About Louisiana’s Math Flashcards
Flashcards may be simple, but they are a powerful, research-backed way to help students master foundational math skills. The Louisiana Department of Education is providing instructional math flashcards to support K–5 teachers and students across the state.
Flashcards are a proven tool to:
- Reinforce foundational math skills
- Build fluency through repeated practice
- Actively engage students in learning games and activities
- Make math practice hands-on, interactive, and fun
Ideas for Educators
Below are some classroom-ready activities for using flashcards.
Have innovative ideas or methods you'd like to share with our team, please share them at [email protected].
Activity 1: Around the World
- Students form a circle or line.
- The teacher displays a flashcard.
- Two students compete to answer the problem presented on the flashcard.
- The first student to provide the correct answer advances to the next position in the circle or line.
- The winner is the student who completes the circle, reaches the designated endpoint, or accumulates the most points
Activity 2: Matching Number Bond Pairs
- Lay out cards with only the two parts showing.
- Students take turns selecting two cards that have different part combinations but the same total (e.g., 2 x 3 and 1 x 6; 3+4 and 2+5).
- The student who finds the most pairs wins.
Activity 3: Number Bond BINGO
- Print Bingo cards for your students.
- Use number bond cards to call out part-to-part combinations.
- Students mark the correct total on their Bingo card.
- Variation: Call out the total and have students select two parts that can make it.
Flashcard Use Alongside Zearn Lessons
All Louisiana public schools serving grades 4-8 have free access to Zearn. Lessons in Zearn feature number bonds as a visual to illustrate how a whole number can be split into two parts. Below are some Zearn lessons that complement the use of the provided flashcards.
- Kindergarten: Mission 4, Topic A, Lessons 1-6
- Kindergarten: Mission 4, Topic B, Lessons 7-11
- Grade 1: Mission 1, Topic A, Lessons 1-2
- Grade 1: Mission 1, Topic B, Lessons 4, 6-8
- Grade 3: Mission 1, Topic F, Lesson 18
- Grade 3: Mission 3, Topic B Lesson 5
Ideas for Families
Flashcards aren’t just for classrooms. They’re a great tool at home, too. Try these family-friendly approaches:
- Make practice part of daily routines (a few minutes after homework or before dinner).
- Turn flashcards into a quick family game.
- Encourage your child to explain their thinking when answering, not just give the answer.
- Celebrate progress to keep motivation high!
Looking for more ways to support your child's academic journey? Take advantage of our family support resources.