Printable values cards and worksheet
Everything you need to run the card sort on paper, free to print and copy for personal, clinical, and educational use. The adult deck, the worksheet, the instructions, the values lists, and the group materials come in English and Spanish. The youth deck is in English only.
The card deck
All 83 values from the Personal Values Card Sort, each with the meaning from its card, plus the three sorting pile cards and blank “Other value” cards for values of your own. The last page has notes on the deck and on printing. Print on card stock at actual size.
- Cut-out sheets Values cards PDF or with card backs for double-sided printing
- Business card sheets, no cutting Avery 5371 or 8371
- In Spanish cut-out, with backs, Avery 5371
The youth deck
A shorter deck in plain words for children and teens, with values from Values Card Sort for Kids by Aria E. Fiat, PhD, adapted and used with her permission. Her values are not in the public domain, so please keep the credit on the last page with any copies. Her own deck is available from Cincinnati Children’s. The kids and teens page has tips for running it with a child or a class.
- Cut-out sheets Youth cards PDF or with card backs
- Business card sheets, no cutting Avery 5371 or 8371
The recording worksheet
One page for writing down a sort done with the printed cards: the ten most central values, the top five in order with a few words on each, and one small step for the week. The fillable version can be typed into on a computer or tablet.
- Recording worksheet Printable worksheet PDF or fillable PDF
- In Spanish printable, fillable
Instructions for clients
A one-page sheet to hand out with the cards or as homework between sessions. It explains the sort online and on paper, walks through the four steps, and says what to bring to the next session.
The values on their own
All 83 values under the seven headings, without the cards. The lists work as a reference to keep on hand. The checklists are for a quick sort on paper: check anything that matters to you, star the ones that are very important, and write your top five at the bottom. Each comes with the short meanings or as names only on a single page.
- Lists with meanings, 2 pages or names only, 1 page
- Checklists to check and star with meanings, 2 pages or names only, 1 page
- In Spanish list, names only, checklist, checklist, names only
For groups
Facilitator guides and participant handouts for running the sort in a therapy group, in three formats: one 50-minute session, one 90-minute session, or a three-session series. Members work from a printed list of all 83 values, checking and starring in two passes instead of sorting cards. Each guide runs from opening to close with suggested wording at every stage, and each handout has only what that session needs.
- 50 minutes Facilitator guide, 3 pages and participant handout, 4 pages
- 90 minutes Facilitator guide, 6 pages and participant handout, 5 pages
- Three sessions Facilitator guide, 7 pages, with a handout for session 1, session 2, and session 3
- In Spanish guides for 50 minutes, 90 minutes, and three sessions. The handouts are on the Spanish printables page.
Using them
Sort the cards into the three piles first, without thinking too long about any one card. Then narrow the Very Important pile to ten, choose five, and put them in order. The step-by-step guide explains each part with a worked example, and For therapists has a suggested session structure and questions to ask. For a group, choose the facilitator guide that fits the time you have.
If you would rather do it on a screen, the online values card sort follows the same steps and gives you your results as a PDF at the end.