Flash cards often bring to mind endless, snooze-worthy repetition. However, they don't have to be that way! Here are five literacy games you can create using flashcards to make learning more fun. These games are ideal for beginning readers who are learning sight words, but may be fun with older kids too!
Flash Card Hopscotch
Great for more active students, this game gets everyone up and moving. Place the flash cards around the room in a winding pattern, with each card within hopping distance of the next. Have your student start by standing in front of the first card. They must read the word (or define the word) correctly, and then they can hop onto the card. Then, they read the next card in front of them, hopping forward once they get it right. The goal is to make it to the end of the card trail without errors. To make it even more fun, have students try hopping like a frog or kangaroo, or roll like a beetle. You can even time them and see if they can beat their own time!
Bug Swatter Cards
For this game, the student will need a fly swatter. Lay out the flash cards face up in front of the student. Say each word out loud, and see how fast the student can swat the word with the swatter. They will love getting to smack each word they hear!
Flash Card Go Fish
For this game, you will need three cards for each word you are working with. I like to choose seven sight words, making three cards for each word (for a total of 21 cards). Make sure the cards aren't see-through! Shuffle the cards and deal five each to you and your student. Then, play the game as a normal Go-Fish game would, trying to make matches of three cards. The student must say the word on their card when asking for a card, or laying down a match.
Flash Card Memory
Make flash cards of your sight words with two cards per word. I like to have ten sight words, making 20 cards for this game. Place the cards upside down in a grid pattern. Take turns turning over two cards, reading each card you turn over. When you find a matching pair, you can keep the match. Play until all the cards have been matched and read.
Create-Your-Own Cards
Sometimes, having the student involved in the flashcard-making process can help them to be more engaged. Ask the student what words they think they need to work on, and help them make their own cards for these words. They can choose the color of pen they use, or even draw on the cards or cut them out into fun shapes!
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