Flashcards are a wonderful resource – they really help students to associate names with pictures and remember vocabulary. And, you can use them in so many different ways to teach and revise vocabulary. Kids (and adults!) love playing games with them and if you have a repertoire of games to use, no one will get bored :) Here are ten of our favourite ways of using flashcards.
- What’s missing? Drill the vocabulary on the flashcards and then take one away. Show the students the cards that are left and they have to put up their hand to say which one is missing. You can give that card to the student and then take another one away the next round. The student with the most cards at the end is the winner.
- What’s this? Flashcard giveaway. Show the flashcard and ask ‘What’s this?’. Students have to put up their hand and answer ‘It’s a …’ or ‘They are …’. Give the student the card when they get it right. Be kind to the weaker students :)
- Stepping stones. Lay the flashcards on the floor in a line. These are stepping stones across the river. In the river there are hungry crocodiles!!! Students take it in turns to cross the river using the stones, saying the word when they step on a flashcard. The crocodiles (the other students) listen and eat up the student if they make a mistake!
- Find the flashcard. Stick the flashcards up around the room. You shout out ‘Find the …’ and the students have to run to that flashcard. Last one there is out and they call out the next time.
- Flashcard pick-up. Lay out the cards on a table or on the floor. Split the class into two teams. One student from each team stands at the far end of the class. You say the name of one of the flashcards and they have to WALK as fast as they can to the flashcards and pick up the one you have said and WALK and bring it back to you. To avoid fights and pushing, tell students to put one hand behind their back. Any running or pushing and they go back to the beginning. Team with the most cards wins.
- Kim’s Game, Flashcard version. Lay out the flashcards on a table, saying the name aloud. Students have one minute to remember what flashcards are there. Take them away and ask students to tell you the words.
- Lip-reading. One student comes to the front of the class. Show them a flashcard and they have to say the word to the class, BUT without making any sound. The other students read their lips and guess the word.
- Chinese whispers. Lay out the flashcards on the floor or on a table. Line up the students. Show the first student in the line the flashcard and they have to whisper the name to the next student in the line and so on down the line. The last student has to find the flashcard on the floor and bring it to the front. They then say the word first. Keep going until everyone has a turn :)
- Electric Chair. Put a chair with the back to the board and sit a student on the chair. Stick a flashcard on the board and the students have to give clues to the one in the chair so that they can guess the word.
- My Favourite … is… Stick up the flashcards around the room. The students stand in the middle of the room. Close your eyes and students run to one of the flashcards. When they have all chosen a flashcard, say ‘My favourite .. is …’, e.g. if the flashcards are animals, say ‘My favourite animal is a dog’. All the students standing next to ‘dog’ are out and come into the middle of the room. Take away that card. Repeat, but with one of the students saying ‘My favourite..’. Last student standing is the winner.
Of course, with older students, you can just use the flashcards to talk about the subject area. For example, use transport flashcards with GESE 5 students to revise means of transport and ask questions about their experiences – ‘Have you ever travelled by…?’ etc. Visuals are good at any level :)
We hope you like these ideas. Let us know in the comments how you use flashcards.