your day with pictures! Start with waking up, add school, playtime, and end with bedtime. Show what you do at each spot with a small drawing!
Invent a New Ice Cream Flavor & Describe It
Imagine a new ice cream! What color is it? What special taste does it have? Does it have chunks? Draw it and write 3 things about your yummy ice cream!
Design a Comic Strip with Your Friends
Draw boxes in a row. In each box, draw yourself and friends doing fun things. Add words to tell the story. Share with the class!
Design a Menu for a Teddy Bear Picnic
Draw a big rectangle for your menu. Write “Teddy Bear Picnic” on top. Draw 3 circles – one for a sandwich, one for a fruit, and one for a drink. Color them!
Plant a Seed Story
Write a short story about planting a seed. Draw a picture of the seed growing into a plant. Tell what you did, how the plant changed, and how you felt.
Craft a Fairy Tale Adventure
Write a short story about a brave animal going on a magical quest to find a hidden treasure. Draw a picture of the adventure!

Using a Choice Board to Differentiate Writing in a 1st Grade Classroom

Keep It Simple

Everyone “teacher & student” should know exactly what they are doing. If you don’t make it even easier! 

Differential Instruction vs Saving time?

There is nothing more irritating than “Saving Time” with a Choice Board & ending up with “More work!”.  Are you using this to hit standards or save time or both? 

"Self Guided" or "instruction-based"?

If you giving out work, should they do it on their own or are these more instructions for each choice?

General rule, if the grade is > 3 there is more work per choice.

FREE Blank Fillable & Custom Choice Board

All ages, all grades where you need 9 grid choice board. Start loving learning again! 

How To Manage Your 1st Grade Classroom During Writing (With a Choice Board)

I find its easiest to use a big board at the front of the classroom where all students can see the choices  then decide what they want to do

This often will be coming in from a break or transition between subjects. 

If you can get all students to know whats expected during a choice activity it becomes one-hundred times easier to manage the class & have everyone know what choices they have!  

There are three core steps you have to hit when using a Choice Board; 

1) The Set Up
2) 
The Instruction 
3) The Q+A 

1) The Set Up

Select your choices, decide on how you are going to use this time in your classroom. Build the choice board

1) The Instruction

Tell the students what they are going to be doing (this becomes easier over time) Simply start with 3 options & move from there. 

1) The Q & A

Does anyone have questions? This will help you or the next time. Remember the goal is to make this easier each time! 

Why Use A Choice Board?

So, let’s chat about choiceboards and why they’re like the coolest thing ever in your classroom. 

Picture this: kiddos bouncing into the room, eyes lighting up because they get to pick their own adventure in learning new words.

 It’s like a mini vocab party, and everyone’s invited!

We all have our own jam, right? Some of us are little artists, others are born performers, and some love to get lost in stories. Choice boards are like a buffet of fun learning snacks, so every munchkin finds something tasty that helps the vocab stick!

And here’s the kicker – when the little ones get to steer the ship, they turn into these mini captains of learning. They’re making the calls, and with every choice, they puff up a bit more with confidence. It’s a win-win – they’re learning and feeling like the boss at the same time.

Plus, for us teachers, it’s like having a secret helper in the room. We get to sprinkle in all sorts of activities that match our students’ levels and what makes their hearts tick. It’s like custom-making a learning playlist that gets every kid grooving to the vocab beat. How cool is that?