ELTDP

Using Flashcards with Young Learners

Flashcards are a simple, versatile, but often underexploited resource.
Flashcards are particularly important for visual learners and a very high proportion of learners have this type
of learning style. Flash cards can be bright and colourful and make a real impact on visual learners. Flashcards
also appeal to kinaesthetic learners.
Flashcards are a really handy resource to have and can be useful at every stage of the class. They are a great
way to present, practise and recycle vocabulary and when students become familiar with the activities used in
class, they can be given out to early-finishers to use in small groups.
Flashcard Activities
Here are just a few examples of activities that you can use with Young Learners:
Missing Picture Game
1. Stick a set of flashcards (around 10 cards) with the vocabulary that you wish to practice on
the board.
2. Students are divided into groups of approximately 5-6 students and arranged in lines facing
the board.
3. The students at the front of their groups turn around, and you remove one (or two) of the
cards.
4. The student who can correctly identify the missing picture(s) first gets a point for their team.
Memory Tester
1. Place a selection of flash cards on the floor in a circle.
2. Students have one minute to memorise the cards.
3. In groups, they have two minutes to write as many of the names as they can remember.
Invisible Flash cards
1. Stick 9 flash cards on the board and draw a grid around them.
2. Use a pen or a pointer to drill the 9 words. Always point to the flash card you are drilling.
3. Gradually remove the flash cards but continue to drill and point to the grid where the flash
card was.
4. Students should remember and continue as if the flash cards were still there.
You can 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.

Reveal the card

1. Cover the flash card or word card with a piece of card and slowly reveal it.
2. Students guess which one it is.
3. 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.
Contributed by Matt McKeown and Gavin Fry
(ELTDP Mentors - Samarahan)

ELTDP

Magic Wand Whisper Game

1. Stick the flashcards that you want to practice on the board.
2. Group the students into lines facing the board.
3. Give a Magic wand (a piece of rolled-up paper) to each of the student at the front of their
line (closest to the board).
4. Whisper a word to the children at the back of the line. The children then whisper the word
down the line, until the child at the front hits the board and shouts out the correct word.
5. The child at the front then moves to the back.

Pelmanism Mingle
1. Give each student either the word card or the picture card from a pair.
2. Students have to move around the class introducing themselves, until they find their partner
that has the corresponding card.

Point or race to the flash cards

1. Stick flash cards around the class.
2. Say one of them and students point or race to it.
3. Students can then give the instructions to classmates.
4. This can be extended by saying "hop to the cat" or even "if your name begins with the letter
M, swim to the fish" etc.
5. You can also incorporate flash cards into a game of Simon Says - "Simon says, jump to the Tshirt" etc.

Stepping Stones
Flashcards or word cards can be used as stepping stones in a few different ways. This is a fun
way to practice and revise vocabulary.
1. They can be laid out in a path. Students must step on each stone saying the word as they go.
If they make too many mistakes they are sent to the start again.
2. A number of cards are scattered across the floor in a rough rectangular area. The teacher
gives a list of words and the students must step on the correct stones. To get across the area.
This can be turned into a race between teams.

Contributed by Matt McKeown and Gavin Fry

(ELTDP Mentors - Samarahan)