4 Free Reading and Writing Choice Boards and Student Trackers for Upper Elementary (Editable & Printable)
Why Choice Boards Are a Game-Changer
Whether you’re managing a full classroom or teaching at the kitchen table, keeping kids engaged without burning yourself out can feel impossible… Especially when you’re hit with the dreaded, “I’m done… now what?” question.
Luckily, I have the perfect resource for you, created with upper elementary-aged students in mind: choice boards!
Keep reading to learn more about these choice boards and snag 4 FREE (and editable) choice boards for your students.
Or, click here to jump to the download section.
What Are Choice Boards?
Simply put, choice boards are a “menu” of learning activities students choose from to complete. The ones I created are reading/writing based!
They can be used for:
Centers
Homework
Early finishers
Morning work
Independent reading
Homeschool enrichment
What I like the most about choice boards is that it gives the students a sense of control and autonomy over their learning because they get to choose what they do next!
Click here to jump to the download section.
What’s Included in the Free Download
The choice boards included in this free download cover multiple themes, so you can use them all year long without needing to constantly prep new activities. These free printable choice boards are designed to support independent learning while keeping students engaged and accountable. Even better? They’re fully editable, making it easy to differentiate and tailor tasks to your students’ needs, abilities, or current units.
They work perfectly for literacy centers, early finishers, homework menus, enrichment activities, or independent work time in your upper elementary classroom or homeschool setting.
Click here to jump to the download section.
Choice Board #1: Reading Response
This is a “generic” reading response choice board that can be used any time of year. It’s designed to help students think more deeply about the books they’re currently reading while giving them creative ways to show comprehension.
Some activities include creating trading cards for characters from their book, writing a text message conversation between two characters, and redesigning the book’s cover with their own creative spin.
This board works especially well for reading centers, book study activities, and independent reading response.
Choice Board #2: Back to School
This choice board (along with boards #3 and #4) focuses less on responding to a specific text and more on reading and writing skills in general. Activities do not require students to be reading a book, making it perfect for Back to School literacy centers, writing rotations, or first-week-of-school activities.
Some activities include creating an “All About Me” poster, writing a Back to School poem, and drafting a letter to their future selves.
Choice Board #3: End of School
As the title implies, this board is themed around the end of the school year. It leans more toward reflective and creative writing but, since the board is editable, you can easily swap in your own prompts or assignments. This board is perfect for end-of-year activities, memory projects, and reflective writing assignments.
Some activities include creating a Summer Survival Guide, writing a letter to their favorite author studied that year, and listing their top five memories from the school year.
Choice Board #4: Summer
We looove summer, and students do too! This summer-themed choice board keeps learning light, creative, and fun while still reinforcing literacy skills. It’s ideal for summer learning, take-home packets, homeschool enrichment, or end-of-year independent work.
Some activities include choosing a book and creating a five-song playlist to match it, going on a nature walk and writing a paragraph using all five senses, and keeping a weekly summer journal.
Bonus: Student Trackers
As an added bonus, the download also includes six student accountability trackers to help you and your students monitor progress and completion. They pair perfectly with choice boards, independent work systems, and differentiated learning activities.
These trackers make it easy to:
Track how many activities students finish
Encourage responsibility and goal setting
Monitor independent work
There’s even a version that includes space for teacher initials for quick check-ins or grading.
Editable = Endless Possibilities
What makes these choice boards especially powerful is that they are fully editable.
So if you want to go beyond literacy, you absolutely can.
You can easily type in:
Math activities
Science projects
Social studies research
STEM challenges
Seasonal assignments
This allows you to reuse the same board structure all year long while customizing the content to match your curriculum.
Click here to jump to the download section.
How to Use Choice Boards in the Classroom or at Home & Tips for Use
One of the best things about using choice boards is how flexible they are. Whether you’re in a traditional classroom or teaching at home, they make it easy to offer students structure while still giving them ownership over their learning.
These printable choice boards can be used in so many ways throughout the school year—and once you introduce the routine, students can complete them independently with minimal prep from you.
Click here to jump to the download section.
