If you are not using Boom™ cards in your classroom yet, you are missing out my friend! Boom™ cards are easy to make, super engaging for students, and self-grading….what more could you ask for?! Read on to find out what are boom cards, how to make them, and how to use them in your classroom.
What are Boom™ cards?
Boom™ cards are self-checking digital task cards that provide students immediate feedback. They are interactive, self-grading, and paperless. Boom™ cards are played on the Boom™ Learning website. You can make your own, choose a free deck from the website, or purchase decks from the website and/ or Teachers Pay Teachers. (I have linked a few of my Boom™ decks below.)
Does it cost money to use Boom™ cards?
No! The Starter Membership option is free. It allows for unlimited FastPlay, 1 section with 5 students, and the ability to make 5 self-made decks. You can assign Boom™ cards for free using the “Fast Pins” option. The deck is still self-checking, however, you will not receive student data.
If you want to track student data and assign decks based on student need, then you will want a paid membership. The prices are very reasonable. The Essential Membership option costs $25/ year. It includes unlimited FastPlay, 17 classrooms, 150 students, and 5 self-made decks. The Premium Membership option costs $40/ year. The Premium Membership includes unlimited FastPlay, 17 classrooms, 150 students, unlimited self-made decks, and detailed live monitoring. The Publisher Membership costs $50/ year. It includes unlimited FastPlay, 8 sections, 200 students, unlimited self-made decks, live monitoring, and the ability to sell your decks in the marketplace.
I have the Publisher Membership. I like having all the perks of the Publisher membership and the ability to sell the decks I made to other educators in need. Worth the extra $10 a year for me.
What technology do I need?
BOOM™ cards can be used on interactive white boards, desktops, chrome books, laptops, iPads, iPhones, Kindle Fire, and more. Boom™ cards must be used with the Internet. They can be played on recent browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.) or with the app (available for iPad, Android, iPhone, Kindle Fire).
How do I make them?
The Boom Learning website has some great tutorials. You will also find helpful videos on YouTube. Between these two places, I was easily able to learn to make my own decks within an hour. If you want to make more than 5 Boom™ decks, you will need the Power Membership or the Ultimate Membership.
How can I use Boom™ cards in my classroom?
BOOM cards are flexible enough to use in a variety of ways in the classroom. Here are some ideas to get you thinking!
Learning Centers:
Use the FastPlay option or assign specific decks for learning center practice. If you classroom only has access to a few devices, this is a great option for you. Because Boom Learning allows you to assign different decks to different students, you can differentiate student practice.
Small Group Practice:
Boom™ cards provide engaging practice when teaching small groups. You can use one iPad/ tablet to practice a skill together as part of your small group instruction. If you have one-to-one devices, then a short Boom deck will allow you to see who needs additional instruction/ practice on a skill.
Whole Group Practice:
If you have a classroom projector/ SMART board, then Boom™ cards can be used whole group. Use cards to practice a new skill whole group, to do a quick check at the beginning of a lesson, or as an exit slip for students. You could even set up Boom cards as part of your morning work/ routine to review what was learned the previous day!
Individualized Instruction:
One of the things I LOVE most about Boom™ cards is the ability to differentiate instruction. You can assign decks individually based on what each student needs. Have a student struggling with multiplication facts? Assign that student a Boom deck to practice. Have a student performing above grade level? Assign decks that give this student a challenge. If you have one-to-one devices in your classroom or access to a computer lab, this is easy to accomplish.
Want to try out Boom cards? You can try out these decks for FREE from my resource library. Sign up below.
Want to jump right into using boom cards? Below are some of my decks available in my TPT store and in the Boom Learning marketplace. You can check out my entire collection of cards here.
I hope I gave you some ways to add Boom™ cards into your classroom. Happy playing!
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