Just as you can create flash cards during the process of active reading, you can also use them as a tool for improving your memory. Flash cards—with a question, term, or piece of information on one side and the answer, definition, or explanation on the other—can serve as memory aids. One of the advantages of flash cards is that you can keep them in your backpack or jacket, or on your mobile device. Then you can look at them anywhere, even when you don’t have enough time to take out your notebook to study.

Flash cards can help you make good use of time that might otherwise be wasted, such as time spent on the bus or waiting for a friend. Flash cards are excellent tools for improving your vocabulary, especially if you are learning English as a second language. See the “Reading to Learn” chapter for more information about creating and using flash cards.