Makaton Flashcards: 7 Powerful Ways To Teach Signs Faster And Make Learning Fun – Discover how digital flashcards can turn everyday moments into effortless Makaton practice.

Why Makaton Flashcards Can Be A Total Game-Changer

If you’re using Makaton with your child, students, or clients, you already know one thing:

consistency is everything.

But printing, cutting, laminating, organizing… then losing half the cards under the sofa?

Yeah, not fun.

That’s where using a flashcard app like Flashrecall makes life way easier. With Flashrecall, you can:

• Turn any image, PDF, or screenshot of a Makaton sign into instant flashcards
• Add your own photos, words, and audio to match the person’s world
• Use built‑in spaced repetition so important signs are reviewed right when they’re about to be forgotten
• Study on iPhone or iPad, even offline
• Start free and build as many decks as you like

Here’s the link so you can see it while you read:

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

Let’s break down how to actually use Makaton flashcards in a smart, low‑effort, high‑impact way.

What Are Makaton Flashcards, Really?

Makaton flashcards are just visual prompts to help someone:

• Recognise the sign or symbol
• Connect it with the spoken word
• Use it in real life (not just at the table during “learning time”)

Traditionally, that’s:

• Laminated symbol cards
• Picture + word cards
• Maybe a photo of the sign

But now, digital flashcards let you:

• Store hundreds of signs in your pocket
• Mix photos, symbols, and words
• Add audio for speech modelling
• Review them anywhere – in the car, waiting room, park, supermarket

Flashrecall is perfect for this because you can create cards from:

• Photos of Makaton symbols or signs
• Screenshots from teaching resources (that you’re allowed to use)
• Your own photos of everyday objects (“cup”, “bed”, “toilet”, “more”, “finished”)
• Typed prompts and definitions

1. Start With Everyday, Functional Signs (Not Random Lists)

You don’t need 200 signs on day one.

You need useful signs that show up every day.

Good starting categories:

• Needs: more, finished, help, toilet, drink, eat
• People: mum, dad, teacher, friend, brother, sister
• Routines: bath, bed, school, home, bus
• Feelings: happy, sad, tired, angry

In Flashrecall, you could create decks like:

• “Daily Needs – Makaton”
• “Home Routine – Makaton”
• “Feelings & Emotions – Makaton”

Each card might have:

• Front: Picture or symbol + the word
• Back:
• A description of how to do the sign
• Maybe a second image showing the sign
• Optional audio of you saying the word

Because Flashrecall lets you add images, text, and audio, you can build really rich cards that match the person’s world.

2. Use Photos From Their Life, Not Just Generic Symbols

Makaton symbols are great, but they’re abstract.

For some learners, real photos click much faster.

Examples:

• Use a photo of their actual cup, not just a generic “cup” symbol
• A photo of their bed, their school, their favourite snack
• Pictures of family members, not just “man / woman / child” symbols

In Flashrecall, you can:

1. Take a photo on your phone

2. Add it directly into a flashcard

3. Type the word (“cup”)

4. Add a short note like “We sign ‘cup’ like this: [brief description]”

You can even mix:

• Front: Real photo
• Back: Makaton symbol + description of the sign

That way, they connect:

> Real object → symbol → sign → spoken word

3. Use Spaced Repetition So Signs Actually Stick

The big problem with paper flashcards?

People use them for a week… then forget.

Flashrecall has built‑in spaced repetition and study reminders, which means:

• You review signs right before they’d be forgotten
• The app automatically schedules reviews
• You don’t have to remember what to revise and when

So for Makaton, that looks like:

• A new sign you’re introducing gets reviewed a lot at first
• As it becomes familiar, it shows up less often
• Harder signs keep popping up until they’re solid

You can just open Flashrecall and tap “Study” – the app handles the timing.

This is huge if you’re:

• A busy parent
• A teacher with 100 other things to do
• A therapist trying to track multiple students

4. Turn Real-Life Moments Into Flashcards (In Seconds)

The best Makaton learning happens in context – during the day, not only during a “lesson”.

Example:

• You’re at the park, and you’re using the sign for “swing”
• Quickly snap a photo of your child on the swing
• Add it to Flashrecall as a card:
• Front: photo of them on the swing
• Back: the word “swing”, a description of the sign, maybe audio of you saying it

Later, when you’re at home:

• Review that card
• Use the sign again
• Maybe show a short video of the sign while you practise

Flashrecall lets you make cards from images, text, audio, PDFs, even YouTube links – so if you have a video demonstrating the sign, you can attach the link as a reference on the card.

