ABSTRACT
I first dipped my toe in the water of differentiation after seeing other teachers use choice boards. Choice boards are graphic organizers that offer students different options for activities to complete, therefore allowing students to have a say in their learning. These graphic organizers may be used in various ways-to front-load background knowledge, to formatively assess, or as the final assessment. Many contain nine boxes, like Tic-TacToe boards, but there is a wide variety of possible formats. I was intrigued by choice boards because they seemed easy to implement-my biggest concern early on. It turns out that choice boards are an excellent entry point into differentiation because they are predictable for the teacher and engaging for students. Choice boards can be used for both fiction and non-fiction, and with a variety of standards. They can also be designed fairly simply (such as the nine-choice Tic-Tac-Toe board) or can be elaborately designed. Eventually you’ll leap almost instinctually from choice boards to menus for differentiation, since menus can be more complex and allow you to add more to the student experience. The best part about the choice board and menu strategies is that they stay relevant year after year, and they can be reimagined to meet the needs of each wave of students. In the next pages, we’ll look at how to implement these strategies, and I’ll offer plenty of examples.
