Units of study that allow students to choose tasks are a great way to differentiate instruction. Activities are placed on graphic organizers called choice boards for students to select. Tasks may be organized based on Bloom’s Taxonomy, their complexity, learning styles, or multiple intelligences. Check out the handout for ways to organize your choice boards.
Some advantages include:
- Tiered Challenges: The teacher can efficiently tier challenges based on the level of learners.
- Active Engagement: Students become actively engaged because they are more interested in the tasks.
- Media Variety: Students can use media that best fits their learning style. For example, textbooks and articles, podcasts or audio, or videos may be an option. You may also have some activities that incorporate hands-on construction. Other activities, such as creating a song, painting a picture, or writing a script, may appeal to the arts.
Lesson Handout
This editable PowerPoint includes the templates for creating the choice boards listed in this blog post. The handout also includes helpful information to guide you through creating choice boards for your students.
5 Types of Choice Boards
Think-Tac-Toe
With the Think-Tac-Toe Choice Boards, students are given a choice of nine items printed in a three-by-three grid to look like Tic-Tac-Toe. Students must complete three vertical, horizontal, or diagonal Tic-Tac-Toe row tasks. The boards need to have a variety of activities that include different types of learning.
For example, for a list of vocabulary words, students might:
- Write the words in shaving cream.
- Draw a picture of each word.
- Divide the words into syllables.
- Write sentences with the words.
- Write the words in triangles.
- Make up a song or rap using the words.
- Use the words in a letter to a good friend about your school.
- Use the words in a story.
- Makeup riddles or silly questions with the words.
BINGO
Bingo Choice Boards are very similar to Tic-Tac-Toe boards. Students must select tasks in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row. Each row will include four or five tasks depending on the student’s direction.
Menus
With menus, students select activities as they select from a restaurant menu. The activities can be for a single lesson, a series of lessons, or a full unit of study.
- Appetizers (Flexible – Open for Discussion):
Students must select one appetizer from a list. - The Main Dish (Required – Non-Negotiable Assignment):
Core task for all students. - Side Dishes (Flexible – Open for Discussion):
Students must select two items from a list. - Desserts (Optional):
High-interest, challenging activities that enrich instruction.
RAFT
The acronym RAFT is a writing strategy to help students focus on four areas of communication:
RAFT Teaching Strategy
- Role of the Writer
- Audience
- Format
- Topic
Students select the role, audience, format, and topic from a chart listing approximately 16 categories. In one lesson, a reporter student may write an article for women about ways to recycle. In the same lesson, a student might be an advertiser creating an ad for youth on ways to take trash and turn it into furniture. The possibilities are great even within your structured lesson.
Check out my RAFT blog post here and download a free sample lesson using this method.
1-3-5 Activity
Students select from a list of activities. Each activity is valued at 1, 3, or 5 points. Students must complete activities that total at least 12 points.
When Should I Use a Choice Board?
Project Choice Board:
Students choose from various project options related to a topic or theme.
Early Finisher Choice Board:
This board offers extension activities or core skill practice for students who finish their work early.
Brain Break Choice Board:
When students need a break, they can choose from brain-refreshing activities.
Classroom Management Choice Board
Use this board to motivate students and manage behavior by letting them choose rewards.
Organizing Tasks with Choice Boards
When creating choice boards, it’s essential to consider various frameworks to ensure tasks are engaging and meet diverse student needs. Here are a few ways to organize tasks effectively:
- Bloom’s Taxonomy
- Anderson and Krathwohl’s Taxonomy
- Complexity of the Activity
- Materials/Media
- Form of Expression
- Learning Style
- Learning Domains
- Multiple Intelligence
Choice boards are a powerful tool for fostering student engagement and differentiation in the classroom. By providing a variety of tasks that cater to different learning styles, interests, and abilities, you can create a dynamic learning environment where all students have the opportunity to succeed.
Whether you’re using Think-Tac-Toe, Menus, RAFT, or any other format, the key is to offer choices that are meaningful and challenging. Remember to adapt and customize the choice boards to fit the unique needs of your students, and you’ll see the benefits in their motivation and performance.
Here is the link for the editable PowerPoint.
