Teaching with Flashcards
This article discusses the benefits of using flash cards with young learners and provides various activities that can be implemented in the classroom. Here’s a summary of the main points:
Benefits of Using Flash Cards:
- Flash cards are versatile and can appeal to various types of learners, particularly visual learners.
- They can be used to present, practice, and recycle vocabulary effectively.
- Flash cards are useful for engaging students and can be employed at different stages of the class.
- Making flash cards can be cost-effective and tailored to specific classroom needs.
Flashcard Activity Types:
- Memory Activities: Activities like “Memory Tester” involve memorizing and recalling vocabulary.
- Drilling Activities: “Invisible Flash cards” help students remember vocabulary even after the visual aid is removed.
- Identification Activities: “Reveal the word” involves guessing vocabulary hidden by a card, followed by drilling.
- TPR (Total Physical Response) Activities: Students physically interact with flash cards by pointing or racing to them, reinforcing vocabulary through movement.
These activities aim to enhance vocabulary retention and engagement while catering to different learning styles in the classroom.
Memory Activities
- Place a selection of flash cards on the floor in a circle.
- Students have one minute to memorise the cards.
- In groups, they have two minutes to write as many of the names as they can remember.
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- Stick nine flash cards on the board and draw a grid around them.
- Use a pen or a pointer to drill the nine words. Always point to the flash card you are drilling.
- Gradually remove the flash cards but continue to drill and point to the grid where the flash card was.
- When the first card is removed and you point to the blank space, nod your head to encourage children to say the word of the removed flash card.
- Students should remember and continue as if the flash cards were still there. They seem to be amazed that they can remember the pictures.
- Depending on the age group I then put the flash cards back in the right place on the grid, asking the children where they go, or I ask students to come up and write the word in the correct place on the grid.
This activity highlights the impact of visual aids. It really proves that the images ‘stick’ in students’ minds.
Watch a demo of this game. Click here.
Identification Activities
Cover the flash card or word card with a piece of card and slowly reveal it.
Students guess which one it is.
Once the card is shown, chorally drill the word with the group using different intonation and silly voices to keep it fun. Vary the volume too, whisper and shout the words. Children will automatically copy your voice.
Alternatively, flip the card over very quickly so the children just get a quick glimpse.
Repeat until they have guessed the word.
This is a good way to teach the alphabet to your class. Give each S an alphabet flashcard with a different letter of the alphabet on it, starting at “A” (e.g. if you have 7 , give flashcards A through to G). Have them move around the room to music. When the music stops, they must line up in order. You can also play with missing letters (e.g.. Give a “c”, then an “f”, a “k”, an “o”, etc). That way they are really learning the order, not just memorizing.
Stick flash cards on the board or on the wall (for very little people who won’t reach the board!) in a line.
Give a clue to indicate which flash card you are thinking of. When presenting a new lexical set for the first time, give the whole word, e.g. ‘Say stop when the fast finger is above the cat’. When revising, or with higher levels, you can just give a clue, e.g. ‘It’s an animal that can’t fly, but it can climb trees.’
Ask students to shout ‘stop’ when your finger is above the required flash card.
Then bounce your finger along in a random fashion to a silly tune until they shout ‘stop’ at the right time.
When they get the idea, ask a student to be the Fast Finger.
You can also use word cards instead of a finger. When the word is above the corresponding picture flash card students shout ‘stop’.
Drilling Activities
Students sit in a circle.
You show a flash card to Student 1 and say “This is a hamster.”
Student 1 looks at the flash card and asks you “a what?”
The teacher replies “a hamster” and passes the flash card on.
Student 1 passes the flash card on to Student 2 and says “this is a hamster”.
Student 2 asks Student 1 “a what?” and Student 1 asks the teacher “a what?” the teacher replies to Student 1 “a hamster” and Student 1 replies to Student 2 “a hamster” and so it goes on until the flash card travels full circle.
When the group has mastered it, 2 flash cards can go around the circle in opposite directions. They will cross over mid circle.
