Why You Should Use Choice Boards in Your Library Classroom
The library should be all about differentiation and choice! In fact, elementary library classrooms are the place where students should be able to explore different genres, read series books, and even dive into nonfiction. Choice is key in library instruction, and choice boards are a way to give that freedom back to your students. Check out these reasons why you should use choice boards in your library classroom!
K-2 Choice Boards in Your Library Classroom
Using Choice Boards is not just an option with older students. For beginning readers, giving choice in library activities makes a huge difference in reading enjoyment and comprehension. Share some of your favorite picture books with your emerging readers. Then, give them a choice in how they demonstrate their learning.
To use these activities, start by reading the book aloud to your students either in the Classroom or to your distance learners on Zoom, Google Meet, or via Screencast. Read alouds are OK if you are providing the video to an audience and not sharing it with the public. During this time of distance learning, some authors and publishers have shared videos of writers reading their own work. See if any of your favorite titles are available on YouTube or the author or publisher’s website.
After reading the story, your students will have a choice of digital activities to complete. Each of the picture book choice boards come with the following activity types:
- vocabulary
- recalling events
- book themed word games
- matching games
- memory games
Allow your readers to choose activities to demonstrate their comprehension of the book. The picture book bundle contains four books all of my K-2 learners just love!
- If You Give a Mouse a Muffin
- The Cool Bean
- We Will Rock Our Classmates
- Too Many Pumpkins
Another way to add choice is by having your class choose which book they want you to read before completing the book-related activities. Preview these awesome titles with your students, and let them pick their favorite!
3rd-5th Grade Choice Boards in Your Library Classroom
Your upper elementary students crave independence and autonomy. Let them have their own voice with library choice boards!
These choice boards also give students a variety of activities related to reading and books to explore. Use upper elementary choice boards for early finishers or library extension groups.
Choice boards for 3rd-5th grade include the following activities:
3rd Grade
- word sorting (with a dictionary)
- nonfiction articles
- biography
- poems
- brain teasers
- maps
4th Grade
- reading comprehension/inference
- idioms
- true or false dictionary activity
- summarizing
- poems
- Fiction
5th Grade
- biography
- opinion writing
- poems
- riddles
- rhymes
- crossword puzzle
Choice boards allow students to complete all activities in any order or just focus on a few to extend learning. These choice boards in your library classroom focus on reading skills across genres!
Distance Learning
No matter what grade level your students are in, library choice boards are perfect for distance learning. Because the choice boards are digital, you can share them via Seesaw, Google Classroom, Schoology or whatever online learning platform you choose!
As a librarian, you may find your distance learning role is a lot of tech support for teachers. Keep in mind that your students need you too! Choice boards are perfect to support your readers with library resources and reading content.
Choice boards in your library classroom will give your students the independence and differentiation they need online or in person this year!