How to use flashcards to aid learning in young children.

Toddler Fun brings you this insightful article written by Linda Haver, a teacher for 35 years.

It is all good and well that we know to use flashcards but this article explains why we want to use them, in what format, style and suggests the time for this activity. This article explains how you can engage children with flashcards. In support of this article Toddler Fun brings you the "variety flashcards" for play with children. It contains full colour pictures of items from A to Z. It is available for download from our members-area in English and Afrikaans. 

How to use flashcards to aid learning in young children 

(Written by Linda Haver)

Flashcards can be a very useful tool to use with younger children, ages three to seven. Using flashcards can help improve visual memory, association, and comprehension.

When using flashcards keep the activities varied and stress free. When younger children reach their frustration level, they tend to shut down or act out. Stop before the child feels overwhelmed.

Flashcards for preschoolers should be picture, not word oriented. At this level cards can be sorted by categories for example: foods, animals, colors or shapes. Have the child verbalize what they have sorted. Teach them to use phrases such as- I know this is a “picture name” because “describe it”. Help them to notice how the pictures are the same or different. Again, have them talk about their thinking.

Reading readiness and phonemic awareness (the ability to distinguish sounds in words) can be improved with the use of flashcards. Picture cards can be matched by beginning or ending sound. Children can identify pictures that rhyme.

With primary students, flashcards can be used to enhance reading skills. Create flashcards of basic sight words for the appropriate grade level. Write one word on a card. Make the consonants all one color and the vowels all a contrasting color. Trace around the shape of the word in another color. These visual clues will help the child remember the word by sight.

A fun flashcard game to play with emergent readers is “Sorry”. Put flashcards the child has practiced into a bag. Also put in one card that says “Sorry” for every ten regular flashcards. To play the game, the child reaches into the bag and pulls out a card. If they can read the card, they may keep the card. If they cannot read it, it has to go back into the bag. When a “Sorry” card is pulled, the game is over. The child counts the cards he/she collected to get his/her score. Play several times in a row to see if the score can be beaten. This game is also good for several children at the same reading level. They take turns pulling a card. The final score is a team score.

There are many pre-made math fact flashcards on the market. Begin working with the cards on the child's learning level. Some of the first facts to practice should be doubles and near doubles ( 1+1, 2+2, 3+3 and 1+2, 2+3, 3+4), facts of ten ( 1+9, 2+8, 3+7), and plus 1 (2+1,3+1,4+1). When those facts are mastered, move on to more challenging facts.

Ten to fifteen minutes is a good time frame for doing flashcard drills with younger children. Children learn best when information is presented in small chunks.

Remember to make working with flashcards an enjoyable experience for you and your child.