Tips for Storing Flash Cards

Flash cards and game cards are useful for a variety of subjects and grades, but they can become hard to manage. In our family we use flash cards for phonics for one child, math facts for two other children, and Latin and Greek roots for three children. We also use game cards for matching history dates to events and people. To avoid confusion, I store the cards as sets, either with a rubber band around them or in a small ziplock bag. If only one child uses a certain set, he stores it in his school notebook. We use the plastic zippered pouches that come with three holes punched in them. The children also store their pens and pencils in the pouches so they are always ready for school. Notebooks that have pockets would serve the same purpose. I also have a zippered pouch in my teacher’s notebook. In this pouch, I store the flash cards that we use as a group, a red marking pen, a dry erase pen, and our children’s catechism booklet.

When we are done with a set of flash cards I put them in a ziplock bag and label the bag with a permanent marker. I store them in a basket in our home school cupboard. They are easy to find for review or for use for the next child who will need them. Sometimes as a game, I take out old flash cards and arrange them on our "Jeopardy" poster. This poster has pockets under categories such as "math," "Latin and Greek Roots," and "History." I slip random cards in the pockets and we play our version of Jeopardy!