Our own children are aged 4 and 2 years old respectively and yes – we use the cards with them regularly!

Word Association. With our two-year-old, Jake, we’re still at the stage of identifying the pictures, the word association stage. He loves to take each card and look at it closely and say the word.

Basic Discussion. We’re trying to encourage conversation skills with Jake, so we’ll take whatever cards he’s holding and ask him questions about the object. What colour is it? Where would you find the object in the house?

More Advanced Discussion. With Rachel, our four-year-old, we’ll try to talk more in-depth about the object. The toaster card, for instance – where do we keep our toaster? What do we use it for? What is toast made from, and what do you like to put on your toast? Using the cards as a conversation point is fantastic, as the children seem keen to show all their knowledge on a particular topic! You’ll be surprised at just how much information your children have been absorbing!

Spelling. As your children get older and begin learning to read, you can use the cards to start basic spelling of words. Try using the picture side first and spelling out the word underneath together. With experience, turn the card around so that only the word is visible and have your child spell the word. If she doesn’t identify the object, show her the picture and hopefully she’ll soon start to build an association between the picture and the word!

Well, those were some suggestions for getting you started with flashcards. We’d be interested to hear what other ways you are using flashcards to play with and educate your children. Leave a comment and let us know.