Why Parents Shouldn’t Use Flash Cards

It is a common scene to find yourself sitting beside your child, engaging in the delightful activity of teaching them new words for the day. The air fills with excitement as you present the first flash card, showcasing the word “apple” along with a vibrant picture of the fruit. With eagerness, your child repeats the word after you, their enthusiasm shining through.

As you continue the learning journey, you notice remarkable progress. Your child confidently pronounces the words without the aid of the picture. Their ability to recall and speak the words fills you with pride. However, as you reach the 20th or 30th flash card, you observe signs of fatigue and disengagement. Additionally, you realise that your child struggles to read the words without the visual assistance provided by the pictures.

It becomes clear that expecting a child to remember and associate 50-60 different words with corresponding pictures is an overwhelming task. While picture flash cards are a valuable tool for introducing initial words, they do have limitations.

Consider this: if you teach a child 10 words solely using picture flash cards, they will be able to read those 10 words. However, if you employ phonics to teach them 10 sounds, they will have the ability to read a multitude of words by blending those sounds together.

Which method would you prefer to use? The possibilities and opportunities that phonics offer in expanding your child’s reading abilities are immense.

If you are curious to discover the specific 10 sounds to focus on and the vast array of words that can be created by blending them, stay tuned as we will provide updates soon.