More on traffic lights

What made this go well: the students seem to find this a bit more fun than thumbs up or similar, and they like having bright cards. I found more took part when I used the cards than with other techniques.

I use the traffic light cards for many things. Here are some examples.

1 When you set a student activity, give out traffic light cards for the pupils to show green if they are ok, orange if they are a bit unsure/want checking, or red if they are really stuck. This avoids hands up, and you can easily see as you are walking round if pupils need help. It is really good for when you have students who lack confidence to put their hand up in front of the class.

2 True or false quizzes: green for T, red for F and orange for unsure. From the front it is much easier to assess answers than thumbs up or down.

3 Multiple choice quizzes: I create powerpoints with answers in three different colours.

By using brightly coloured cards, you can register pupil responses very quickly and easily.

I have found these work at both Key stage 3 and 4 (have not yet tried them at A-level as I have only taught a couple of A-level lessons – I am a trainee).

Last updated: 31 March 2008