Boom Cards

by: Lisa McAvoy

Like many teachers working from home right now I have been spending hours online researching resources and activities to use with my students. I teach Kindergarten so the challenge is to find activities that students can complete with minimal adult support. I have a classroom of non-readers so instructions need to be visual or auditory. 

 

Also like many teachers I am big user of Teachers Pay Teachers. One resource I had seen on TPT was something called Boom Cards. I had never paid much attention to it before but with the school closure Boom Learning was offering a premium account for FREE! I love anything that is free.

 

What are Boom Cards?

"Boom Cards are self-grading exercises that are gasified for students and provide the data teachers want" -boomlearning.com.

In the simplest terms Boom Cards are slides or task cards that contain questions. Students can answer these questions by selecting multiple choice answers or moving objects. Students submit their answers and receive instant feedback either with an audible ding and a green circle or a “whoops” sound and a red circle. You can access Boom Cards through their website www.boomlearning.com or by downloading the Boom Cards app. First, teachers need to create an account then send usernames and passwords to your students. There is also a “fast play” option. Fast play does not collect individual student data so you can’t track student performance. 

                                            

Boom Card “decks” are teacher created. You can find many free decks as well as paid through the store on Boom Learning or through Teachers Pay Teachers. There are Boom Decks available in all kinds of subject areas including: Math, ELA, Science, French, Speech Therapy etc. and for grade levels K-12. There are hundreds of decks available and you can preview decks before downloading or purchasing them.