20 choice board ideas, from tic-tac-toe grids to must-do and may-do
A choice board is a grid of tasks that all practice the same skill, and students choose which ones to do. It gives students a say without giving up the learning goal, and it keeps early finishers busy with something worth doing. Below are board shapes, boards for each subject and ways to run them, each with what to post, what you need and the grades it fits.
Board shapes
1. Tic-tac-toe board
Put nine tasks in a 3 × 3 grid and ask students to finish three in a row, across, down or corner to corner. Put the most important task in the center so every winning line goes through it.
Grades 1–8You need A 3 × 3 grid of tasksUse Bingo card generator (3 × 3 cards)
2. Must-do and may-do
Split the board into two parts: a short must-do list everyone finishes first, and a longer may-do list of choices for after. It works well for centers and for days when you meet with small groups.
Grades K–8You need Two lists on a chart
3. Menu board
Lay the tasks out like a menu: one appetizer (a quick review task), one main course (the big task) and one dessert (an extension). Students pick one from each course.
Grades 3–8You need A menu with three courses
4. Points board
Give each task a point value by effort, such as 5, 10 or 20 points, and ask students to reach a total, such as 30. Students choose a few big tasks or several small ones.
Grades 4–8You need Tasks marked with points
5. Roll to choose
Number six tasks from 1 to 6 and have students roll a die to pick, or roll twice and choose between the two. It suits young students who take a long time to decide.
Grades K–5You need Six numbered tasks and a dieUse Dice roller
6. Two-by-two board
For the youngest students, offer only four choices in a 2 × 2 grid with a picture on each square. Children color the square when they finish. Four choices are plenty at this age.
Grades K–2You need Four picture tasks
Boards for each subject
7. Reading response board
Fill a grid with ways to answer a book: draw the setting, write a letter to a character, list three new words, retell in five sentences, change the ending. Keep one square for a summary everyone writes.
Grades 2–8You need Nine reading tasksUse Graphic organizer maker
8. Spelling practice board
Offer nine ways to practice the list: rainbow writing, word sorts, sentences, a word search, writing each word in the air then on paper, sorting by vowel sound. Students do any three before the test.
Grades 1–5You need This week's spelling listUse Word search maker, Spelling worksheet maker
9. Math facts board
Mix fact practice tasks: a fact quiz, a partner game with cards, a number line drawing, a fact family house, and writing a word problem for one fact. Each one practices the same set of facts in a different way.
Grades 1–5You need Fact practice tasksUse Quiz maker
10. Math problem-solving board
Put three easier problems in the top row, three middle ones in the middle and three challenge problems at the bottom. Students solve one from each row, so everyone works across levels.
Grades 4–8You need Nine problems at three levels
11. Science unit board
Offer ways to show what a unit taught: label a diagram, write a news report about a discovery, build a model, design a simple test, make a vocabulary card set. Use it in the last week of the unit.
Grades 3–8You need Tasks from the current unit
12. Vocabulary board
Offer tasks that use the week's words: draw a picture for each, write a story using five, sort them by part of speech, find each one in a book, act one out for a partner to guess.
Grades 2–8You need Five to ten new wordsUse Flashcard maker
13. Writing craft board
Each square practices one craft skill: write a strong opening line, describe a place with three senses, add dialogue to a scene, write a sentence with a comma list. Students pick three and share one.
Grades 3–8You need Short writing tasks
14. Social studies board
Offer tasks about the place or time you are studying: draw a map of it, write a diary entry from someone living there, make a timeline of five events, write two interview questions for a person from that time.
Grades 3–8You need Tasks about one period or place
Running a choice board
15. Teach every task first
Before students choose, show each task once, or teach two or three new squares a week. A board fails when students don't know what a task looks like when it's finished.
Grades K–8You need A few minutes of modeling
16. Tracking sheet
Give each student a small copy of the board to keep in a folder. They color a square when they finish and write the date in it, so you can see their choices at a glance.
Grades 2–8You need A copy of the grid per student
17. Check-in on Wednesday
On a weekly board, stop everyone on Wednesday for a quick check: which squares are done, which are next. Students who haven't started get a nudge before Friday, not after.
Grades 3–8You need Five minutes midweek
18. Same skill, different ways
Write the learning goal at the top of the board and make sure every square practices it. If a square is only fun and not on the goal, swap it for one that is both.
Grades K–8You need One learning goal per board
19. Choice in the product
Keep the content the same for everyone and let the choice be in the product: a poster, a short talk, a comic strip, a written report or a model. Score them with the same rubric.
Grades 4–8You need One topic, several ways to show itUse Project rubric
20. Students write a square
Leave one square blank and let students propose their own task for it. They write the idea and how it practices the goal, and you approve it before they start.
Grades 3–8You need One blank square on the board
Making it work
- Start small. A board of four or six tasks is easier to launch than nine, and students learn the routine before the choices grow.
- Put the task everyone must do in the center of a tic-tac-toe board, so every winning line includes it.
- Post the board where everyone can see it, and keep a printed copy at each table so students don't crowd the wall.
- Use the same scoring for every square. A short rubric or an "I can" checklist keeps a comic strip and a report on the same scale.
- Change one or two squares a week instead of the whole board, so students keep the routine and still find something new.
Questions teachers ask
- What is a choice board in the classroom?
- A choice board is a grid of tasks that all practice the same skill or topic. Students pick a set number of tasks, often three in a row on a tic-tac-toe board, so they have a choice in how they practice while the learning goal stays the same.
- How many choices should a choice board have?
- Four in kindergarten and 1st grade, six to nine from 2nd grade up. Fewer choices are easier to explain and quicker to decide between; nine works once students know the routine.
- Are choice boards good for early finishers?
- Yes. A board posted all week gives students something worth doing when they finish early, without you planning a new task each time. Keep the squares on the current learning goal, not busywork.
- How do I grade a choice board?
- Score each finished task with the same short rubric or checklist, so different products are judged on the same skill. Many teachers grade only one task the student chooses to hand in and mark the rest as done.
Written for teachers by Peabody Teach. No ads, no affiliate links. Something wrong or missing? Tell us.