Here are some of my favorite ways to use them:
Literacy Centers
Choice boards work perfectly in literacy centers because they provide meaningful reading and writing activities without requiring you to create multiple center rotations from scratch.
Students can practice:
Reading response
Creative writing
Vocabulary
Comprehension skills
They’re great for small groups or independent center time.
Early Finisher Tubs
If you’re constantly hearing “I’m done… now what?”—choice boards are a lifesaver.
Print a few boards, place them in your early finisher tubs, and students will always have meaningful, skill-based activities to work on instead of busywork.
Homework Menus
Choice boards make excellent homework menus because they give families flexibility.
Instead of one worksheet, students can choose activities that fit their interests while still practicing key skills. This also helps increase homework completion since students feel more ownership.
Sub Plans
Need a low-prep emergency plan? Choice boards are perfect for substitute teacher plans.
Just print, explain expectations ahead of time, and students can work independently while you’re out—no complicated instructions needed.
Homeschool Weekly Grids
For homeschool families, choice boards function beautifully as weekly learning grids.
Parents can assign:
A certain number of tasks per week
Specific rows or columns
Skill-based requirements
This keeps learning structured while still allowing flexibility.
Summer Learning
These boards are also great for preventing the summer slide.
Use them for:
Summer packets
Learning challenges
Reading incentives
Enrichment activities
Because they feel more like creative projects than schoolwork, students are more likely to stay engaged.
Tips for Successful Implementation
To get the most out of your choice boards, here are a few quick tips:
Model expectations first so students understand each activity.
Set completion goals (ex: 3 in a row or 5 total tasks).
Use the included student trackers for accountability.
Let students help choose or vote on activities.
Differentiate by assigning specific squares if needed.
Click here to jump to the download section.
Grab Your Free Choice Boards & Trackers
If you’re ready to make independent work easier while keeping students engaged, you can grab the entire set of free choice boards and student trackers below.
This free download was designed to give you low-prep, high-impact tools you can start using immediately—whether in your classroom or at home.
What You’ll Get:
Inside the free resource, you’ll receive:
4 themed printable choice boards (plus editable versions so you can customize tasks)
6 student accountability trackers (one with space for teacher initials)
Reading response + creative writing activities
Seasonal boards for year-round use
Everything is designed to support independent learning, literacy centers, early finishers, homework menus, and homeschool enrichment.
Printable & Reusable
All choice boards are provided in a printable and reusable format, making them easy to prep once and use all year long.
You can:
Print and laminate for repeated use
Use in dry-erase sleeves
Assign digitally if you type directly into the editable version
Differentiate by editing tasks for specific students
To get your free set of choice boards and trackers, simply enter your email into the orange box and the download will open in a new window!
What to Pair With These Freebies
If you love using these free choice boards, there are so many ways to expand the system and keep the structure going all year long.
These freebies are a great starting point—but pairing them with additional resources can help you build a fully organized, low-prep independent work routine for your students.
Here are a few favorite ways to extend the learning:
Monthly Choice Boards
Once students understand how choice boards work, adding monthly choice boards keeps things fresh and engaging. I have a full year of choice boards to choose from!
These themed boards align with:
Holidays
Seasonal events
Monthly celebrations
Academic skill practice
They’re perfect for rotating into literacy centers, morning work, or early finisher activities without having to reinvent the wheel each month.
Reading BINGO
Reading BINGO is a fun, game-style way to motivate independent reading while still giving students choice and structure. I ALSO have a full year of Reading BINGO to choose from!
It can be used to:
Encourage students to try new books and genres
Reinforce reading comprehension with response activities
Support literacy centers or independent work time
Provide meaningful tasks for early finishers
Assign engaging reading homework or challenges
Add structure to homeschool reading routines
Pairing Reading BINGO with choice boards and trackers creates a simple, low-prep system that keeps students excited and accountable in their reading all year long.
Until Next Time!
I can’t wait to see what you do with these choice board freebies in your classroom or homeschool space! I would LOVE to see pictures of the resource in action! Tag me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook! My handle is @teachandachieve on all platforms.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, drop a comment below, or fill out a form on the FAQ Page. I’ll get back to you as quickly as possible.
Until next time!
-Aimee ♡
