RWI Flashcards: The Essential Guide To Faster Phonics Learning Most Parents Don’t Know About – Turn any RWI word or sound into smart, interactive flashcards your child will *actually* remember

What Are RWI Flashcards (And Why Do They Matter So Much)?

If your child is learning to read with Read Write Inc. (RWI), you’ve probably already seen the classic paper flashcards with sounds, words, and green/red words.

They’re great… until:

• They get lost or bent
• Your child gets bored
• You forget to review them regularly
• You want to add your own words or school spellings

That’s where using an app like Flashrecall makes life a lot easier.

👉 Flashrecall is a fast, modern flashcard app that works perfectly with RWI. You can turn any RWI sound, word, or phrase into digital flashcards that your child can review on your iPhone or iPad, with built‑in spaced repetition and active recall so they actually remember.

You can grab it here (free to start):

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

Let’s break down how to use RWI flashcards properly – and how to upgrade them with Flashrecall so your child learns to read faster and with less frustration.

RWI Flashcards Basics (Explained Simply)

RWI (Read Write Inc.) teaches reading using:

• Set 1 sounds – basic single-letter sounds (m, a, s, d…) and a few digraphs
• Set 2 & 3 sounds – more complex sounds like ay, ee, igh, oa, oo, air, oi, etc.
• Green words – decodable words your child can sound out
• Red words / tricky words – words that can’t be easily sounded out (e.g. “said”, “one”)

Traditional RWI flashcards are usually:

• Physical cards with a sound on one side, picture or word on the other
• Word cards to practice blending and reading
• Sometimes homemade, scribbled on bits of paper

They work, but they’re limited. The real magic happens when you combine the RWI method with smart digital flashcards that:

• Adapt to what your child actually forgets
• Remind you when to review
• Let you add sounds, words, and even school spellings instantly

That’s exactly what Flashrecall is built for.

Why Digital RWI Flashcards Are a Game-Changer

Here’s why moving your RWI flashcards into an app like Flashrecall makes everything easier:

1. You Don’t Have to Remember When to Review

With paper cards, you have to remember to:

• Review yesterday’s sounds
• Go back to last week’s tricky words
• Revisit older sets so your child doesn’t forget

Realistically? Life gets in the way.

Flashrecall has built-in spaced repetition, which means:

• It automatically schedules review sessions
• Harder sounds/words appear more often
• Easy ones get spaced out
• You get study reminders so you don’t forget to practice

So instead of you tracking everything, you just open the app and it tells you, “Here’s what to review today.”

2. Active Recall Is Built In (So Learning Sticks)

RWI is all about children saying the sound or reading the word from memory.

Flashrecall is designed around active recall – it shows the prompt (e.g. “ay”) and your child has to:

• Say the sound
• Or read the word
• Then tap to reveal the answer and mark if it was easy/hard

This is exactly how the brain learns best. No passive scrolling, no mindless tapping – just proper recall.

3. You Can Make RWI Flashcards in Seconds

Flashrecall makes card creation ridiculously fast. You can:

• Take a photo of existing RWI cards or worksheets → Flashrecall turns them into flashcards
• Type in sounds or words manually if you prefer
• Paste text from school documents or word lists
• Import from PDFs your school sends
• Even use YouTube links (e.g. RWI phonics videos) to create cards from content

You’re not stuck waiting for physical packs or printing sheets. If your teacher sends a new list of green or red words, you can have them in the app in minutes.

How to Set Up RWI Flashcards in Flashrecall (Step-by-Step)

Here’s a simple way to structure RWI inside Flashrecall so it actually helps your child.

Step 1: Create a Deck for Each RWI Stage

For example:

• “RWI – Set 1 Sounds”
• “RWI – Set 2 Sounds”
• “RWI – Green Words”
• “RWI – Red/Tricky Words”

This keeps everything organised and easy to review.

Step 2: Add Sound Flashcards

For sound cards, you can set them up like:

• Front: “ay”
• Back: “ay – may I play?”

Or:

• Front: “igh”
• Back: “igh – fly high”

You can even add:

• Example words: “day, play, say”
• A quick note to yourself: “Child tends to mix this with ‘ai’”

In Flashrecall you can:

• Type them in manually
• Or snap a photo of the RWI sound card and turn it into a digital card instantly

Step 3: Add Green Word and Red Word Cards

For green words:

• Front: “rain”
• Back: “rain – r/ai/n”

For red/tricky words:

• Front: “said”
• Back: “said – tricky word, remember ‘ai’ sounds like ‘e’ here”

You can also add a simple sentence:

• Front: “said”
• Back: “He said yes.”

