13 Creative Ways to Homeschool with 3×5 Cards

My 3×5 cards for homeschooling are used almost everyday for many subjects and for all sorts of miscellaneous uses.

Like many homeschooling moms who have homeschooled for several years, I feel like I've finally begun to develop my own teaching style. As a result, there are a just few things I could not possibly live without any longer (at least I don't think I could):

1. A kitchen timer for each child (comes in handy for math drills, computer time, time out…)
2. Lap-sized dry erase boards (and dozens of markers so I can always find one that works)
3. Hundreds and hundreds of blank 3×5 cards!

And it's how we use that plethora of index cards that I'd like to share with you. So here are 13 simple ways to homeschool your kids using plain old 3×5 cards.

1. Alphabetizing. Write a letter on each card, then have your kids practice alphabetizing a few cards at a time. You can also have them practice identifying which letters are before or after a particular letter. (To do that, chose a letter at random and set it in front of your child, Then he draws more cards, one at a time, and quickly places the new cards either before or after the card that was first chosen, depending on where it falls in the alphabet.) You can also write complete words on the cards and have them practice alphabetizing to the 2nd, 3rd, 4th (etc.) letter.

2. Geography. Write a geography term on one side and the definition or picture of it on the back (like peninsula, isthmus, etc.). Or write different locations on the map that you want your kids to identify, then use the cards to drill your kids using an outline map. The cards can then be "won" as points when it is found correctly. (By the way, a toothpick makes a great map pointer for this activity.)

3. Vocabulary. As you read a book aloud to your kids, write any unknown words on one side of a card and the definition on the back. The next time you read aloud, review the cards and their definitions with your kids. (We did this for The Hobbit and ended up with a stack of cards an inch thick!)

4. Phonics. Write onsets and rimes (word beginnings and endings) on separate cards. Then have your child put the cards together into words and sound them out.

5. Opposites. Write opposite word pairs on each card, one word on each side (like "hot" on one side and "cold" on the other). Then drill with the cards. You could also make a memory game with opposites or rhyming words.

6. Historical Events. Write down the names of historical events on separate cards and periodically have your child put them in the order in which they occurred. Add new events every so often and repeat the ordering process often.

7. Biology. Write the names of each part of the circulatory system and have your child put the cards in order to show how blood flows through the heart, lungs, and body.

8. Cubes and Squares in Mathematics. Study cubes and squares by writing the product on one side and the cube root or square root on the other, then drill a few cards at a time until all are learned. After they're learned, I have found it's helpful to write several incorrect products on cards and then have my children pick out the correct answers from among the whole bunch. This ensures that they know the actual number.

9. Postal Abbreviations. Write the state on one side and the abbreviation on the other. (I'm almost done writing an entire ebook about this very subject, actually.)

10. Bible Verses. My older kids are in Bible Drill, so they put their verse reference on one side and the first few words of the verse on the other side. They've also made a second set and done matching games with the references and verses.

11. Historical Characters. As you come across an historical character, jot the person's name on one side and a few key words to remind you of who they are and what they did on the other. Periodically review the cards to refresh your memory about them. You might also like to have your children put the cards in the order of when the people lived in history.

12. Geometric Shapes. It can be hard to remember the exact definition of a rhombus, trapezoid, and an isosceles triangle. Draw a good example of the shape and definition on one side and the name on the other. Drill with the cards until the shapes can be defined/identified accurately.

13. Science Vocabulary. So many science words are difficult to pronounce and remember. When you come across a word that's difficult (like Odobenidae or Testudines) write the word on one side and the phonetic pronunciation and definition on the other side. It might also help to draw a caricature of the word on the definition side. We did this for Odobenidae (the walrus family) by drawing a funny picture of a walrus with long tusks and naming him Odo Benny Day. It really helped my kids remember how to pronounce Odobenidae and remember exactly what it means (which happens to be "one who walks with teeth").

Do you use 3×5 cards in a unique way in your homeschool? If so please leave a comment as I have lots of 3×5 cards left to use.

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