Choice Cards

In my previous post I talked about students using cards to express that they needed a break from instruction or an activity.  Today I'm going to talk about 'choice cards'.  Choice cards are exactly how they sound -- they are cards (with a picture/word on it) that help a student (with expressive language difficulty) make a choice.

Choice cards are so important because being able to make choices, even the simplest of choices, is empowering to a child and can increase positive behavior.  It is crucial to provide choice in every teaching routine (choices can even be provided at home too).  Also, the choices should be visual, with words, pictures, or the object themselves.  Below is an example of a choice card that can be given to a student so they can choose what center they would like to participate in.

Another way to use choice cards is during snack time (see below).

These choice cards allow the student to communicate their wants and needs, but also allows the teacher (or parent) to control the options.  A student simply points to their choice and there you have it - they have expressed their choice!