How to Homeschool with Index Cards

Did you know that you can homeschool with index cards? Everyone can benefit. Moms can keep assignments organized. Children as young as preschool can use the cards for school work.

Benefits

Besides being cheap there are other benefits to homeschooling with index cards.

The cards are portable. Your child can take the cards in the car. They can practice math facts or vocabulary words while you drive.

There are different sized cards.
 
The most familiar size is the 3 x 5 inch. You can use this size for almost anything.

Business cards are good for writing math facts on. You can write the equation on one side and the answer on the other.

At one store I found 1 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch cards. I used the cards for phonic practice. I would write a letter on a card. After we had practiced the letter sounds we would use the cards to make words.

We like to use the 4 x 6 inch cards when we have a lot of information.

The cards come in different colors. You can assign a color to mean something. We have used the cards to make timelines each color represented a different continent.

Index cards are easy to store. You can place the cards in a recipe box, a notebook, or use an O ring.

There are several ways to organize the cards. Your child can organize by color, number, or alphabetize them.

The cards are easy for children to hold.

You can even make the cards on your computer. When I was in college I would type my facts in a 3 x 5 inch text box. I then would print the page on cardstock and cut it apart.

You can homeschool with index cards using any teaching method. I used index cards in college with textbooks, but you can also use the cards when doing a unit study. Or you can use them with lapbooking.

Different Grades

You can start to homeschool with index cards in preschool or kindergarten. For your young child make simple books such as;

• Shapes
  
• Letters
  
• Numbers
  
• Colors
  

In elementary school use the cards to teach;

• Math facts
  
• Phonics
  
• Spelling words
  
• Timelines
  

You can homeschool with index cards in high school too. Use the cards to;

• Memorize facts in any subject
  
• Write down formulas in algebra, geometry, and physics
  
• Write down rules of operations
  
• Vocabulary words
  

Other Ideas

There are other uses for index cards. You write Bible memory verses on one side of the card. Then write the reference on the other side. Or you can illustrate what the verse means.

Use the cards to record nature observations. On one side draw a picture of a plant, bird, or animal. Write down what the plant, bird, or animal looked like. Also write down the location and time that you saw the specimen.

Have your child use the cards to write book reports on. Be sure to include the title and author of the book. You keep the cards for a record of books your child has read.
 
When I was in school we used the cards to help write reports. We would write facts about a topic on the cards. We also wrote down where we got the information. We would use the cards to organize the information so that we could write the report. We also used the cards to help us write the bibliography.

Use the cards to draw art work on.

Write down your child's assignments on the cards.

Keep track of chores that need to be done.

Write down the schedule for the day.

Record when books are due at the library.

Use the index cards to make games such as memory.

Each day have your child tell you one fact for each subject that he has learned. Write the facts on index cards. Go over the facts once a week. Keep the cards for a record of what your child has learned throughout the year.

There are lots of ways that you can homeschool with index cards. It is a great method for learning.

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