Action Cards For Speech Therapy: 7 Powerful Ways To Turn Flashcards Into Fun, Effective Language Practice – Most SLPs Never Use #4

Why Action Cards Are So Good For Speech Therapy (And How To Upgrade Them)

Action cards are a staple in speech therapy for a reason: they’re visual, simple, and perfect for verbs, sentences, and storytelling.

But here’s the thing nobody tells you:

If you’re using action cards in therapy or home practice, you can make them way more powerful by turning them into smart, digital flashcards with spaced repetition and active recall.

That’s exactly what Flashrecall does for you:

👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

You can snap a picture of any action card (or worksheet, or book page), and Flashrecall instantly turns it into flashcards you can use again and again—with automatic reminders so kids don’t forget to practice.

Let’s walk through how to use action cards for speech therapy and how to level them up with Flashrecall so your kids actually remember what they’re learning.

What Are Action Cards In Speech Therapy, Really?

Action cards are usually pictures of people or animals doing something, like:

• A boy running
• A girl eating
• A dog jumping
• A kid drawing

They’re amazing for:

• Teaching verbs
• Practicing present/past/future tense
• Building sentences (“He is running”, “She was eating”)
• Working on pronouns (“He is…”, “They are…”)
• Storytelling and narrative skills
• Following directions (“Point to the one who is jumping”)

Now imagine all of that, but:

• On your phone or iPad
• Easy to customize for each child
• Automatically scheduled for review so they don’t forget
• Accessible at home, school, clinic, car… anywhere

That’s where Flashrecall comes in.

Why Turn Action Cards Into Digital Flashcards?

Paper action cards are great in the moment, but:

• Kids forget what they practiced after a few days
• Parents don’t always have the exact same cards at home
• You lose or bend cards (or kids chew them… it happens)
• It’s hard to track what a child has already practiced

With Flashrecall, you can:

• Take a photo of your existing action cards
• Turn them into flashcards in seconds
• Add prompts like “What is he doing?” or “Say a sentence”
• Let the app handle spaced repetition and study reminders
• Use them offline on iPhone or iPad

Link again so you don’t have to scroll:

👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

1. Teaching Verbs With Action Cards (The Simple Way)

Start with the basics: What is he/she doing?

How to do it with physical cards

• Show a card: a boy kicking a ball
• Ask: “What is he doing?”
• Child answers: “Kicking” or “He is kicking”
• Repeat with different actions: running, sleeping, eating, jumping

How to do it with Flashrecall

1. Take photos of your action cards in the Flashrecall app

2. For each card, create a flashcard like:

• Front: (Image of boy kicking a ball) + text: “What is he doing?”
• Back: “He is kicking.”

3. Let the child answer out loud before flipping the card

Flashrecall uses active recall by default: the child has to think of the answer before they see it—this is exactly what we want in speech therapy.

And because of built-in spaced repetition, the app will automatically bring back tricky verbs more often so the child doesn’t just learn them once and forget.

2. Practicing Sentence Structure (Without Boring Worksheets)

Once they know the verbs, you can move into full sentences.

Example prompts

• “He is ___.”
• “She is ___.”
• “They are ___.”
• “The dog is ___.”

With Flashrecall

Create flashcards like:

• Front: (Picture of a girl eating) – “Say a sentence using she.”
• Back: “She is eating.”
• Front: (Picture of children playing) – “Use they in a sentence.”
• Back: “They are playing.”

You can even add audio:

• Record yourself saying the sentence
• The child can listen, repeat, and then try it on their own

Flashrecall lets you add cards from images, text, audio, PDFs, YouTube links, or typed prompts, so you can mix visuals, listening, and speaking all in one place.

3. Working On Past, Present, And Future Tense

Tense work can feel abstract for kids—but action cards make it concrete.

Example activity

Show a card of a boy running:

• Present: “He is running.”
• Past: “He ran.”
• Future: “He will run.”

In Flashrecall

Create a mini deck called “Verb Tenses – Actions”:

• Front: (Picture of a boy running) – “Say this in the past tense.”
• Back: “He ran.”
• Front: (Picture of girl eating) – “Say this in the future tense.”
• Back: “She will eat.”

You can tag cards or group decks by tense, pronouns, or difficulty, so it’s easy to target exactly what each child needs.

4. Pronouns Practice (The One Most People Underuse)

Pronouns are perfect for action cards, but most people just do “he/she” and stop there. You can go much deeper.

Ideas

• He / She
• They
• We
• I

Example Flashrecall cards

• Front: (Picture of a boy jumping) – “Use he in a sentence.”
• Back: “He is jumping.”
• Front: (Picture of two kids drawing) – “Use they in a sentence.”
• Back: “They are drawing.”
• Front: (Picture of a child eating ice cream) – “Pretend this is you. Use I.”
• Back: “I am eating ice cream.”

Because Flashrecall works offline on iPhone and iPad, you can pull these out in the waiting room, car rides, or at home—no bag of cards needed.

5. Following Directions And Receptive Language

Action cards aren’t just for talking; they’re great for listening skills too.

