Using Flashcards

Flashcards are one of the best tools for helping young children to memorise and learn new information. They are easy to make, easy to use and a versatile resource for use in the learning process. Most young children tend to be visual learners and bright, colourful flashcards can be very useful in teaching.

Flashcards are often used in the teaching of English, to introduce a new language or to teach new maths concepts. Just as they are used in school you can also use flashcards with your child at home when helping them with their homework. You can use flashcards at home to create memory games, review quizzes, competitions, guessing games, to introduce new topics of discussion, to discuss homework ideas and much more.

Where can you get Flashcards?

• Flashcards can be bought.
• Make them, either using a computer, or writing and cutting them yourself. Pictures can be taken from magazines or you can draw them. Your child will probably enjoy helping you. The advantage of making your own is that you can make them according to your child’s specific needs or to accompany a reader, homework or a project that they are doing.

Flashcards for Older Children

Flashcards can be used in the learning of a foreign language. For instance they could try using pink for feminine nouns and blue for masculine, or they could use two different colours to show regular or irregular verbs. This can work especially well for visual learners. Flashcards can be also used for study and revision of phrases, vocabulary, and grammar when away from course books and other language resources such as CD’s and tapes.

When your child is studying they could create computer generated question cards. After studying a particular topic they could write the answers on the back of the question cards by hand. This is a beneficial process for tactile learners. When creating flashcards to study from it is important to limit each flashcard to one question and one answer. Copying verbatim is not a good idea. Flashcards should always be short and to the point.

Encourage your child to keep blank flashcards at hand during class. If they hear a key term, or a term that they do not understand, they can write it on a card and fill in the definition later when they are studying. This reinforces classroom learning.

When studying for exams encourage your child to carry their flashcards with them so that they can review them periodically. In the bathroom, on the bus, waiting in line at the shop, any time is a good time to look over flashcards. A goal for your child would be to look over each flashcard three times in the day for maximising what they memorise.

If you or your child want to use flashcards repeatedly over the course of the school year then it is advisable to laminate the cards. They are a wonderful, cheap and easy resource and can be used by children of all ages especially in the learning of a language or to study for exams.