BOOM Cards: What are they and how do I use them??
Have you been seeing BOOM Decks all over the place and been wanting to jump on the bandwagon?? BOOM Learning has created a platform for teachers AND PARENTS to create their own interactive games and digital task cards! They have also included the ability for teacher authors to create beautiful task cards and sell them to teachers who simply don’t have the time to create their own! Think of it as the new Teachers Pay Teachers website. The silver lining?? You don’t have to do any printing or prepping! BOOM task cards come ready to use! Read below to find the questions I have had about BOOM Learning and maybe you can use these in your classroom too!
Here is a task card from my Beginning Sounds BOOM Deck. Students can click on the directions to hear them read aloud, click on the image to hear the name of the object, and then will select the correct beginning sound from the options along the bottom.
So… What exactly is a BOOM Deck? A boom deck is a set of task cards about a skill or topic. When you purchase a BOOM Deck it is placed into your library for you to use as you please. Think of it as a deck of cards…only digital. All the cards in the deck are about a specific theme.
Are BOOM Cards the same as a BOOM Deck? Yes, users often use the two terms interchangeably. Many people use BOOM Cards while others prefer to say BOOM Decks.
What types of devices can I use BOOM Cards with? The easy answer: any device that has access to the world wide web. Easy! You do have the option of downloading the BOOM Learning app OR simply creating an account online to access your Boom Decks!
I teach a grade OTHER than the primary grades! Are BOOM Decks or me? YES!!! The options are endless!! PreK- 12th grade PLUS Speech, Resource, and just so much more!
I’m a parent, not a teacher, can I create an account? Yes!! Just click the “I’m a Teacher” button to create your account!
If I purchase a BOOM Deck and there are too many cards, can I assign specific cards to my students? Short answer, yes! You have the ability to choose specific cards to hide from your students until you think they are ready for them.
Do my students have access to all of the decks I purchase? No, you will need to assign your students the decks you want them to work on.
Have I heard BOOM Decks are available on Teachers Pay Teachers? Yes! You can purchase BOOM Decks for some sellers (maybe most) on Teachers Pay Teachers as well as on BoomLearning! The bonus?? On Teachers Pay Teachers you can earn credit (simply leave feedback after purchasing and using the product) towards future TPT purchases!
One of my Long A Task Cards. Students can click on the directions to have them read aloud and then will choose the picture that matches the Long A word.
Does an account cost money? Yes and No. There is a FREE account or there are a few paid options for boomlearning.com. The biggest difference is a FREE account allows you to simply buy and assign BOOM Decks to your student, while a paid account allows you to ALSO track data on your students’ answers for the task cards.
Data tracking… is this an option? This is only an option if you buy a paid yearly subscription. Data tracking is available ONLY if you purchase a paid account (SO WORTH IT) and you can track the amount of task cards they complete accurately. This is especially useful for distance learning. For example, you can assign your students a Vowel Teams deck of cards and then track which vowel teams they know and which they need more practice with judging by the answers they give on the digital task cards.
Can I make my own?? Absolutely, you can create your own decks to make for your own classroom! If you would like to become a seller, I highly recommend purchasing an online Boom Deck Course, checking out YouTube to answer specific questions, or checking out the boom learning help page found HERE!
OK! I want to try these! How do I start?? You will need to create an account on the www.boomlearning.com website. CLICK HERE to find a YouTube tutorial for this first step!
AHH I have more questions!! Now What?? YouTube is your best friend! When navigating new websites, I always refer to YouTube! I found several tutorials on YouTube to help me both with creating BOOM Decks myself as well as learning how to use them in the classroom.
Another Task Card example. This deck compares 2-D and 3-D shapes and gives students multiple opportunities to practice both types of shapes.
Do you see now what all the rage is about?? These digital task cards are a GAME CHANGER! With the COVID Pandemic, BOOM Cards soared in popularity for a good reason! Imagine how many opportunities you will have in the classroom AS WELL AS distance learning with these BOOM Cards! Centers, independent work, tech time, teaching ANY subject, use with whole class lessons, home learning, homework practice and seriously just endless options!
BUT WAIT! Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my email list and get a FREE BOOM DECK: Comparing Numbers to 100 to try boom out for yourself!
If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to email me or reach out to me in a direct message on Instagram (@teachingprimarywithkatelyn).
Katelyn from Teaching Primary with Katelyn
