Flashcards can be used in many ways to introduce and practise vocabulary, as well as consolidate, recycle and extend children’s language. Here are some ideas to have up your sleeve!
1. Mime the flashcard
Hold up flashcards in turn and say the names. Children do a mime in
response e.g. they can pretend to eat a particular food (if you are using food
flashcards), imitate a particular animal (animal flashcards) or put on clothes
(clothes flashcards). Then do mimes of different flashcards yourself or invite
individual or pairs of children to take turns to do this. Children watch and call
out the names.
out the names.
2. Flashcard instructions
Stick a set of flashcards on the walls around the classroom. Divide the class
into groups. Give each group instructions in turn e.g. Group 1. Walk to the
elephant. Group two. Jump to the lion and children respond.
3. Flashcard groups
Divide the class into groups of three or four. Give each group a flashcard and
explain that this is the name of their group. Give instructions e.g. Apples,
touch your nose! Carrots, put your hands on your head! Children listen and
follow the instructions for their group.
4. Stand up!
Divide the class in two teams. Stick 4-6 flashcards on the left of the
blackboard for one team and 4-6 flashcards on the right of the blackboard for
the other team. Say the words in random order. Children listen and stand up
as fast as they can if the word belongs to their team.
5. Flashcard letters
Divide the class into groups of five or six. Give each group a flashcard
(making sure other groups don’t see) and explain that children must make the
letters to spell the name of the picture with their bodies. Give them a few
minutes to prepare this and encourage them to check spelling if necessary.
Each group then takes turns to make the letters of their words with their
bodies and to guess each other’s words.
6. Team game
Have ready two sets of word cards for the same flashcards for this game.
Divide the class into two teams. Stick flashcards (as many as there are
children in each team) on the blackboard or on the walls around the
classroom. Give one word card to each child in both teams. When you call
out the name of one of the flashcards, the child in each team who has the
corresponding word card gets up and goes to touch the flashcard and hold up
their word card as fast as they can. The child who gets there first each time
wins a point for their team.
The above suggestions are compiled and adapted from Read C. &
Soberón A.
Superworld
1 & 2 Teachers’ Books,
Macmillan Education.
