Free Choice
Overview
Free choice is when children have free or limited choice over their activities as they learn, and is child-directed rather than teacher-directed. Free choice can exist on a spectrum, from minimally guided to gently guided, and can encompass many forms of play, including free and guided play. Usually, children choose their activities, and teachers observe and support the children's learning as needed. Free choice supports learner interests and can promote the development of more complex social interactions, Self-Regulation and inhibitory control. Research has shown that students with ADHD may have more conflict with others during free play. Teachers can support by providing additional scaffolding around relationship skills. Teachers and developers can provide a range of objects or materials with open-ended capabilities to promote free choice, play, and exploration.
Example: Use This Strategy in the Classroom
Watch how a primary school made play central to their teaching and learning, including specific time for free choice play scheduled into the timetable. This time develops students' problem solving, Creativity, teamwork and Communication skills, and are often related to things the students are learning in class.
Design It into Your Product
Additional Resources
Additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.
Factors Supported by this Strategy
More Active Learning Strategies
Encouraging young children to draw and to explain their drawings in the classroom, can support the development of Core Academic Literacies.
Students explaining their thinking during learning is a metacognitive process that involves actively self-questioning or being questioned while exploring new concepts, and explaining thoughts and reasoning in response.
Visiting places connected to classroom learning provides opportunities to add relevance to classroom topics and deepen understanding through firsthand experiences.
Games support learning as learners engage with new information in fun and informal ways.
Simulations involve students engaging in interactive experiences that mimic real-world scenarios to explore content, practice skills, and solve problems.
