Former Teacher Brings Screen-Free, Color-Coded Algebra Cards to San Pedro After-School Students

Former teacher Farnaz Ehtessabian pilots her tactile, audio-supported algebra cards with a local Boys & Girls Club, plus an English/Spanish classroom workbook.

RICHARDSON, TX, UNITED STATES, October 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- When Farnaz Ehtessabian was teaching algebra, she noticed something that worried her. Her students could find any answer online in seconds, but very little of it stuck. So she went back to something simple: a card you can hold, write on and talk about with the person sitting next to you.

That idea became AlgebraCards, and this fall Ehtessabian has started bringing it to young people in her own neighborhood through a Boys & Girls Club after-school program in San Pedro, California.

Ehtessabian first created the system in 2013 and used it for years in her own classes. Each card is 5x7 inches and walks through one step of one topic, with the chapter heading printed at the top so students always know where a skill fits. The cards are color coded by section, which makes it easier to remember where a concept lives, and they're made to be written on. Students circle the step that trips them up, add their own notes, then wipe the card clean and go again.

Every card also has a matching audio episode, and none of them run longer than three minutes. Students can play the short companion audio episodes while looking at the exact card being explained, then go back over it on their own. Ehtessabian says that second look, without the audio, is often when it finally clicks.

"This isn't just about math," Ehtessabian said. "We've lost the chance for students to talk to each other, to work through a problem together and feel proud of themselves for speaking up. These cards bring that conversation back to the table, and that's where confidence starts."

That's a big part of why the cards work so well in small groups. A handful of students can gather around one card, highlight the steps, talk through where things went wrong and take notes together. Teachers can also use them for flipped lessons, where students listen to the episode and review the card at home so class time can go to discussion and practice. Some of Ehtessabian's former students have told her they kept using the same card method years later in physics, biology and social studies.

The system comes in two full sets. AlgebraCards Part One covers variables and expressions, inequalities, equations, functions and linear functions, through to extended functions, while Part Two moves on to quadratic and exponential functions, probability, sequences, systems, polynomials and factors. Each set is $50.

For bilingual and dual-language classrooms, Ehtessabian also offers an English/Spanish workbook. It takes the same card design and sets it alongside space for students to work, with every explanation in both languages. The idea came from her husband, who is originally from Chile, and it was built for teachers looking for algebra resources for multilingual learners that students can genuinely use on their own. The workbook is available to schools and post-secondary programs, with a minimum order of 15 copies or one per student in the class.

"This is what a teacher needs in a classroom," Ehtessabian said. "There's no training needed for the teacher or the students. It's right there in front of you, so you can dive straight in and get creative with it."

Working with the Boys & Girls Club felt like a natural next step. Ehtessabian wants her bilingual materials in the hands of organizations that support young people every day, and she hopes the San Pedro program can grow into something Clubs in other communities can pick up too.

The cards themselves are printed in the United States. Ehtessabian chose an American printer over cheaper overseas options and worked through several test versions before she was happy with the material, because she wanted sets sturdy enough to last. A set bought for one child, she says, should still be ready to go when a younger brother or sister reaches algebra.

Tutors and homeschool families use AlgebraCards too, especially those looking for a screen-free way to work through algebra at home. Schools and organizations ordering in larger quantities can ask about bulk pricing through the Algebra Cards website.

AlgebraCards is a subsidiary of Education Heroes LLC. It makes step-by-step algebra and pre-algebra cards for guided instruction, practice and review, along with a companion audio series and an English/Spanish classroom workbook. Find out more at algebracards.com.

Emma Sivess
Unlimited Content
email us here