Micro-choice (bounded options)
Aim (what it achieves)
Prevent escalation by giving controlled choice without lowering expectations.
When to use
When a student is stuck, resistant, or close to escalation.
How to use (steps)
Teacher language (examples)
“Start with me or start independently—either way you start now.”
Top tips (makes it work)
Keep choices limited and immediate; both options must be acceptable.
Common pitfalls
Offering too many options; negotiating standards; sounding like a plea.
SEND/PP considerations
Useful for anxiety, demand avoidance, or low confidence—reduces ‘cornered’ feeling.
Useful for these SEND needs
Relevant SEND Needs
Why this strategy helps
- Uses low-arousal redirection to protect dignity.
- Supports regulation and relational safety.
Universal SEND-friendly: Yes
SEND-targeted: Yes
Tags
Sources
Used in
Common Behaviour Issues (Behaviour Hub)
- Interrupt & Redirect Work avoidance / blank page / 'I can't'
Related strategies
Take-up time (instruction, then step away)
Increase compliance by removing the ‘audience’ and pressure.
Positive framing (correct while staying on their side)
Hold the boundary while preserving relationship and motivation.
Private correction (quiet ‘side script’)
Correct behaviour without creating a public confrontation.
Emotion + direction (validate briefly, then move to the next step)
De-escalate while keeping the boundary: acknowledge feeling, then direct behaviour.
‘Same expectation, different route’ (alternative compliance path)
Maintain the boundary while offering a non-confrontational way to comply.
Least invasive intervention ladder
Match the smallest effective response to the behaviour.