Response Cards for Explicit Teaching

35+ editable templates for Check for Understanding and Daily Review

Checking for understanding should be quick, clear and responsive.
These Response Cards for Explicit Teaching give you 35+ editable templates you can use during check for understanding or daily review, so every student can respond and you can see, in real time, who is ready to move on and who needs more support.

Designed for explicit teaching classrooms, these cards help you collect accurate data on student learning without adding more preparation time.

Already a member of the Structured Teaching Portal? Your download is available below ⬇️

---

What is included

Inside the Response Cards for Explicit Teaching pack you will find more than 35 card templates, including:

• Multiple choice response cards
  A, B, C, D options for fast, whole-class checks.

• True / False and Yes / No cards
  Ideal for quick concept checks and error analysis.

• Agree / Disagree cards
  Useful for vocabulary, statements and reasoning prompts.

• Correct / Incorrect icons
  Simple visual prompts for rapid responses.

• Numbered and matching templates
  For maths facts, spelling, and quick-fire recall tasks.

• Graphic organiser style cards
  For vocabulary, morphology, and short written responses.

Each card is fully editable in Canva, so you can adjust wording, colours and fonts to match your class and school preferences.

---

How these response cards support explicit teaching

These response cards are designed to work alongside explicit teaching routines such as:

• Daily Review
  Quickly check retention of previous learning at the start of a lesson.

• I Do, We Do, You Do
  Use the cards during the We Do and early You Do phases to identify who is secure and who needs more guided practice.

• Check for Understanding
  Replace “Any questions?” with visible responses from every student.

• Error correction and feedback
  Immediately see common errors so you can clarify, model again, or provide additional examples.

Instead of relying on hands-up or a small sample of volunteers, you gain whole-class data in seconds.

---

Why teachers choose Response Cards for Explicit Teaching

Teachers use these response cards because they:

• Encourages participation and is inclusive

• Reduce the time spent preparing individual worksheets

• Keep students engaged through quick, active responding

• Provide instant feedback about the impact of your instruction

• Support behaviour by giving students a clear, simple task

• Align with evidence-informed explicit teaching practices

You are not just printing cards. You are building a consistent Check for Understanding system in your classroom.

---

Who this resource is for

This resource is suitable for:

• Primary classroom teachers

• Secondary teachers using explicit teaching routines

• Intervention and learning support teachers

• Tutors and small-group instructors

• Instructional coaches modelling Check for Understanding

The cards can be used in whole-class, small-group or partner settings across multiple subject areas.

---

How to use the response cards

1. Choose the template
   Select the response card that best matches the question type you are using.

2. Print, laminate and store
   Prepare a class set and keep them in a central location for easy access.

3. Teach the routine
   Model how students should hold up their cards, when to respond and what happens after you check answers.

4. Use daily
   Build the cards into your Daily Review and Check for Understanding so students become familiar with the routine.

5. Adjust based on data
   Use what you see to reteach, provide extra examples or move on with confidence.

---

Editable in Canva

All response cards are created in Canva, allowing you to:

• Edit text and prompts

• Add school branding or class labels

• Duplicate and adapt templates for new units or subjects

You retain full flexibility while starting from a well-designed, explicit teaching aligned base.

Response Cards for Explicit Teaching

---

Get the Response Cards for Explicit Teaching

These Response Cards are part of the Structured Teaching Portal, where you will find a full range of tools, templates and instructional supports that strengthen every phase of explicit teaching.

Join the Structured Teaching Portal to access the entire collection and build consistent, high-impact routines across your lessons.

About Brolga Education

Hi 👋 I’m Trudy, a Lesson Design & Instructional Coach

I help teachers plan & deliver clear lessons, by simplifying explicit instruction that engages and drives progress.

Read more about my journey with Explicit Teaching here

Connect with me on Instagram

---