Flashcard Games to Make Memorization Fun #1: Carousel Brainstorming, Grab Bag, & Emotional Flashes

Memorization of concepts or vocabulary words can often become boring and take the fun out of learning. It can lead to frustration for students and parents alike. Here are some motivating ways to learn new concepts while still having fun:

Carousel Brainstorming: Place each key concept and/or vocabulary word on separate papers around a room in your home. Have your child walk from one paper to another and brainstorm the use of each word. Ask your child to look around the room for clues to help him/her write examples of it on the paper.

Grab Bag:  Write all vocabulary words on a piece of paper and post them on a wall or the refrigerator. Next, write the definitions of vocabulary words on index cards or cut up a piece of paper and place them into a bag for your child to choose from. Upon each selection, your child reads the definition and guesses the word from the posted list. As an added motivator, create a point system for when (s)he gets it right. Upon reaching a certain number of points, your child receives a special reward or prize.

Emotional Flashes: A fun way to get your child involved is to have him/her write each word on an index card along with a picture or diagram that reflects the emotional response to that word.  On the backside, have your child write 3 choices of emotions. Here comes the reverse guessing game: As a parent, you must match your child’s drawing with your child’s emotion! Children love to be the teacher!