One of the biggest challenges teachers face is keeping all students engaged—especially in split or combined classrooms and when working with early finishers. Some students breeze through their work while others need more time, leaving teachers searching for meaningful activities that don’t disrupt the flow of the lesson. That’s where ELA choice boards come in! These reading and spelling activity sheets provide an engaging, no-prep solution that keeps students learning at their own pace while allowing for differentiation.
Why Use an ELA Choice Board?
A choice board is more than just another reading and spelling activity sheet—it’s a tool that gives students autonomy over their learning. By offering multiple options, students can choose activities that interest them or match their skill level, making learning more engaging and meaningful.
My editable ELA choice boards are designed with a tic-tac-toe format, challenging students to complete four activities in a row, column, or diagonal. This structure encourages them to think critically about their choices while reinforcing key literacy skills.
Looking for more ways to engage your students? Check out my post on making phonics fun with Word Bump, a no-prep phonics game that keeps students excited to practice letter sounds!
Encouraging Independence and Autonomy
One of the greatest benefits of a reading choice board or spelling choice board is that it puts students in control. When students have the freedom to choose how they learn, they feel more invested in the process. This can lead to increased motivation, confidence, and engagement.
Whether you’re managing split or combined classrooms, supporting early finishers, or providing activities for distance learning, an ELA choice board allows students to take charge of their learning while you focus on small-group instruction.
Plus, the editable format ensures that you can tailor activities to each student’s needs! Whether a student needs more practice with phonics, spelling, or comprehension, you can easily modify tasks to provide the right level of challenge.
Versatility in Any Setting
The ELA choice board in this resource is incredibly versatile. It can be used in a variety of ways, making it a must-have tool for any literacy center. Whether you need activities for:
- In-class work – Keep students engaged during independent work time.
- Early finishers – Give students meaningful tasks without disrupting the rest of the class.
- Homework – Send home engaging reading and spelling activity sheets to reinforce learning.
- Distance learning – The resource includes printable and digital versions for flexible use.
No matter how you teach, this spelling and reading choice board seamlessly fits into your routine! Interested in choice boards? Check out my science; math, physical education and activity; health; art, music, dance, and drama; and social studies choice boards! Or create your own choice board with these templates!
Make Learning Fun with Game-Based Choice Boards
My ELA choice board is based on a tic-tac-toe or Connect 4 format, turning learning into a game. Instead of simply completing assignments, students actively strategize and engage with their learning.
For example, as they work to complete four tasks in a row, they reinforce skills like:
- Reading Comprehension – Encourages students to think critically about what they’ve read, make connections, and engage with texts in a meaningful way.
- Spelling & Phonics Practice – Helps students build phonemic awareness by identifying patterns in words, exploring letter sounds, and practicing spelling strategies.
- Writing Fluency – Sparks creativity while strengthening sentence structure, organization, and the ability to express ideas clearly.
- Engaging Word Study – Supports vocabulary development and phonics skills through hands-on activities that make learning more interactive.
- With built-in student choice and flexibility, these boards are perfect for literacy centers, small groups, independent work, or even at-home learning.
Want more ways to make phonics instruction easy? Check out my guide on no-prep phonics activities.
What Teachers Are Saying
Educators love using ELA choice boards in their classrooms. Here’s what they have to say:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Jenna K. wrote, “My students enjoyed choosing the activities to showcase their learning.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Amanda B. wrote, “I loved how simple this resource was to use, and gave me great ideas to keep families engaged.”
These testimonials highlight just how effective literacy choice boards are at keeping students engaged while making learning fun!
Explore My TPT Store
Looking for more reading and spelling activity sheets and ELA choice boards? Visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store, Primed for Primary, for no-prep literacy resources, including phonics word sorts, spelling choice boards, and Science of Reading-aligned activities.
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