Flashcards Are For More Than Memorization

 When I grew, up they recommended you use flash cards to memorize your multiplication facts, learn definitions of vocabulary, and anything else you need to memorize.  I always had trouble using them this way because the material had no context for me.  I'm sure most of us remember using flash cards in the same way.

So are there better ways to use flashcards?  Definitely. They can be used to help move the information from your short term to long term memory.  There is a way to  use flashcards more effectively.

1.  Identify the key concepts from your notes or from your textbook.  Write the name of the concept on one side and the definition or explanation on the other side.  If it is a large concept like slopes, you might break the topic into smaller concepts like defining the slope, how to find the slope using a graph, or from coordinates, what does the slope tell you about the line, etc.  This makes it easier to learn all facets of the topic.

2.  Create more flashcards in a different color or with a different colored ink that ask you to elaborate or interact with the material.  These flashcards might ask you to describe the concept without using any of the key vocabulary from the first set of flashcards.  This set might ask you to draw a picture of the concept, or describe how the concept is used in real life.  You might be asked to explain it to someone who missed the material the day it was taught or when might you use it in your own life.

3.  Shuffle each stack of cards and select one from each pile.  Look at the concept and what you need to do with it before answering.  The concept might be inequalities and you are asked to find a real life example of it.  Your answer might be something like an inequality is an equation with an answer that is actually a range beginning at a certain number or ending at a certain number.  Your example might be when you fill your gas tank, you are using an inequality because you can put between 0 and say 20 gallons depending on how empty the tank is.

Rather than thinking of the answer in your head, it is important to either answer the question out loud or write the answer down.  This one steps helps you prepare your answer and actually use all the appropriate vocabulary.  It helps you monitor if you really "know" it.

4. As you are going through your stack, make sure you set the concepts aside you are having trouble with so you can look back at your notes or textbook to reinforce your knowledge.  As you review the concept, write it down or answer out loud because it helps reinforce your learning.

5.  Once you have learned your cards, swap cards with a friend and try to answer theirs. This shakes your brain up a bit so you have to think of the material in a different way.

When you do this, you are making your brain do more than simple recall.  It requires the brain to actively recall the material without giving context clues.  This causes your brain to create stronger connections among the neurons, so you are more likely to remember the information at a later time.

I wish I'd know this when I was in school, it would have made things easier for me.  I always looked at the front, then the back.  I didn't know about saying things out loud or writing them down.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.