How To: Task Cards

About two years ago I was introduced to the LOVELY website, Teachers Pay Teachers. If you have not heard of this website before this point, you've been living under a rock. This website is amazing. It has a ton of resources for any and everything you will need in the classroom. If you need a worksheet, concept board idea, pacing guides, creative management techniques, or any other item it is there. I love this website. I found a love for task cards a few years ago and I want to share why they are so awesome:

Task cards came to me two years ago because the school I was working at did not have a Science curriculum, however teaching fifth grade, students were to be tested on Science material. I teach every subject Math, Reading, Handwriting, Science, Social Studies, etc., and so to not have enough materials for Science was a struggle. I found task cards on Science and used them in small groups and I quickly found how amazing these small jewels are.

Task cards are just like what they sound. They are mini flashcards that focus on a skill. I have gotten flashcards in Math, ELA, Science, and even some Social Studies (even though these weren't very good). I always print them in color and laminate the cards. Lamination is good because the cards do not get destroyed and kids can write on them with white board marker. I make the cards accessible to students to get to whenever they have down time or especially in small groups.

In small groups, I usually always complete two rotations a day out of a total of four groups. Two groups will sit with me in one day and the other two groups have two independent periods of 20 minutes. Task cards are a great way to reinforce skills in a cooperative group learning setting. Students quiz each other using the flashcards and work to solve problems listed on the cards. The other way I use task cards is to review a concept for a test. Especially in Science, I will find a topic and ask questions to the whole group and get responses and discuss how we got our answer.

Task cards are also often FREE on Teachers Pay Teachers.......do yourself a favor and check them out. Who else uses task cards? How do you organize them??