Flippers: the learning aid primary kids love!

Flippers study cards are neat, tactile, simple to use - and kids love them. They are suitable for classes from P2 upwards.

Flippers consist of 60 small blank cards on a metal ring. Pupils write down the word, sum or question on one side and the answer on the other.

When all the cards for the lesson have been filled in they look at the questions and try to answer them. Then they just flip over the card and find out if they were right.

At the start, and for younger classes, teachers have to supply the short questions and answers the children write down.

Teachers should also monitor pupils' entries to check spelling and/or information being noted on the cards.

It's important to keep the information down to only one short fact and one answer per page.

Best practice requires pupils to write out the questions and answers themselves - it's part of the memorising process.

Very quickly children become familiar with the format. They start developing Flippers as a personal learning tool, adding new lessons facts they have difficulty in remembering.

Pupils regard Flippers study cards as their own personal learning resource (94 per cent approval rating).

Primary school teachers have told us Flippers also deliver other positive class results:

  • Pupils' self confidence increases - because they have the answers on the cards and lose the fear of being wrong in front of their classmates;
  • Pupils volunteer more answers to teachers' class questions;
  • Pupils regard lessons, learning games, tests and revision involving Flippers as fun;
  • Teachers get an instant, and highly accurate, assessment of how well individual pupils are learning core facts by checking on how many cards they know.

Flippers study cards are effective because they are based on practical results. Their uses in the classroom have been developed by teachers, themselves.

To help you, we've included best practice methods as recommended by teachers who use the cards, and a list of the subjects our study cards can be used for.

flippers book

Survey

Pink Porcupine conducted a survey on the effectiveness of Flippers study cards in primary and secondary schools. Under the aegis of Glasgow City Council Education Services, a cross section of primary and secondary schools throughout the city participated. Teachers introduced Flippers into the classroom curriculum and monitored their effects. The results were impressive:

  • 94.4 per cent of all pupils liked using the cards
  • 80.4 per cent of all teachers were 'extremely satisfied' or 'satisfied' with their effectiveness - and wanted to continue using them

"They re-engage pupils with the learning process in a new way," teachers said.

Testimonials

"Very effective. Children enjoy using Flippers and are motivated to use them independently"

P7 teacher

Press

"Embracing the high tech (in education) does not mean that we should abandon the low tech. Flippers are just what they claim to be - an aid to learning... Given their obvious applications to numeracy and literacy they may also be something of a godsend. Flippers have resulted in substantial progress simply because the information was close to hand, easy to access and under the control of the child"

Michael Russell, Times Educational Supplement Scotland