CHOICE BOARDS &

PROVIDING CHOICES
Sarah Newbury!
Examples:

Tic!!Tac!!Toe!
Menu!Boards!

Implementation of Choice Boards:

What!choices!are!you!willing!to!use?!
Determine!what!choices!are!appropriate!for!each!lesson.!
Tic!!Tac!!Toe!grid!consists!of!nine!cells;!however,!the!
number!of!rows!and!cells!can!be!adjusted.!
The!student!picks!three!boxes!to!complete!that!make!a!
straight!line!either!horizontally,!diagonally,!or!vertically.!
Menu!boards!are!set!up!in!the!same!format!as!a!menu!at!
a!restaurant.!
There!will!be!a!predetermined!amount!of!money!the!
student!will!have!to!spend.!
They!will!pick!different!items!to!complete!until!they!
have!spent!their!allotted!money.!

What are choice boards?

Choices!allow!students!to!speak!their!
opinions!at!points!during!the!day!
giving!them!an!opportunity!to!pick!
the!items!or!activities!offered!in!their!
preferred!order.!There!are!different!
settings!choices!can!be!offered:!
meals,!chores,!centers,!and!play.!
Choice!boards!is!a!graphic!organizer!
that!allows!students!to!choose!in!
what!order!or!which!way!they!will!
learn!the!concept.!

Examples of Choice:

Tasks!in!any!order!
Student!created!questions!
Study!card!
Pick!3!out!of!5!homework!
assignments!for!the!week!
Study!buddies!
Work!in!a!different!place!
Complete!odds!or!evens!
Colored!utensils!
SelfLpaced!work!
Partner!work!
Marker!boards!
Tic!!TacL!Toe!
Menu!Boards!

Why Students Benefit from Choice:

!

Not!only!do!students!benefit!from!having!choice!within!their!schoolwork,!choice!making!is!an!
essential!key!to!life.!If!individuals!are!unable!to!make!choices,!they!become!dependent!on!
others!to!make!the!decisions!for!them.!Most!people!take!their!right!to!make!choices!in!life!for!
granted.!In!the!classroom,!giving!students!a!choice!when!it!comes!to!their!work!can!give!them!a!
chance!to!be!cooperative.!Providing!choice!allows!students!to!believe!they!have!freedom!and!it!
can!motivate!them!to!finish!the!work!as!they!please.!It!also!gives!them!the!control!to!make!
decisions!for!themselves,!which!will!be!a!lesson!in!itself!in!the!real!world.!

References:
Kern,&L.,&&&State,&T.&M.&(2009).&Incorporating&Choice&and&Preferred&Activities&Into&Class&wide&
Instruction.&Beyond&Behavior,&18(2),&3J11.&
Green,&K.B.,&Mays,&N.&M.,&&&Jolivette,&K.&(2010).&Making&Choices:&A&Proactive&Way&to&Improve&
Behaviors&for&Young&Children&With&Challenging&Behaviors.&Beyond&Behavior,&20(1),&25J31.&
Stafford,&A.&M.&(2005).&Choice&Making:&A&Strategy&for&Students&With&Severe&Disabilities.&
Teaching&Exceptional&Children,&37(6),&12J17.&
Jolivette,&K.,&Stichter,&J.&P.,&&&McCormick,&K.&M.&(2002).&Making&ChoicesJJImproving&BehaviorJJ
Engaging&in&Learning.&Teaching&Exceptional&Children,&34(3),&24.&
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