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Study Tipsby FlashRecall Team

Jolly Phonics Flashcards: 7 Powerful Ways To Help Kids Read Faster (Most Parents Don’t Know These Tricks) – Turn any Jolly Phonics sound, word, or worksheet into smart digital flashcards your child will actually want to use.

Turn your Jolly Phonics flashcards into quick digital decks that remind, repeat and stick using spaced repetition in Flashrecall. No laminating, no drama.

How Flashrecall app helps you remember faster. It's free

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Jolly Phonics Flashcards That Actually Get Used (Not Just Sit in a Box)

If you’re using Jolly Phonics, you already know it works.

The real struggle? Getting kids to practice the sounds regularly without a fight.

That’s where digital flashcards come in – especially if you use an app like Flashrecall:

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

With Flashrecall, you can turn any Jolly Phonics sheet, book page, or sound chart into instant flashcards that:

  • Remind your child to review at the right time
  • Use spaced repetition so sounds actually stick
  • Work on iPhone and iPad (and offline – perfect for car rides)

Let’s break down how to use Jolly Phonics flashcards in a smart, low-stress way.

What Are Jolly Phonics Flashcards, Really?

Jolly Phonics teaches kids to read using:

  • Letter sounds (not just letter names)
  • Actions for each sound (like /s/ with a snake movement)
  • Blending sounds to read words
  • Segmenting words to spell them

Jolly Phonics flashcards are usually:

  • Printed cards with single sounds (s, a, t, i, p, n, etc.)
  • Digraphs like sh, ch, th, ai, ee
  • Sometimes words that match the sounds they’ve learned

They’re great… until:

  • Cards get lost
  • Kids get bored
  • You forget to use them consistently

That’s where a digital flashcard app like Flashrecall quietly saves you.

Why Digital Jolly Phonics Flashcards Work Better (For Most Families)

Here’s the problem with physical flashcards:

You need to remember where they are, when to use them, and which sounds to review.

Flashrecall removes all that mental load:

  • Instant creation

Snap a photo of a Jolly Phonics page, sound chart, or workbook → Flashrecall automatically makes flashcards from it.

No typing, no cutting, no laminating.

  • Smart review (spaced repetition)

Flashrecall uses spaced repetition and active recall – it shows your child the tricky sounds more often, and the easy ones less often.

That’s exactly how memory works best.

  • Study reminders

You don’t have to remember to review sounds. Flashrecall sends gentle reminders so practice actually happens.

  • Works offline

Perfect for waiting rooms, buses, or long car rides – just hand over your phone or iPad and let them “play” with their sounds.

  • Free to start & super simple

It’s fast, modern, and easy to use. No confusing menus. Kids can tap through cards quickly.

Again, here’s the link if you want to try it while you read:

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

7 Powerful Ways To Use Jolly Phonics Flashcards With Flashrecall

1. Turn Jolly Phonics Sound Sheets Into Instant Cards

Got a Jolly Phonics sound chart or workbook?

Do this:

1. Open Flashrecall on your iPhone or iPad

2. Tap to create a new deck – call it “Jolly Phonics Set 1”

3. Take a photo of the sound sheet

4. Let Flashrecall auto-generate flashcards from the image

You’ll instantly have cards like:

  • Front: “s” – Back: sound /s/ with example “snake”
  • Front: “a” – Back: sound /a/ with example “ant”

You can quickly edit or add:

  • The action for the sound
  • A word using that sound
  • A picture if you want to make it more fun

Now you’ve got a digital version of your Jolly Phonics set that you’ll never lose.

2. Add The Actions And Stories So Kids Remember Faster

Flashrecall automatically keeps track and reminds you of the cards you don't remember well so you remember faster. Like this :

Flashrecall spaced repetition reminders notification

Jolly Phonics is memorable because of the actions and stories.

So don’t just put the letter on the card.

Example flashcards in Flashrecall:

  • Front: s

Back:

  • Sound: /s/
  • Action: Move arm like a snake
  • Word: “sun”
  • Front: sh

Back:

  • Sound: /sh/
  • Action: Finger to lips “shhh”
  • Word: “ship”

You can type this in manually, or snap a photo of the Jolly Phonics teacher’s book or worksheet and let Flashrecall pull text from it automatically.

3. Use Active Recall The Right Way (Don’t Just Show The Answer)

When your child studies with Flashrecall, they’ll see:

  • The front of the card (e.g., “sh”)
  • They try to remember the sound and action
  • Then tap to reveal the back

Flashrecall then asks:

“How hard was this?” → Easy / Medium / Hard

This is active recall – the brain has to try before seeing the answer.

That’s way more powerful than just flipping through cards randomly.

