*Please note: Boom Learning and Boom Cards are the trademarks of Boom Learning (a dba of Omega Labs Inc.). Google is a trademark of Google LLC. Seesaw is a registered trademark of Seesaw Learning, Inc.*
With the spring of 2020 adding an unexpected challenge to teaching, I started thinking of ways that I could help teachers that were in need of digital curriculum. I did create some Google resources, but sometimes these can be tricky for younger students when they are not used to using them. Since I specialize in 1st and 2nd grade resources, I wanted something that was student friendly for this age group. That is when I decided to start creating Boom Cards. What are Boom Cards you ask? Well, let me tell you a little bit about them!
Boom Cards are digital, self-checking, interactive activities. Think of these as digital task cards, but WAY cooler! They can vary in skill and complexity. For instance, some decks are multiple choice, some involve typing an answer, and some are drag and drop tasks. Keep reading to find out why teachers are huge fans of Boom Cards.
1. Completely Digital
This means, no printing, laminating, or cutting. These are no prep for the teacher besides assigning the deck to the students via a web link! This will save you TONS of prep time. I mean, who doesn't love that? Because these are cloud based, students can access them from anywhere as long as they have the link!
2. Self-Checking
Students will tap on, type, or drag and drop their answer, and then BOOM, it checks it for them! It will give them a green circle along with a “ching” sound if they get it correct. If they get the question incorrect, they will be prompted to answer again and will hear an “oops” sound. This is great so that students aren't practicing incorrectly.
3. Great for Differentiation
Many Boom Card authors have included different levels within the same deck of cards. For instance, I create 3 different levels within my shapes decks to meet the objectives for kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. You can also assign decks to certain students or your entire class. There is also the ability to hide cards if you do not cover a certain topic or would just prefer that your students don't do that card!
4. Interactive
Depending on how the cards are set up, the student can manipulate the pieces on the card. For example, if a student is adding on the number line, they can move the counter to start at the lowest number and count on.
5. Fun
Teachers email me all the time to say how much fun Boom Cards are! I have heard from numerous teachers that their students beg to play them. I have even had teachers create a digital early finishers board using these. Many teachers like to use these for morning work or as a review of a certain skill. The best thing about them is that students don't think of it as “work” because they are so fun!
6. Stations
With many teachers looking for non-traditional ways to do centers, Boom Cards have been a godsend! This allows students to play independently. This helps with pacing, classroom management, and off task behavior. This eliminates the frustrations of student's who feel like they can't keep up with the classmates in their group or the kids that finish at a faster pace and are “waiting around” for others so they can move on.
7. Accommodations
This is not true for all Boom Cards, but for the ones I create, I make sure to include a sound feature. I have worked with many special education, dyslexic, and ESL students over the years. In many accommodations, it is required that the teacher read aloud the material. This can be tricky some times, especially if students are at a center and you are teaching small groups. I thought it was essential to include a sound features in each set of Boom Cards™ I create. Students can hit a sound icon to have the directions, words, or choices read to him or her. It's like having a teacher sitting right next to them! Students have the option to not hit the sound button and read the words or sentences themselves.
8. Preview Before Purchasing
You can check out the first 4 cards from any deck for free! You can check to see if you like the layout, the quality, and see if it fits your classroom needs. Check out this preview for an example.
9. Printable
Teachers love this feature because they can print out a copy of the deck and send it home as a review, for homework, or for extra practice practice and no additional work has to be done on their part!
10. Can Be Assigned Through Google Classroom or Seesaw
Students do have to play the cards through the Boom platform, but they can be assigned with Google Classroom or Seesaw. Many virtual learning teachers like playing a deck and sharing their screen. Then, they will ask a student what they think the answer is. You can either copy and paste the link into whatever platform you use to communicate with your class (email, Class Dojo, Canvas, Remind, etc.) or use the fast pin code on the Boom Learning Website!
Other Benefits
•Once your purchase or add a free Boom Card deck to your library, they are there forever! You will always have access to assign and play your Boom Cards in “fast play” mode. This is basically like a pin code that students will use to play the game. Fast play is perfect to model on an interactive board in whole group or small group.
•Some other great benefits of using Boom Cards is that it can provide you with some great data! This is a benefit of having a paid plan. This is perfect for creating small groups, having records for RTI, showing growth, and collect data for your IEPs. The reports will tell you how many times students have done the deck of cards, their accuracy level, and the amount of time it took them to finish the deck.
•Decks randomize (shuffle) unless it is a deck that is set up to go in a specific order. The author will set up the deck to play a certain number of cards each game. Most of the time it's the default of 20. When playing more than once, the students will get different cards if there are more than 20 cards in that deck! This is perfect if you want to develop mastery of a certain skill.
•Students can “give up” if they are not sure what the answer is. They can also play that deck numerous times. You can change the settings under “Custom Play Settings”. You are also able to turn off the randomization of cards if you wish!
Here is a freebie that I know you will love! It is part of my Digital Color by Code Holidays & Seasons Set! I hope this was a good introduction on what Boom Cards are and how you can use them in your classroom. If you are already using Boom Cards and have some questions, please visit my Frequently Asked Questions post with some helpful tips and tricks! Talk to you all soon!