5. Use Active Recall, Not Just Passive Looking

Just looking at cards isn’t enough.

You want the person to actively try:

• The sign
• The word
• Or both

Flashrecall is built around active recall – you see the prompt, then you answer from memory before checking the back.

For Makaton, you can do things like:

• Show the word and ask: “Can you show me the sign?”
• Show the picture and ask: “What’s the sign for this?”
• Or show the symbol and ask for the spoken word

You tap how easy or hard it was, and Flashrecall adjusts when to show that card again.

This is way more powerful than just flipping through a set of printed cards while the learner passively watches.

6. Make It Fun: Games, Choices, And Short Sessions

Especially for kids (and honestly, adults too), short, playful practice works best.

Some ideas using Makaton flashcards in Flashrecall:

• Choice game

Show 3–4 cards (e.g. “drink”, “eat”, “toilet”, “play”) and say:

“Show me which one is ‘drink’” – they point or sign.

• Sign it before you flip it

Open a study session. For each card:

• You show the picture/word
• They try the sign
• Then you flip to check
• Mini sessions

Do 3–5 minutes, a few times a day. Because Flashrecall works offline, you can do a quick run-through:

• In the car
• In a waiting room
• Before bed

Short, frequent practice + spaced repetition = way better than one long “lesson” once a week.

7. Use Flashrecall To Support Parents, Carers, And Staff

If you’re a teacher, therapist, or support worker, you know half the battle is:

> Getting everyone around the learner to use the same signs consistently.

With Flashrecall, you can:

• Create a shared Makaton deck for your class or client
• Add:
• Photos
• Symbols
• Notes like “We use this sign at snack time”
• Ask parents/carers to install Flashrecall on their iPhone or iPad
• Share the deck (e.g. via export or shared resources) so everyone is practising the same vocabulary

This way:

• Staff can quickly revise signs before sessions
• Parents can practise at home with reminders
• Everyone is literally on the same page (or card!)

What Makes Flashrecall So Good For Makaton?

There are lots of flashcard tools out there, but for Makaton specifically, Flashrecall fits really well because it’s:

• Fast and modern – you can go from “I need a card for this sign” to “done” in seconds
• Visual‑first – perfect for photo and symbol‑based learning
• Flexible – works for:
• Languages
• School subjects
• Exams
• Medicine
• Business
• And of course, Makaton and communication support
• Works offline – so you can practise anywhere
• Free to start – so you can try it without commitment
• Available on iPhone and iPad

You can even chat with your flashcards if you’re unsure about something – for example, to ask for explanations, examples, or ways to use a word in a sentence (super handy if you’re also teaching spoken language alongside Makaton).

Here’s the link again so you don’t have to scroll:

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

Example: Building A Simple “Daily Needs” Makaton Deck In Flashrecall

Here’s how a quick setup might look:

> Daily Needs – Makaton

1. More

• Front: Photo of your child signing “more” OR a picture of their favourite snack
• Back: Word “More”, Makaton symbol image, short text: “Tap fingertips together twice”

2. Finished

• Front: Photo of empty plate / toy box
• Back: Word “Finished”, description of sign, maybe your voice saying “finished”

3. Drink

• Front: Photo of their usual cup
• Back: Word + description of sign

4. Help

• Front: Icon or photo of you helping them with something
• Back: Word + sign description

Then:

• Do 3–5 minutes of practice once or twice a day
• Let Flashrecall’s spaced repetition bring back cards at the right time
• Add new signs gradually as they master the old ones

Final Thoughts: Make Makaton Practice Easy, Not Exhausting

You don’t need to be perfect.

You don’t need a giant laminated wall of symbols.

You just need:

• A small, meaningful set of signs
• Consistent practice in real life
• A simple system that reminds you what to practise and when

That’s exactly what Flashrecall gives you:

• Instant flashcards from photos, text, PDFs, and more
• Built‑in active recall and spaced repetition
• Study reminders so you don’t forget
• Works offline on iPhone and iPad
• Free to start, easy to use, and flexible enough for anything you’re learning

If you’re using Makaton and want to make practice simpler and more effective, try building your first Makaton deck in Flashrecall today:

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

Turn those everyday moments into powerful communication practice – without drowning in paper cards.

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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