WHAT ARE THEY?
A choice board is a visual tool that allows a student to select between two or more preferred activities. When creating a choice board, you can use pictures, symbols, text or objects, depending on the student’s cognitive ability. The way that a student is able to show you their choice will depend on the motor and communication skills of the student. Some students will need larger choice board icons so that they can point or glance at their selection. Other students will be able to grab a Velcro symbol card off of a more tightly arranged choice board and hand it to you. Some may be independent enough to make the selection themselves by picking the cards themselves and placing them on their token board.
HOW TO TEACH A CHOICE BOARD?
You should begin teaching this the first day of school! Start by showing the students the choice board and explain the choices out loud, pointing to each one as you say the words (e.g. This is a picture of a board game. You can pick this if playing a board game is what you want to work for”. Then ask the student to make a choice. You may want to wait for the student to show you which item they want either by pointing, removing the choice and handing it to you, or verbally choosing. Lastly, (1) ask the student to place the choice on a token board or First-Then visual or (2) do it yourself if a student is not able to.
For those students who need more support, use pictures of the actual games and objects they can pick during their breaks.
For higher functioning students, visual representations of the activities or objects are enough.
Tips: Only give options that are available and appropriate at the time. A student may become frustrated and less likely to use the choice board if their choices are not respected. Put a Velcro strip on the back side of the choice board to store extra or unavailable choices. Some students can only handle two or three options at a time, while others can choose from several options. If a choice board is not helping your student communicate, it may have too many or too few choices.
This choice board is included in all my token board units listed in my TPT store.