When students know the game, choose one of them to do the teacher’s role.
Have Ss sit down in a circle. Place a mat on the floor with numbers and a flashcard (target vocabulary) on each number. Taking turns, each S gets blindfolded and tosses a beanbag so as to hit a number. S/he must call out that word the same number of times as the number indicates. For example: 4-dog, then “Dog, Dog, Dog, Dog! and the S gets the equal points (4). At the end, the S with the most points wins! Good for memorizing vocabulary since they are repeating words.
Sit the Ss with you in a circle. T holds up an object or flashcard and says its name (e.g. “Pen”). T passes it on to the next S who also says its name and passes it on to the next S. Variations: change directions, speed rounds, shouting or whispering, have many objects going round at the same time.
TPR (Total Physical Response) Activities
Slam
Have the students sit in a circle with their hands on their heads. Spread the flashcards face up in the middle. The teacher calls out a flash card and the students race to touch it. The first student to touch it gets to keep the flashcard. In the case of a tie, have the students ‘Rock, Scissors, Paper’. consequatur.
Students sit in 2 lines facing each other with legs out and feet touching.
Each facing pair is shown a flash card that they must remember. When you call out their card they stand up and run over the legs of the others, the ladder, around the back and back to their places.
The first one back wins a point for their line. If the students are very lively you can do it standing up to avoid trampled legs!
Watch a demo of this game. Click here.
Place flashcards on floor in winding manner. Each card represents a stepping stone in the river, as students must say a word or a phrase in order to step on it and cross the river!
nsequatur.
Divide the students into 2 teams. Give the first in each team a fly swatter. place several flashcards on the board/wall. Say a word or a definition. The first student to recognise the word and smack the correct card wins a team point. They get three questions and then they pass it to the next one.
Put a line of tape on the floor and designate one side “True” and the other “False”. Hold up an object or flashcard and say its word. If Ss think the you have said the correct word they jump on the True side, if not they jump on the False side. Incorrect Ss sit out until the next game.
You can also use this to practice yes no short answers – yes it is / no they aren’t etc.
This is good to review a range of lexical sets. Give the students a topic and an object to pass around. Use an online bomb alarm/timer. Each student has to say a word in that topic (e.g. food – apple, cake etc.) before the time runs out. If the time limit ends the student left holding the object loses.
Put the flashcards around a table or the edges of an open space. On the bell, students start running in a circle, when the bell rings again they stop. Lower levels can simply call out the name of the flashcard. To make it a bit harder, students can ask each other a question depending on the language you want to practice.
Bob, What have you got? / what can you see? / where are you going? Encourage full sentence replies
You can also use this to practice negative sentences
Using Mini flashcards
Go Fish to practice some and any in questions.
I have paired cards; one with a picture of a food item and the other with the word. The students first do matching to learn the vocab and then play Go Fish. There are two rounds: first the question is “Do you have any X?” The other student either replies “Yes, I do” or “No, I don’t.” (This can also obviously be done with ‘has got’.) When the students finish all the cards they check to see what they have in their pantry and what they can or can’t cook tonight. Then we play the second round: “Can I have some X?” This way the students see the difference between some and any in the question. This time the response is “Yes, you can, Here you go.” or “I’m sorry. I don’t have any X” This game works great to teach food vocab and the some/any distinction. It works best in small groups though.
Sit the Ss with you in a circle. T holds up an object or flashcard and says its name (e.g. “Pen”). T passes it on to the next S who also says its name and passes it on to the next S. Variations: change directions, speed rounds, shouting or whispering, have many objects going round at the same time.
Further Viewing
There are so many teacher tips youtube channels available. Here are just a couple of useful videos about using flashcards.
Further Reading
Here are a couple of articles with ideas on how we can encourage students to speak more in class.
British Council – Using flashcards with young learners
TEFL Lemon – Using flashcards to teach children.
Kids Club English – flashcard-games-very-young-esl-efl-kids