Examples

• “Point to the one who is sleeping.”
• “Show me who is running and then clapping.”
• “Find the card where they are eating.”

How to set this up in Flashrecall

You can create multiple-choice style cards:

• Front: “Point to the person who is running.” + 3–4 images on one card (made from a collage or screenshot)
• Back: Highlighted or circled correct answer (or just text: “The boy in the red shirt is running.”)

Or:

• Use one image per card and ask the child to follow a direction:
• “Touch the picture and then say what he is doing.”

Flashrecall’s study reminders mean kids can practice receptive language regularly at home with parents, even if the SLP only sees them once a week.

6. Storytelling And Narrative Skills With Action Sequences

If you have sequence action cards (like “first he wakes up, then he eats breakfast, then he goes to school”), you can turn them into a powerful narrative deck.

Activity idea

• Show 3–4 action cards in order
• Ask the child to tell the story:
• “First…”
• “Then…”
• “After that…”
• “Finally…”

In Flashrecall

You can:

1. Take photos of each card in the sequence

2. Create a deck called “Morning Routine Story”

3. For each card, add a prompt:

• Front: (Picture of brushing teeth) – “Where in the story is this? Use first/then/after/finally.”
• Back: “Then he brushes his teeth.”

You can even chat with the flashcard in Flashrecall if you’re unsure how to expand the story or need more example sentences—the app can help generate extra language examples on the spot.

7. Getting Parents Involved (Without Overwhelming Them)

Parents want to help but often don’t know what to do with a stack of action cards.

Digital action cards in Flashrecall make it super simple:

• You (or the SLP) create the decks
• Parents just open the app and hit Study
• The app decides what to review that day based on spaced repetition
• No one has to remember which verbs or tenses to practice—Flashrecall handles it

Because it’s free to start, fast, and really easy to use, parents don’t feel like they’re adding “one more complicated thing” to their plate.

Again, here’s the link:

👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

How To Build An Action Card Deck In Flashrecall (Step-By-Step)

Here’s a quick walkthrough you can follow today:

1. Download Flashrecall on your iPhone or iPad

2. Tap to create a new deck – name it something like “Action Verbs – Speech Therapy”

3. Choose how to add cards:

• Camera: snap photos of your physical action cards
• Photos: import pictures you already have
• Text / Prompt: type in actions if you don’t have images yet

4. For each card, add:

• An image
• A simple prompt (“What is she doing?” / “Say a sentence with he.”)
• An example answer on the back

5. Optional: add audio of you saying the sentence

6. Start a quick study session with the child

7. Let Flashrecall handle the spaced repetition and reminders

You can create separate decks for:

• Verbs only
• Pronouns
• Tenses
• Following directions
• Storytelling

And since Flashrecall works offline, you can use it in schools that block Wi‑Fi or in clinics with spotty internet.

Why Flashrecall Works So Well With Speech Therapy

To sum it up, Flashrecall is a great match for action cards because it:

• Turns any picture (card, book, worksheet) into a flashcard in seconds
• Uses active recall to make kids think before seeing the answer
• Has built-in spaced repetition so practice is automatically optimized
• Sends study reminders so home practice actually happens
• Lets you chat with your flashcards if you need more examples or explanations
• Works for languages, exams, school subjects, university, medicine, business—so older kids and parents can use it too
• Is fast, modern, easy to use, and free to start

If you’re already using action cards in speech therapy, you’re halfway there.

Turn them into smart flashcards, and you’ll get more carryover, better memory, and easier home practice.

Try it here:

👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Turn your action cards from “fun for 30 minutes” into “skills that actually stick.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the fastest way to create flashcards?

Manually typing cards works but takes time. Many students now use AI generators that turn notes into flashcards instantly. Flashrecall does this automatically from text, images, or PDFs.

Is there a free flashcard app?

Yes. Flashrecall is free and lets you create flashcards from images, text, prompts, audio, PDFs, and YouTube videos.

How do I start spaced repetition?

You can manually schedule your reviews, but most people use apps that automate this. Flashrecall uses built-in spaced repetition so you review cards at the perfect time.

What is active recall and how does it work?

Active recall is the process of actively retrieving information from memory rather than passively reviewing it. Flashrecall forces proper active recall by making you think before revealing answers, then uses spaced repetition to optimize your review schedule.

What's the best way to learn a new language?

Research shows that combining flashcards with spaced repetition and active recall is highly effective. Flashrecall automates this process, generating cards from your study materials and scheduling reviews at optimal intervals.

Related Articles

• Preschool Flash Cards: 7 Powerful Ways To Make Learning Fun, Fast, And Stress‑Free For Your Little One – Most Parents Miss Tip #4
• Articulation Flashcards: 7 Powerful Ways To Help Kids Speak Clearly Faster – Most Parents Miss #4
• Jolly Phonics Cards: 7 Powerful Ways To Help Kids Read Faster (Most Parents Don’t Know This) – Turn Any Phonics List Into Fun, Smart Flashcards On Your Phone