Responsive Classroom uses academic choice as a way that teachers can structure learning to allow students to learn in various ways. The teacher decides on the learning goal for the lesson but allows students to learn this goal in a variety of ways. For example, if the goal of the lesson was to learn new information about a topic, a teacher might give students different options about how they could learn this information. Some of the choices might include reading different kinds of texts about a topic, studying illustrations or diagrams, watching short video clips, or listening to audio clips, etc. Academic choice gives the students an opportunity to have a choice in how they want to learn. In math, the goal might be to practice subtraction but a student could decide how they want to practice. Do they want to use manipulatives, draw pictures to represent and solve the problems, create and solve story problems, or practice on a computer app, etc.?
Another aspect to academic choice is that students can show what they know in different ways. The learning goal might be for students to retell a text, but the students are given a choice in how they want to demonstrate this retelling. Students plan out how they want to demonstrate their retelling. Some of the students may choose to draw or paint their retelling, while others may choose to act or write. Students are often motivated by this choice and will take more ownership of their learning.
One of the most important parts of academic choice is the planning and reflecting that the students do. During academic choice time, students create a plan for their learning, work, and then reflect on how the learning went.
For more information about Academic Choice, read Responsive Classroom’s Learning Through Academic Choice by Paula Denton.
How you can help with this at home?
Another aspect to academic choice is that students can show what they know in different ways. The learning goal might be for students to retell a text, but the students are given a choice in how they want to demonstrate this retelling. Students plan out how they want to demonstrate their retelling. Some of the students may choose to draw or paint their retelling, while others may choose to act or write. Students are often motivated by this choice and will take more ownership of their learning.
One of the most important parts of academic choice is the planning and reflecting that the students do. During academic choice time, students create a plan for their learning, work, and then reflect on how the learning went.
For more information about Academic Choice, read Responsive Classroom’s Learning Through Academic Choice by Paula Denton.
How you can help with this at home?
- Encourage your child to create a plan for a goal they want to accomplish. Then, after they have carried out the plan, have them reflect on how things went. The process of planning, learning, and reflecting is an important skill.
- Offer your child a few different options to accomplish the same goal. Then let your child choose a plan for how they want to accomplish this goal.