Are you getting the most from all those sets of task cards that you’ve bought (or made!)? Or do you tend to use a set for one lesson and then just stash it away in your handy task card organizer?

You could be getting more out of your task cards!

To start, as you accumulate new task cards, choose sets that have a variety of activities. If your set is the kind where every card has the same type of question as every other card, your options will be more limited.

For those sets that you already have where the cards all have the same type of question, you still have options, but with a variety of activities, you will have lots more, especially among the whole-class options.

Card Types

Here are some of the types of questions or assignments that could be offered on a task card, starting with some obvious ones:

• fill in the blank
• multiple choice question
• short answer question
• sorting
• writing a definition
• labeling
• drawing
• responding to a picture
• responding to text
• matching
• researching to find an answer
• write, revise, or proofread
• Using classroom materials to find an answer
• Stating an opinion
• Drawing a conclusion
• Making a judgment
• Evaluating – correct or incorrect?
• Making a list
• Creating a poster
• Creating a chart
• Creating an advertisement

Choosing or creating task card sets with a number of these activities, instead of just one, can give you more options for ways to incorporate them in your lessons.

Cards can also have very different amount of content per card. Some card sets have one quick question per card – great for activities with lots of movement, especially for younger kids.

Other card sets have several questions or a longer assignment on each card. Examples of these – which are great for older kids – might be a card with a reading passage followed by three or four questions or a card with an assignment about creating an ad for a product. These “big” cards can be used as a whole set or individually (or a few at at time) in a variety of lessons.

Here are three samples from my Adjectives Task Cards set:

Card 2 – Fill in the Blanks

Card 8 – Sort

Card 25 – Revise

Classroom Activities

Activities Using a Whole Set

• Use in centers or stations.
• Use the digital version for distance learning.
• Use for a whole class activity with movement such as Scoot or Footloose.
• Use an a whole-class question and answer team game.
• Use as review or test prep at the end of a unit of study.
• Use along with a board game, with one added rule – that students must answer a card correctly before taking each turn.

Activities Using Just One or Few Cards at a Time

• Use one a day as a class opener.
• Use a few of the digital cards at a time for whole class practice as concepts are presented within a lesson.
• Use for individualized review during independent work time.
• Use in small group activities (maybe selecting cards to meet individual needs of the groups).
• Use selected cards as an enrichment activity.
• Use one a day as exit tickets at the end of class.

Task Cards from Classroom in the Middle

Along with each set of task cards, I’ve included a page of ideas for different ways to use task cards!