Using flashcards can make practising spelling and reading skills more enjoyable. Try these activities and games to reinforce classroom lessons.
Repetition is one way of memorising spelling words and developing reading skills. Unfortunately, most children find writing and rewriting spelling lists boring and quickly lose focus and interest if forced to do so. By creating a set of flashcards, it is easier to turn practising spelling words into a game or fun activity.
Making Flashcards
Basic flashcards can be constructed by cutting a piece of A4 copy paper into eight to ten rectangles. For more durable cards, craft paper or light cardboard can be used. Old business cards that are blank on one side are the perfect size.
For reusable cards, make blank cards and laminate with laminate covers or clear contact. Write words onto the cards with a whiteboard marker and then wipe clean for later use.
Flashcard Word Sets
Flashcards are great for helping children to learn words from a class spelling list or particular topic or theme. Some word set suggestions are:
- Topics - animals, shapes, colours, occupations, countries, foods etc.
- Spelling list words
- Family names and relationships both specific and general - Aunty Sue, Mum, Jacob, brother, grandmother etc
- Words using a particular group of letters. These could include groups of rhyming words (ending in –own, -an), words starting with a particular phonetic blend (ph-, ch- st-) or words containing a tricky multiple phonetic blend (–ough, -augh).
- Commonly used words such as though, was, they, does, where, were, the.
Flashcard Activities and Games
Get the child to place the cards out in alphabetical order or reverse alphabetical order. To make this task more complex, ensure that there are a few cards that start with the same or similar letter pattern (sale, stall, steak, street)
Use a timer and read through all the cards. Try to beat the time with each read through.
Depending on the age and skill level of the child, lay six to ten cards randomly on the table in front of him. Allow the child to read over the cards for 30 seconds to memorise them and then ask the child to look away. Remove one or two cards. Ask the child to name the missing card(s) and spell the word(s).
Play Memory with a double set of cards and two or more children to. Place all the cards, word down, on the floor. Taking turns, each child turns over two cards. If they match, the child must read the word and can keep the pair if he reads it correctly. If the two cards do not make a pair, they are turned over and the next child has a turn. The child with the most pairs wins.
Play Bingo with two or more children. Use at least two sets of identical cards. Create a bingo grid with nine flashcards. Get an adult or child to read out words used on the flashcards. If a child has the word, he places a plastic counter (or button or coin) on that flashcard. The first person to cover all nine of his words is the winner. For quicker game, the winner is the first person to cover three cards in a row (vertical, horizontal or diagonal).
Play Snap. Use multiple sets of the same flashcards and ‘snap’ on identical words. Alternatively, use several topic sets of cards (animals, colours, shapes, number words) and ‘snap’ on words from the same topic (for example orange and yellow).
A Versatile Learning Tool
Flashcards can be used in many ways to reinforce classroom learning. Sounds, words, pictures, numbers and sums can all be written on to cards to strengthen memory and language skills.
