Activities with Flashcards

1. Cross the River

Place all flashcards on floor in winding manner and a ruler to show where the game begins.  Stand behind the ruler. Say ‘Line please’. After all the students are cued behind the ruler, model the activity. Each card represents a stepping stone in the river. A student begins the game after the teacher shouts the structured question. Students must say the structure in order to step on it and cross the river. If a student doesn’t know the featured vocabulary, he/she has to stop at the last known card. Another student gets to begin the game. After all students have begun the game, help will be provided by the teacher to students in a descending order. Once help has been provided, all the students repeat the stated chunk and then that student has to start over. Whenever a student successfully cross the river or say all the words on the flashcard, the class shouts ‘hooray’.

2. Jump and Say

Line the flashcards in a straight row with space in between on the floor. Have one student or one student on each side of the line. Students jump and say the flashcard they land next to. Students hop along saying each card. Variations:  You can make it a race or lay out a circle instead.

2. Slow Reveal

Encourage students to raise his/her hand if they know the answer. Place the flashcards behind a solid colour paper. The first card should be turned so it is facing the students but is hidden as it is behind the parchment paper.  Slowly pull the flashcard up inch by inch so the students can only see part of the flashcard.  As the picture is slowly revealed pose the structured question to the students so they can try and guess what it is.  The first student to guess correctly keeps the card. Continue until all the cards have been revealed. Ask for the flashcards back from the students.

3. Missing Flashcard

Say to students ‘close your eyes’. Lay the flashcards on the table in front of the students. Flip one of the flashcards on its back. Say to students ‘open your eyes. Encourage students to raise his/her hand if they know the answer.  Point to the faced down flashcard and ask the structured question. Choose a student, if the response is correct; it’s that student’s turn.

4. Run and Touch

Encourage students to stand in the centre of the classroom. Post the flashcards around the classroom. Say ‘question’ at which the students will pose the structured question together. Give a response. Students will run to the stated flashcard. The first student to touch the flashcard gets to be asked the structured question and gives a response. Continue playing until all students get a chance to say a response at least once.

5. Find Baby Rabbit

Post all the flashcards on the blackboard/whiteboard. Introduce Baby Rabbit to the students. Say ‘Close your eyes’. Hide Baby Rabbit behind one of the flashcards. Say ‘Open your eyes.’ ‘Raise your hand if you know’ and pose the structured question. Choose a student to give a response. After the response, lift up the stated flashcard to reveal if Baby Rabbit is there. The student who finds Baby Rabbit gets to hide baby Rabbit and pose the structured question.

6. Slap the board or Floor

Lay out the flashcards on the floor or put up on the board so the students can reach them. Decide to call one or two students up at a time. When you shout a word, they should hit it with their hand.

7. Quiet to Loud

Hold the flashcard in front of you and squat down. Whisper the vocabulary word. Rise up slightly. Say the word quietly. Rise up more. Say the word in a regular voice. Continue until when you hold the card over your head and are standing straight up the students shout the word. Allow one the students to hold the card then repeat the steps.