Choice Boards for ESL Students: Three Creative Ways to Use Them in the Classroom

Choice boards in the ESL classroom?

The idea is great, but how can I implement it? I have a mixed-level classroom, or I work with newcomers, or – insert your own situation. 

In this blog post, I will share some ideas on how you can actually implement choice boards in your ESL classroom, and feel like both you and your students are actually getting somewhere. 

What are choice boards?

A choice board is a type of an organizer that allows the student to choose their own way of studying a concept. Typically, a choice board asks students to complete activities or answer questions, and there is a freedom in a way they can choose to do it. 

The possibilities are endless here. Choice boards are used in all subject areas, and can be adapted to any grade level. And one of the most important aspects of any choice board is to make sure that it addresses different ways of learning – multiple intelligences – that your students might have and prefer. 

For example, you might include reading an article, and the students would demonstrate understanding either by writing a summary, drawing and labeling, or creating a video/audio response. 

You can also include watching or creating videos/podcasts, creating a play, or writing a song.

Why use choice boards?

When students have a choice in how they learn, they feel empowered. And when someone feels like they have a say, the level of responsibility for their own learning spikes as well. 

For a teacher, choice boards provide a more streamlined way to grade. 

And for a student, natural consequences can be priceless.

Challenges of choice boards

While choice boards are fairly clear cut in a content area classroom like, say, math, they get a bit fuzzy when we start thinking about an ESL/ELL classroom. 

Why?

Well, let’s see:

• You may have a class that is composed entirely of newcomers, which makes it a bit more challenging to assign independent work.
• You may have a class of mixed proficiency level students, which then begs a question: how do I meet all their needs? 
• If you don’t have a curriculum that you are following, sometimes the fact that opportunities are endless is not in your favor: like, WHAT do I even include in a choice board??

In addition, it is important to be VERY specific about what you want the students to do.

When I was creating my choice boards, I realized that there are TONS of external links to videos and podcasts and worksheets that go along with each of those assignments. 

Then I realized that I need to post my assignments in Google Classroom. This made me rethink the entire “link” activity inside the choice board. 

The simplest way I do it is this:

1. Decide on the activities and worksheets that will go with them
2. Inside the choice board itself, add only the links that lead to articles or podcasts or a video platform that I want them to use
3. Add all the accompanying worksheets into Google Classroom
4. On Mondays, go over the choice board with the entire class, and show them where to find the necessary information. I usually spend a good amount of time explaining the expectations and answering any questions
5. Every single time we have a class, I direct them to the choice board and answer any questions. 

How can I use a choice board in my ESL classroom?

As mentioned, I teach a mixed level ELL class at the high school. This means that the students in my class are in different grades and at different English language proficiency levels. 

I help them with their content area classes, and we pull our weekly vocabulary, grammar and reading from there. 

We also work on writing (hello, paragraph, essay, and thesis statement!), organization, and community building. 

Oh yes, and they receive a grade for my class… 

As you can see, it is a pretty dynamic setup. So when thinking on how to maximize my time with my kiddos, and how to ensure they are getting what they need I came up with the idea to try choice boards. 

Here are three ways you can do it:

1. Assign it as a weekly assignment – lots of freedom
2. Do is as a whole-class bell ringer 
3. Team and community building

Weekly assignment choice board

Most of my mixed proficiency level students are WIDA level 3 and up, which makes it easier to create almost any assignment. 

I have decided to create a choice board around all four language domains. The students have one activity in each listening, reading, speaking and writing. In addition, I have one FREE CHOICE activity, which can be whatever they choose it to be. 

This is how a week looks for students at WIDA levels 3 and up.

The instruction is as follows: I assign it in Google Classroom every Monday. They are required to do three out of five activities for a total of 15 points (5 points each) by Friday. 

During the first weeks, I am just looking for completion. As time passes, however, I will see if there are certain activities that are more popular than others, or if they are just using the low-hanging fruit, and will adjust accordingly.

A bell ringer

The students get the whole board, but every day they choose an activity to do at the start of the class to get their brain in action. 

This also works well if you have created a choice board that focuses on a particular language domain that your students need to practice. For example, having five short writing activities for the week, will allow students to practice different forms of writing. 

They still get to choose which one, as long as they complete all five for the week.

Team and community building

Have students work in pairs and complete the choice between the two of them. For this, a board with more activities than five might work better. In addition, one of the rules you can implement is that they both should take both the easier and the more challenging tasks. 

What about the choice boards and ESL newcomers?

When we work with newcomers, there are a lot of hands-on activities and work for us teachers. 

But what I’ve come to realize over the years is this:

• Newcomer students need to learn studying/learning strategies
• They want to be a part of the class, and show what they are able to do

So yes, they are assigned a choice board, but I create a different one for them. One that will be helpful for them. 

Here is an example of a choice board for a newcomer. 

The first week or two we do the activities together.

I show them what exactly I want them to do when they watch a video or listen to a podcast, for example. 

I give them instructions on how to answer reading comprehension questions by recycling the words in the question. 

I introduce all the software that I might be using for their speaking assignments, etc. 

Yes, there is a lot of hands on in the beginning. But they do feel empowered because they learn so much, and also realize that they have the power of choice.

And to save you time, I have created a choice board for you – with accompanying worksheets included. It will save you tons of time – you can grab it at my Teachers Pay Teachers store HERE.

You can find the choice boards along with the instructions and other guidance inside The ESL Teaching Roadmap – a membership for middle and high school ESL teachers who work primarily with newcomers and mixed level classes.

Now over to you!

Have you used choice boards with your English learners?

If so, what have you found works well and what doesn’t?

Share with us in the comments below!