By Michael Hartley
Flashcards are one time-tested tool for helping with any memory task. They are a convenient and quick way to drill, revise and correct. This page has a set of times table flashcards you can print out and make.
Some ways people use flashcards :
- With a stack of cards, show the student the questions one by one, and ask them to give the answer. When they get it, they get to keep the card as a "prize". Otherwise, it goes back in the stack so they'll see it again later.
- Place about a half-dozen flashcards on the table. Ask them to pick out 'which one is 36', for example, until they have collected them all.
- Make the child the teacher - ask him or her to teach you the times tables. Pretend to get some wrong.
- Your child might find Flashcard Stepping Stones a nice break from the usual routine.
Of course, endless flashcard drills can become a bore for even the most patient child, so I've collected a bunch of game ideas to spice up those times tables. See them at my times tables games page!
Anyway, now for the flashcards.
- This file contains all the flash cards in one big file. If you have a printer that can print double-sided, send it straight to the printer, and choose "long edge binding". Test it on just pages 1 to 4 first, and if that works, print the whole document.
- If you can't print double-sided, you may find this file and this file more useful. The first contains just the questions for the flashcards. Print out the whole lot onto cardboard, and print out an extra copy of the first few pages. Then, the second contains just the answers. Put the extra copies of the questions back in the printer, and print out the first few pages of the answers. If the flashcards come out right, put the whole stack of questions in the printer and print out the whole stack of answers.
- Of course, if your printer or photocopier decides to give you a bad day, you could just print out the questions, and leave the answer side blank.
Yours, Dr Mike...