affect/effect

[roadwalker]

Is there a very simple way to explain to children which to use, I go round in circles and confuse them

I use:
A person is A-ffected.
and
ThE E-ffect is....

Depending on reading/writing levels there are lots of printables out there, and I find practice ( practice/practise being tricky too) is helpful: then even if they cannot say the rule they can use it:
english.clas.asu.edu/files/shared/enged/AffectvsEffect.pdf
teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/magazines/scope/pdfs/SCOPE-REPRO-090511-All.pdf
There are LOADS if you google.

Broadly: Affect = Action (are you doing something?), Effect = Event (did you make something happen?).

Trouble is you can, effect a manoeuvre (verb), or have flat affect (noun).

Which rather screws up the whole noun-verb thang.

effect a manoeuvre
Yep. But an uncommon use for children, I would imagine? And still falls into the action/event rule?

have flat affect
Don't get this example.