Do-It-Yourself Ringed Cards for Teaching Beginning, Middle, End & Story Development

Recently, I saw a clever sound blending idea on Pinterest using rings and small cards. It reminded me of our very popular blog using popsicle sticks to teach story elements using the Story Grammar Marker^®.

With these thoughts in mind, here are three ideas that are simple to make and easy to transport from one site to another making them ideal for teachers/interventionists/therapists who move from class to class.

Materials:

• Ringed cards already cut. I found a set at our local Walmart store by Myndology (75 blank cards in each pack, 2-1/8 x 3-5/16 inches, very reasonably priced).

• Clear, colored plastic folders—one black, green, yellow and red (I never throw anything out!).
  
  
• SGM^® STAMPede Stamps and stamp pad, a paper punch, scissors, ruler, rings, and markers.
• MindWing’s FunPack™ Card Deck
  
  
  
  

IDEA #1

To reinforce the story elements...

Beginning

Middle

End

...I cut one each (same size as blank index cards) of green, yellow and red from the plastic folders and punched a hole at the tops for the rings. Using a half (one side) of the black folder, I punched three holes at the top.

With the STAMPede set, I stamped the icons.

I assembled cards to the black folder, as shown.

IDEA #2

IDEA #3

This idea would also fit very nicely with our Fun Pack Card Deck! This colorful, eye-catching deck of cards (standard 52-card deck with 2 jokers) is for use with Narrative as well as Expository text. Each “suit” represents an “episode” of a narrative and the Jokers depict expository text features.

Since there are 4 suits in the deck of playing cards, you can make 4 sets of ringed cards by punching a hole in the top of each card. The “beginning” of the story is Ace, 2, 3 4, King and 5, the “middle” is 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and the “end” of the story is the Jack and Queen of one suit.

There are also 10 suggested games in a booklet available on our website for use with the cards that incorporate lessons for working on language, thinking and social skills—all in conjunction with children’s literature & MindWing’s methodology.

These cards, by nature, are fun for all ages! And, they may be a particularly appealing manipulative for some adolescents (as opposed to Braidy the StoryBraid^® or Story Grammar Marker^® manipulatives).

All three ideas are easy to make, assemble, store, and will add variety to your lessons!