One of the main reasons I have so many sets of task cards is that it allows me to differentiate and give students choice. No longer do I have to stand at the front and teach a concept that some already know, or drag students through the one task on offer. With task cards, I can introduce variety and engagement. My students regularly ask if we can use them more frequently than we do, so that's proof enough for me that they're worthwhile.
As for longevity, I am not a fan of laminating, but I do print them on thick card so I can re-use them year on year and 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.
Set up stations in the classroom. For example, in a class of 32 students, I might have 16-20 different stations, depending on the number of individual tables available. I always like to have more rather than less so that students can move on without having to wait for everyone to finish. The best method I've found is to assign no more than 2 students at each station to begin. If possible, they sit opposite each other rather than together to minimise distractions, unless the task is actually a collaborative task.
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.
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.
So, that's just a few of the ways I use task cards, but there are many more I'll talk about in future posts.
