Engaging Ways to Use Task Cards in the Classroom

I’ve been using task cards in the classroom for a long time now, and I’ve come to love them. Here are a few reasons why:

They are engaging because of the variety of activities and topics you can cover – students never seem to tire of them
Anything – like task cards – that gets students physically moving as they learn is a winner in my book
It’s easy to differentiate with them – match particular task cards to specific students, dependent on their needs
They can allow for student choice – as they are usually used as a set, students can choose where they begin and how to proceed

As for longevity, I am not a fan of laminating (as it breaks my heart to see non-biodegradable, dog-eared plastic rectangles go in the bin), but I do print them on thick card. This way, I can re-use them year on year with various classes. I keep the sets in marked shoeboxes so they are easy to identify when I need them in a hurry.

The most common ways I use task cards are below. I hope this post sparks some ideas!

Engage Early Finishers

Task cards are also great for students who finish an activity before others. They can simply be assigned one or more cards and can work quietly and individually, hopefully on something they have chosen.

Bellringers - Starters - Warmers

For starters and plenaries, task cards can be used for the whole class or again individually. I like to use my writing prompt cards for students to demonstrate a particular skill we may have explored, such as subordinate clauses or semi-colons. By providing a choice of 3-5 prompts, students can do a ‘quick write’ in about 10 minutes to demonstrate mastery of the chosen technique: great for formative assessment.

Alternatively, use just one task card as a whole-class starter activity at the beginning of a lesson. Have it on display as students enter so they know to get their notebooks out, and get started immediately.

Table Top Small Group Discussions

Give one card to each student to face down on the table. The first student turns over the card, reads it aloud, and each team member takes a turn to respond. When the card has been thoroughly discussed (because students have completed discussion training), the next student turns another card over.

Scoot Activity

Place a task card at each table.
Set a timer.
Individually, in pairs or in small groups students start at a table and complete the task card.
They move to the next table and repeat the activity.
End the session with some reflection on learning, such as ‘I used to think…but now I think…’

Task Card Library

Allocate a particular space in the classroom where your task cards are kept. Some teachers use keyring circles to keep task cards together. Then, they hang them on pins on boards.

Some other options include:

storage drawers
envelopes
display stands
shoeboxes

When students are given independent work time, they can access the ‘task card area’ and select – or be directed to – a skill to work on.

Notebook Tasks

Print off the cards 2 or 4 sets to a page (i.e. 8 or 16 cards to 1 sheet of paper). Give the miniature cards to students to stick into their notebooks and respond beside / under.

Sub or Cover Lesson

If you have task cards printed and somewhere easy to access, they will be ready-to-go in case of your sickness or absence. For this reason, it’s a good idea to introduce how to use them early in the year. That way, the sub won’t have to figure out what to do with them, as students will already be comfortable with the routine(s).

Give It A Go

Here, I’ve shared a variety of ways you can use task cards. They are great value, because you can buy them once and use them forever. You can check out the Task Card category from my Downloads Page or on TeachersPayTeachers for ready-to-go printable and digital task cards. Want to try making your own? Enter your email below, and get access to my ever-growing vault of freebies which includes a set of templates in colour and greyscale.

Whatever you do, good luck with it and enjoy.

We’ve got this!