Why Teach Opposites?

Teaching your student about opposites helps build their observation and analytical skills. It also expands their vocabulary, helping them to comprehend, retain and convey information.

Understanding opposites is a prerequisite for more advanced literacy and numeracy skills such as giving instructions and differentiating between large and small numbers.

Opposites Flashcards

What’s included

  • 40 clear and captivating cards
    To keep your student engaged

  • 10 pairs of opposites
    That are relevant to everyday life

  • A clear label on the reverse side of each card
    So you’ll stay on track with your teaching

  • A step by step activity guide that’s easy to use
    Encouraging you to use the cards in many ways

Teaching Targets

There are 10 pairs of opposites included in this set and there are 4 images for each pair (eg 2 dirty and 2 clean images)

These categories are relevant to everyday life:

big/small

long/short

dirty/clean

empty/full

wet/dry

many/few

open/closed

front/back

high/low

on/off

Teaching Support

  • A step by step activities guide is included
    That gives focus and direction to your lessons

  • The activities are listed in order of complexity
    Starting with the easy ones will foster a feeling of success

  • Suitable for early through to more advanced learners
    So the way you use the cards can evolve as your student progresses

  • There are a variety of touching, sorting and saying activities
    This variety adds interest and will deepen your student’s understanding of nouns

  • There are suggestions for how to generalise to everyday life
    The greatest success comes with integrating the lessons learned into day to day living

Activity Examples

Two activity examples are described below.

  • Matching

  • Saying

About
This is a simple activity that requires the student to match an a pair of opposite flashcards when asked to do so.

How to
Place 4 cards on the table.
Example: a dirty, small, open and many card
Hand the student a card that is the opposite to one of the cards on the table and ask the student to ” Match the opposite cards.”
The student is expected to match the ‘big’ card that has been handed to them with the ‘small’ card on the table.

Prompting for success
If the student is struggling, gently guide their hand to match the card they are holding with the correct card on the table and state the name of the pair (Say “Small is opposite to big”)

About
This is a simple activity that requires the student to name the opposite of a pair.

How to
Show the student a card and ask them to name its opposite.
Example: Show a set of dirty boots and ask “What is the opposite to dirty?”
The student is expected to say “Clean.”

Prompting for success
If the student is struggling, gently provide them with the required response (Say “Clean”) and then ask them the same question. This time, wait for the student to respond to the question.

Free Download: Flashcard Activity Guides

Take the guess work out of how to use the cards by following our activity guides. With simple, step-by-step advice and helpful pictures, they’ve been designed so that you get the most out of the cards and out of each lesson with your student. Feel purposeful, organised and confident whilst you teach.

Opposites buying options

Purchase the Opposites Flashcards separately or as part of a larger language pack.

Opposites Flashcards
Our single set option. There are 40 Opposites cards in a single box. For a list of the 10 pairs of opposites click here.

Language Flashcard Library
Our eight sets in one box option. The eight sets are Opposites, Categories, Go Togethers, Emotions Vol 1 and 2, Prepositions and Verbs Vol 1 and 2. Purchase this set and our Nouns Set to buy our entire range.

What our valued customers say

Shop our complete range

Frequently Asked Questions

The label (which is often called the teaching concept) is written on the reverse side of each card. For example, if the teaching concept is ‘wet’, then the word ‘wet’ appears on the reverse side of the card. Beneath the word ‘wet’ is the word ‘dry’ (in brackets and italics) which explains that the opposite of ‘wet’ is ‘dry’.

The intention of having two pairs is to consolidate a student’s understanding of opposites. A second example serves to build on a student’s understanding of the first example.

Absolutely! You don’t need to be a qualified teacher to use these flashcards. Many parents and grandparents have provided us with positive feedback about using these cards. And the step by step guide included in the set suggests a range of activities which are suitable for very early through to more advanced learners.