Envision a classroom where some students light up with curiosity, while others fade into the background, disengaged. Every teacher has faced this challenge: How can I invite all learners to the table?
One pathway to elevating engagement is to connect learning to the learner by offering choice in how students explore content, demonstrate understanding, or pursue questions. When students are presented with meaningful learning options, they are more likely to attend to, persist in, and enjoy learning tasks (Sousa & Tomlinson, 2018).
Less Is Really More
Navigating and planning for the wide range of student interests within a single class can seem daunting. Any educator who has used a “getting to know your students” inventory can attest to the range of student preferences revealed. This leads to the question: What are some guidelines to offering student choice without overwhelming teachers or students? A 2000 study sought to answer that question by examining the psychology of choice. Popularly referred to as “The Jam Study,” researchers set up two booths in a grocery store—one with extensive jam options for sale and one with just a few. Although more shoppers were initially attracted to the extensive display, only 3 percent made a purchase versus 30 percent of those who visited the booth with more manageable options (Iyengar & Lepper, 2000). As this evidence shows, we find it easier to make decisions when presented with fewer, more meaningful choices.
When translated to classroom practice, the study underscores the importance of providing students with manageable choices that align to the same curricular goals or standards. For example, learners might choose between creating an infographic or recording a brief podcast to show their understanding of the impacts of WWII propaganda. These choices are manageable because their narrow focus can be seamlessly integrated into classroom activities.
Where Do I Find the Lessons?
Despite the benefits, educators often report feeling overwhelmed by the need to create multiple pathways for students to engage with content. That’s where resources like AT&T’s repository of lessons, The Achievery, can help. This free digital learning platform (www.theachievery.com), created by AT&T, offers access to high-quality, standards-aligned lessons, videos, and activities for students in grades K–12.
For example, a middle school teacher might be interested in a narrative writing assignment. A quick search for narrative writing standards for grades 6–8 reveals more than 100 lessons, such as, “Creating a Writing Project with Scratch 2,” “Finding Your Voice,” “Writing Authentic Dialogue,” and “Internet Safety.” The teacher can narrow down options that they know will resonate with their learners. Similarly, an elementary math teacher searching for 3rd to 4th grade geometry standards, could find lessons ranging from “Angles in Action on the Gridiron” to “How to Make a Virtual Pet in Scratch.” In both cases, teachers can offer different pathways for students that support shared learning goals.
See It in Action
Once teachers have gathered various lessons exploring the same standards, they can offer these choices to level-up curiosity in the classroom. Let’s look at two practical lessons using examples from narrative writing and geometry.
Middle School ELA
To start, the teacher provides students with links to the four narrative writing lessons (see earlier examples) and allows them five minutes to explore the lesson content, then select one to complete. Because the final products of these lessons involve a written narrative, students are working on related standards. At the end, students can share their work with the class, which showcases the diversity of assignment options and student interests. Since all students are crafting a written narrative, teachers can use similar evaluation tools that focus on elements of narrative writing, such as using transition words or providing a strong conclusion—these criteria remain consistent regardless of the topic students choose.
Elementary Math
In this scenario, the teacher offers two geometry lessons they know will appeal to their students—one focused on angles in football, another on creating shapes through coding. Students choose which lesson to explore. After completing the Achievery activities, students who worked with the football lesson are paired with students who worked on coding. Partners share two key geometry concepts they discovered, then the class discusses how geometry shows up in unexpected places.
If the lesson choices are lopsided—for example, 90 percent of students opt for the coding lesson—then the teacher could modify the second part of this activity, pairing students who chose the same lesson topic to share their takeaways before transitioning to a whole-class discussion.
Scaffolding Choice
For learners who struggle with executive functioning or decision making, even manageable choices can be a challenge. To help support all learners, teachers should consider the following strategies:
1. Ensure the purpose and criteria for each task are communicated clearly to students through rubrics, student-friendly instructions, or product models.
2. Before deciding, allow students to engage in a quick partner chat with prompts like, “Which option was most appealing to you when you first heard it?”
3. Directly teach a simple decision-making model:
- What opportunities does each option offer?
- What are some possible challenges?
- Which decision is best for me and my learning at this moment?
4. Employ one or more of the above scaffolds with the hope of gradually releasing students to make more autonomous decisions over the course of the year.
The Bottom Line
Compared to a one-size-fits-all writing prompt or a uniform set of math problems, meaningful—and manageable—choices can elevate engagement, motivation, and curiosity. With resources like The Achievery offering ready-made lessons, teachers can implement this approach thoughtfully, efficiently, and sustainably. The key is starting with just two or three options—enough to spark curiosity without creating chaos.