You can coach your child to:

  • Say the sound out loud
  • Do the action
  • Give a word with that sound

Then tap to see if they were right.

4. Let Spaced Repetition Handle What To Review (So You Don’t Have To)

You don’t need to track:

  • “We haven’t seen ‘ai’ in a while”
  • “They always forget ‘th’”

Flashrecall does that automatically.

  • If your child taps Hard, that sound will come back sooner
  • If they tap Easy, it will come back later

Over time, they’ll naturally see:

  • Tricky sounds like th, ch, ou more often
  • Easy sounds like s, a, t less often

This is what makes spaced repetition so effective – and it’s built into Flashrecall without you needing to set anything up.

5. Create Simple Word Flashcards Once They Know Some Sounds

Once your child knows a few Jolly Phonics sets, move to blending.

Inside Flashrecall, create a new deck:

  • “Jolly Phonics CVC Words” (CVC = consonant-vowel-consonant like “cat”)

Example cards:

  • Front: cat – Back: “c – a – t → cat”
  • Front: ship – Back: “sh – i – p → ship”
  • Front: rain – Back: “r – ai – n → rain”

You can:

  • Type these in manually
  • Or paste from a word list
  • Or snap a photo of a Jolly Phonics word list and turn it into cards

Now your child is not just recognizing sounds – they’re reading real words built from those sounds.

6. Use Flashcards Anywhere: Turn Bored Time Into Reading Time

One huge advantage of using Flashrecall for Jolly Phonics:

You don’t need to carry a box of cards.

You can use it:

  • In the car
  • At restaurants while waiting for food
  • In the doctor’s waiting room
  • On the sofa for 5-minute sessions

Because Flashrecall works offline, you don’t even need Wi‑Fi.

Short, frequent practice like this is way more effective than one long “study session” that everyone dreads.

7. Let Older Kids “Chat With The Flashcards” When They’re Curious

Flashrecall has a really cool feature:

You can chat with the flashcard if you’re unsure about something.

This is more useful for slightly older kids or parents who want extra explanations.

Example:

  • Card: “th”
  • You/your child can ask:
  • “What are some more ‘th’ words?”
  • “Why does ‘th’ sound different in ‘this’ and ‘thin’?”

The app can help expand beyond just the basic sound, which is great as kids move from simple phonics to more complex reading.

How Flashrecall Compares To Traditional Jolly Phonics Flashcards

  • ✅ Tactile and hands-on
  • ✅ No screen time
  • ❌ Easy to lose
  • ❌ Hard to organize by “tricky” vs “easy”
  • ❌ You must remember when to review
  • ✅ Never get lost
  • ✅ Spaced repetition is built-in
  • ✅ Study reminders so you don’t forget
  • ✅ Works offline on iPhone & iPad
  • ✅ Instantly created from images, PDFs, or typed text
  • ✅ You can add sounds, actions, and pictures easily
  • ✅ Great as your child moves from phonics to full reading, school subjects, languages, exams, and more

The best combo for a lot of families:

  • Use physical Jolly Phonics in lessons
  • Use Flashrecall for daily practice and revision

Step-By-Step: Set Up Your First Jolly Phonics Deck In Flashrecall

Here’s a simple starter plan:

1. Download Flashrecall

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

2. Create Deck 1: “Jolly Phonics Sounds Set 1”

  • Add cards for: s, a, t, i, p, n
  • Front: letter
  • Back: sound, action, example word

3. Create Deck 2: “Jolly Phonics Digraphs”

  • sh, ch, th, ai, ee, oa, etc.

4. Create Deck 3: “Jolly Phonics Words”

  • cat, pin, tap, ship, rain, feet, etc.

5. Do 5–10 minutes a day

  • Let your child tap through cards
  • Encourage them to say the sound + do the action + read the word
  • Let Flashrecall handle the scheduling with its spaced repetition and reminders

In a few weeks, you’ll notice:

  • Faster sound recall
  • More confident blending
  • Less “I forgot that one again” moments

Final Thoughts: Make Jolly Phonics Practice Easy, Not Exhausting

You don’t need perfect routines or color-coded systems.

You just need:

  • Short, regular practice
  • A way to review the right sounds at the right time

Jolly Phonics gives you a fantastic method.

Flashrecall gives you the tool to make that method stick – with:

  • Instant flashcards from images, text, or PDFs
  • Built-in active recall and spaced repetition
  • Study reminders
  • Offline access
  • Free to start on iPhone and iPad

If you’re already using Jolly Phonics, it’s absolutely worth turning your materials into smart flashcards:

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

Set it up once, and let the app quietly handle the hard part: helping your child remember.

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.

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