Choice Boards Supporting Differentiation

By: Michelle Pantel Updated: September 2022

Choice boards increase student ownership and allow students to choose how they demonstrate their understanding of an outcome or series of outcomes.  A choice board is a grid that has clear instructions in each box of a task that students can complete.  The number of items in the grid varies on whether the choice board is being used in a single lesson or throughout a unit.  Teachers can choose whether they want students to choose one assignment from the choice board or use the board as a tic-tac-toe game and students need to complete a row.

Choice boards can be created with student readiness, student interest, or multiple intelligences in mind.

These steps help create an effective choice board.  

TIPS

• All choices in the choice board should lead to demonstrating an understanding of the outcome. 

• Creating clear instructions are vital so students can choose. 

• Creating a variety of challenging activities so that every student can find something they would engage in.

See below for a novel choice board for English Language Arts.