This helps your child see the word in context.

Step 4: Practice Little and Often (Flashrecall Helps Here)

Instead of long, exhausting sessions, aim for:

• 5–10 minutes per day
• A mix of sounds + green words + tricky words

Flashrecall:

• Reminds you when it’s time to study
• Automatically picks the right cards based on what your child needs to review
• Works offline, so you can use it in the car, waiting rooms, or anywhere

Using Flashrecall With Younger Kids (Without Overwhelming Them)

If your child is in Reception or Year 1, you want this to stay fun, not feel like an exam.

Here are some ideas:

1. Turn It Into a Game

• Let your child “teach” you the sounds and you pretend not to know
• Do a “speed round” – how many cards can they get right in 2 minutes?
• Give silly rewards: “If you get 5 sounds right, I have to do a dinosaur roar”

Flashrecall’s simple, modern interface makes it feel more like a game than homework.

2. Use Images and Audio

You can:

• Add pictures to help with meaning or memory
• Record your own voice saying the sound or word
• Use audio for children who struggle with reading but can recognise spoken words

Flashrecall supports images, text, audio, and more – perfect for early readers.

3. Let Them Tap the Answers

You can read the card aloud, and your child can:

• Say the sound or word
• Then tap to reveal the answer
• Mark if it was easy or hard

This keeps them involved and makes them feel in control.

Why Use Flashrecall Instead of Just Physical RWI Flashcards?

Paper RWI cards are fine. But Flashrecall solves a bunch of real-world problems:

• No more losing cards – everything’s in your phone or iPad
• No messy piles – decks are neatly organised by set or level
• Automatic review – spaced repetition + reminders built in
• Custom content – add school spellings, names, topic vocab, anything
• Works for siblings too – you can create separate decks for each child
• Works offline – perfect for travel or screen-time with purpose

Plus, Flashrecall is:

• Free to start
• Available on iPhone and iPad
• Fast, modern, and easy to use – you don’t need to be “techy” at all

Here’s the link again if you want to try it:

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

Beyond RWI: Other Ways to Use Flashrecall With Your Child

Once you’ve set up RWI flashcards, you can use Flashrecall for pretty much anything your child needs to remember:

• High-frequency words and sight words
• Spellings from weekly homework
• Topic vocab (space, animals, history, etc.)
• Times tables and basic maths facts
• Languages later on (French, Spanish, etc.)

And if you are studying something (uni, work, medicine, business), you can use the same app for your own flashcards too. One app, whole family.

Extra Power Feature: Chat With Your Flashcards

One really cool thing about Flashrecall is that you can chat with the flashcard if you or your child is unsure about something.

Example:

• You have a card for the word “thought”
• Your child keeps forgetting what it means or how to use it
• You can open the card and ask the built-in chat things like:
• “Use ‘thought’ in a simple sentence”
• “Explain ‘thought’ for a 6-year-old”

It’s like having a friendly tutor inside the app.

Simple RWI + Flashrecall Routine You Can Start Today

Here’s a super easy routine:

1. Add Today’s Sounds/Words

• After school, quickly add any new sounds or words the teacher introduced into Flashrecall.
• Snap a photo of the worksheet or card if that’s faster.

2. 5–10 Minutes Review

• Open Flashrecall and do the cards it suggests for the day.
• Focus on saying sounds and reading words out loud.

3. Mark What’s Hard

• If your child struggles with a sound or word, mark it as “hard” so Flashrecall shows it more often.

4. Weekly Top-Up

• Once a week, add any new tricky words or green words from school.
• Maybe create a “This Week’s Spellings” deck too.

That’s it. No complicated system, no giant ring binders of cards. Just small, consistent practice – powered by spaced repetition.

Final Thoughts: RWI Flashcards, But Smarter

RWI flashcards are powerful on their own, but when you combine them with a smart app like Flashrecall, you:

• Save time
• Stay organised
• Stop forgetting to review
• Help your child remember sounds and words for the long term

If you’re already doing RWI, using Flashrecall is one of the easiest upgrades you can make to your child’s reading routine.

You can try it free here:

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

Turn those RWI sounds and words into smart flashcards once – and let Flashrecall handle the rest.

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.

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