Interactive Multiple Choice

Are you needing some ideas for livening (is that a real word?!?) your multiple choice questions?  When I was teaching reading I sometimes felt that the best resources I had to review something was a worksheet.  It certainly was the easiest thing to find, and my first year teaching, an Edhelper subscription was about all I had.  But, dealing with below level readers was difficult if I was using too many worksheets.  Plus, it bored me to death as well.  So, I thought, how can I change this up.  And it hit me.  Remove the worksheet!

How can you use a worksheet but remove the worksheet?  By taking the paper away.  I used our die-cut machine and found one that stood for the a, the b, the c, and the d.  I made one for each student and they kept them in their folders for future use.  I also made a set of cards using clip art.  You can download those by clicking on the image below.  Taking the worksheet away also saves on copying!  You can use a document projector to project the worksheet and the choices if your classroom has that technology.

How did I use them?  Well, a few ways:

• I read a question and the four choices aloud.  Students held up their answer choice on their chest.  This allowed me to see their response, but not the rest of the class.  I kept a notepad with the worksheet so I could record if a student or students were having troubles.
• For more in-depth questions, or this would be great for problem solving in math, students could work in groups to decide on an answer and then hold up the card representing their choice.
• As test prep.  For those of you who like to go over the exact questions, this is a safer route because students don’t have a copy to take with them.

This is perfect to use when a worksheet feels like it’s the only resource you have.  Or, during test prep when you’ve had your fill of multiple choice practice but need just a bit more.