Task cards and flash cards are classroom staples for pretty much every teacher! They are so versatile, and can be used in so many different activities! But, as your collection grows, it can be difficult to keep them organized in a convenient way. If you’re a card-collecting queen (or king!) like me, then these ideas for task card and flash card organization might be helpful to you!
Here are some helpful teacher hacks for making sure your task card and flash card sets stay organized!
Hack #1: Mark the back of task card sets to keep them separated.
Sometimes, an activity calls for multiple copies of the same set of task cards. When this happens, you are probably hoping and praying that your students don’t get the sets mixed up! Were that to happen, you would have to go through every single card looking for the duplicates.
Instead of going to all that trouble, mark each task card with a highlighter, using a different color for each set. If you have four sets, you might mark one with yellow, another with green, another with blue, and the last one with pink. This is helpful in case the sets DO get mixed up – just look at the marks on each card, and you can separate them out much more quickly!
Alternatively, you can also print each set on a different color of paper.
Hack #2: Use photo storage boxes for task and flash card organization.
Plastic photo boxes are one of my all-time favorite classroom organization tools. There is just so much you can do with them! But, they are especially great for storing task cards and flash cards.
These photo boxes come in different colors, or you can get clear. You can purchase them individually, in sets of 6, or in sets of 16. The sets of 6 & 16 both come with an additional storage box that holds all the smaller storage boxes. Typically the 4×6 size is perfect, but if you need a larger box for any reason, these containers are also available in a 5×7 size.
Hack #3: Keep sets of cards on binder rings.
Keep your task card sets together with a quick hole punch in the corner and putting them on a binder ring. This is a great way to help ensure that your sets stay together, and also makes it easy for students to grab a set of flash cards to study with a partner! No hassle with flimsy cardboard boxes or rubber bands.
Hack #4: Store related sets of cards in a small expandable file folder.
If you have a few sets of cards that are all somehow related – maybe they cover the same topic, or are all used for a quick warm-up in the morning – then store them together in a small expandable file folder, like this one.
This would also be great for throwing in a student-led center! Avoid having to constantly change out the task cards in the center yourself by putting various sets of acceptable cards in one of these organizers. Throw it in the center and let your students choose which one to use.
Hack #5: Store by topic with other activities.
Another way you might organize your flash cards and task cards is by keeping them stored by topic with other math activities you regularly use. An example of this would be my math center organization system, where I store individual math games and activities in poly envelopes (these would be perfect for holding your task cards!). Then, I place into the appropriate drawer on my 10-drawer rolling cart based on the topic the activity goes with.
This system is great so you know exactly where to go when looking for activities for a specific concept!
Do you have your own system for task and flash card organization? Share it in the comments to give readers more ideas!
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One Comment
Grace
I love the idea of marking the backs of the cards with different colors or symbols to help with organization. Think that could be very helpful for accidental mix-ups. I never thought about organizing them with photo boxes. I have mine organized in clear pockets inserted into binders.