A Better Way to Use Flashcards...

"Since Common Core has changed the way we do math, what are we going to so with all these Flashcards?!?!?"  I've been asked this question by countless teachers, parents, etc. At first, my response was, "THROW THEM AWAY!"  

Then, the mom in me chimed in. I hate waste.  It actually pains me. So, I was sure many of the people who had loads of Flashcards felt the same way about throwing away their Dollar Store investments.  So, I decided to research alternatives. 

So, I began to read. I came across Fluency With Basic Addition by Gina Kling. Very good, quick, easy read.  She suggests using flash cards to allow students to do a strategy sort. Students would group their flash cards according to the strategy they would use to find the answer.  This allows students to identify patterns.  It also encourages meta cognition. 

I tried it with a first grader.  She grouped them by doubles, 1 more, no more, and near doubles. It worked!  Try it for yourself and share your thoughts.