By now, I am sure you have heard at least one teacher raving (or ranting?) about the benefit or importance of giving your students choice in their learning. I know that I have! Although I feel like the term "choice board" has seemed like a buzz word at times, I cannot help but LOVE them and see the benefit that they have on my students' learning. Here are 5 reasons why I love using choice boards in my classroom.
Individual Student Strengths: Having ~150 students each year, it has become abundantly clear to me that each child has unique and individual strengths. One student can memorize the entire periodic table, another can create a beautiful drawing that deserves to be in an art museum, while another can play piano so well, you would never guess that they are 11 years old. These differences absolutely translate to their individual learning styles, as well. One student may love writing a story using their vocabulary words, while another may get excited about drawing pictures for each word. The beauty in choice boards, is that they enable students to choose activities that are exciting to them, and that play to their individual student strengths. Personally, I love using this awesome vocabulary choice board with my students!
Student Ownership: When students feel that they have choice and autonomy in their school work, they are ultimately going to take more ownership in their work. I have seen that even giving students two or three choices can increase the level of engagement and effort. It is similar to how we feel as adults. When something feels like a duty, we are less engaged than if it is something that we are choosing, on our own timing, to do. For me, it is cleaning. If I have a slow Saturday and get the chance to clean the house, I am all for it. I will be joyfully scrubbing the bathroom, cleaning the floors, etc. On the other hand, if I am cleaning out of necessity (maybe it's been a little too long since those baseboards got cleaned), my attitude might not be quite as joyful!
Keeping Things Fresh: A few years ago, I created an activity for practicing vocabulary that I was so excited about it. Really, I was so excited about it that I used it in almost every unit. Fast forward a few months and I was sick of it...and so were my kids. I remember one student saying, "we are doing these AGAIN?" Isn't there a saying about too much of a good thing? Anyways, I love how choice boards allow you to keep things fresh in your classroom, without putting in too much additional prep on your end. This is especially beneficial for weekly assignments, such as spelling word lists. I always encourage my kiddos to choose activities that they didn't choose last time. If they do choose to complete the same activities over and over again, then most likely they are enjoying that particular activity.
Differentiation: Over the years, I have had all sorts of learners in all sorts of classes. I have had struggling learners in general education classes, gifted learners, high achievers, and everything in between. I have found that choice boards allow me to effortlessly differentiate activities for all learners. Maybe you tell one of your kiddos to choose just 2 activities, instead of three. Maybe you challenge a few of your kiddos to choose a certain path on the choice board that involves higher level thinking.
Low Prep: While this is absolutely not the most important thing when considering a lesson or activity, it can definitely be a plus. I love how a good choice board can allow for a challenging, engaging, and differentiated activity without having to put in hours of prep to get it ready to go.
If you have been hesitant to use a choice board in your classroom, I encourage you to give it a try! Comment below and share how choice boards have benefited your classroom!
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