Would You Rather is the quickest way to get a whole class talking. Two tempting options, one impossible choice, and every child already has an opinion. Vote on the whiteboard, argue the case, then print the sheet so the talk turns into writing.
A Would You Rather question offers two appealing choices and asks a child to pick one and say why — would you rather have a magic wand or a magic carpet? There is no right answer, so the thinking goes straight into the reason rather than into getting it correct.
Would You Rather questions get a whole class talking in under a minute, because every child already has an opinion before anyone has taught them anything. That makes them useful as a lesson starter, as a way into persuasive writing, and as speaking practice for children learning English.
Show one question, read both options aloud, then count hands for each side and tap the panel to tally the vote. Ask two or three children to explain their choice in a full sentence before moving on. Eight questions takes about ten minutes, which is a whole starter.
It works from Year 1 to Year 6 (US grades 1–6) and beyond. Younger children choose from the pictures and answer in a few words; older children can be pushed to justify, to disagree politely, and to use because, however and although. The generator takes an age range so the vocabulary lands right.
From the classroom
The mistake is stopping at the vote. Children love the counting and it feels like the activity is finished, so the talking never happens — you get thirty hands and no sentences. Two things fix it. Take the vote first, then ask why, so nobody is explaining while others are still deciding. And ask a child who was in the smaller group, because defending the unpopular choice is where the real language is. With a class that includes children new to English, keep the pictures on: a child who cannot yet read teleporter can still point at one and be part of the lesson.
Yes. Print a matching A4 sheet with both pictures, both options and a because… line for each question, so the talk becomes a written trace. It is the same set of questions the class just voted on, which makes it useful as the follow-up task rather than as separate homework.
You can generate questions on any topic you type — the class book, a science unit, the school trip — or pick a ready-made set. The ready-made bank holds a hundred questions covering food, animals, superpowers, school, free time and holidays, so there is something for a spare five minutes.
A discussion needs a child to have something to say before they will speak. A Would You Rather question hands them the opinion — they only have to pick a side, which almost everyone will do — and the reason comes afterwards, once they are already talking. That is a much lower step to take.
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| Use it for | How | How long |
|---|---|---|
| A lesson starter | Four questions, vote and explain | 5 minutes |
| Persuasive writing | Two questions, then write the argument for one | 20 minutes |
| New-to-English speaking | Pictures on, model the sentence stem | 10 minutes |
| Transition or wet play | Whole set on the board, children vote | 10–15 minutes |
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Odd One Out · Find Someone Who… · Story Builder — or see all nine in ESL & Oracy.
Written by a practising primary school teacher, who built Sage Teachers to use in their own classroom. Every activity here is free to try with no sign-up.