Supporting Students with Cue Cards

In this article in Kappa Delta Pi Record, Greg Conderman and Laura Hedin (Northern Illinois University) recommend the use of cue cards to help students remember and apply key steps via written or pictorial prompts, procedures, instructions, or guidelines – for example:

• Transitioning to morning meeting;
• Remembering homework and supplies;
• Vocabulary words and definitions in two languages or in Braille;
• Steps for solving math problems;
• Drafting, editing, and polishing writing;
• The sequence for solving an algebra problem;
• Important historical events and dates;
• Study and test-taking strategies.

These can be on individual index cards, cardstock, laminated sheets, or displayed on a class poster, and can be especially helpful for students with learning disabilities, memory issues, and those who need support managing academic and behavioral tasks. Cue cards can be kept in binders, backpacks, electronic devices, taped to the inside door of lockers, or can be used as bookmarks. Some cue cards have a space for students to check off completed steps, promoting self-regulation and making it easier for the teacher to monitor progress. “Using individualized cue cards,” say Conderman and Hedin, “students rely less on others and may complete tasks with less adult or peer support… Teachers can gradually diminish students’ dependence on a cue card by encouraging them to memorize steps, teaching them to test themselves by covering up familiar or mastered cue-card steps, introducing a mnemonic to remember the steps, or having students quiz one another with a partner or in small groups.” 

Here’s an example of a three-column cue card for COPS editing:

STEP ASK YOURSELF     CHECK WHEN COMPLETED

C (Capitalization) Did I capitalize the first word of

every sentence and all proper nouns?

O (Overall Did I look over my paper to make

   Appearance) sure it is neat, easy to read, and does

not have any spacing or messy errors?

P (Punctuation) Did I use the correct end punctuation

for every sentence?

S (Spelling) Did I spell all the words correctly?

The authors recommend these steps to create cue cards: (a) informally assess students’ current skill or knowledge level; (b) develop an appropriate cue card; (c) introduce the steps to the student; (d) model the use of the card; (e) have students memorize the steps and practice using the card with some support; (f) gradually fade the use of the card; and (g) teach students to develop their own cue cards. 

“Using Cue Cards Throughout the K-12 Curriculum” by Greg Conderman and Laura Hedin in Kappa Delta Pi Record, January-March 2015 (Vol. 51, #1, p. 24-30), 

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00228958.2015.988561#pre...; Conderman can be reached at GConderman@niu.edu.

From the Marshall Memo #571