5 Reasons to Use Choice Boards in Your Classroom

Choice boards are great tools to use in the classroom.  First of all, they can be used for any subject, are easy to create and set up, and the students love them! Not only that, research shows that providing students with choices about their learning has many benefits.  Here are a few of my favorite reasons why I find choice boards to be valuable tools for learning.

1. Increase Motivation & Desire to Learn

When students have the ability to choose what they want to learn or what type of project they want to complete, they become active participants in their learning.  Choices allow students to take ownership of their learning. Because the activity is something they selected and actually wanted to do, their motivation is naturally increased. 

2. Provide Differentiated Instruction

Teachers can add a variety of tasks that span various levels and/or types of instruction when creating choice boards. As a result, students can select activities that best meet their personal needs and abilities.  When students self-differentiate their instruction, they can more deeply invest themselves in their learning. 

3. Cater to Different Learning Styles

Not everyone learns in the same way or appreciates the same types of activities. Therefore, it’s important to include activities that appeal to different learning styles when creating choice boards.  As a result, students can explore content and select activities that excite them. Additionally, if teachers vary the activities provided on their choice boards, then the needs of all students can be met at once. 

4. Increase Student Engagement

It’s easy to turn choice boards into games for students to play.  For example, they can pair up with a classmate and play Tic-Tac-Toe, aim to Connect 4 boxes in a row, or even turn their choice board into a game of Bingo. However, even without a game aspect, students are naturally more engaged in activities when they can choose the activity for themselves. 

5. Choice Boards Are Versatile

Choice boards can be used in just about any subject or grade level. The choices can be simple tasks to be completed within a class period, or longer projects that span over days or weeks. Teachers can provide as many or as little choices as desired on a board.  They are appropriate to use for centers, independent work activities, early finishers, assigned as homework, or even given for distance learning assignments. 

Are you looking to try out some choice boards in your own classroom? If so, sign up below to download my FREE ELA Choice Boards for Upper Elementary Classrooms.  Not only will you have access to the simple “print & go” PDF versions, but a link to access the choice boards on Google Slides is also included!

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