I read the the word printed on the front, then turn it over, saying the word again while looking at the picture, then turn it back to the word and reading the word out loud again. Once he’s familiar with the words, I don’t explain them each time we look at the card. Usually the words are nouns or verbs and are pretty easy to explain some are harder concepts like ‘hibernation’, ‘relaxation’ and ‘humidity’ but I do my best. So he can tell you, for example, that a ‘stethoscope’ is used to listen to your heart. When I introduce new words, I explain what the word means and how it is used. Don’t get caught up in looking for visible results – if you’re sharing quality information, it’s beneficial whether you see tangible results or not! (I don’t know what Yirmi’s reading ability is since I don’t test him, but there’s no question his receptive language is excellent.) The brain grows from use! Stimulation and input are very important to a child. I use flashcards as a tool to teach reading and support language development, language comprehension and speech development. However, if we approach something as a fun and enjoyable activity without the heavy weight of expectations, kids will often perceive the activity as fun and enjoyable – regardless of how ‘schooly’ it might seem. I found it easiest for me to do first thing in the day since it was before I got distracted with with lots of other things.Īs a very relaxed homeschooler, it might seem strange that I would embrace something so seemingly formal as a learning tool. Sometimes I did more and sometimes I did less, and I reminded myself that whatever I did was of value. Ideally I would have used these systematically several times a day, using one set a week and switching out an old word for a new word each day. Sets include categories like foods, colors, transportation, nature, seasons, parts of the body, and household items. Over time I printed out a number of these sets and laminated them. One side has the word printed on it in a large font, the other side has a color illustration of the word. I began by printing out words and pictures from the Brill Kids Little Reader computer program each card is the size of half of an A4 sheet of paper. I started using these when Yirmi was 14 months old. I know, you wouldn’t expect flashcards to be so compelling, right? 🙂 But he really likes them! A favorite activity of our four year old, one that he requests at least once a day is….

Flashcard hero change language