What are Boom Cards & How Do They Work

If you are wondering “What are Boom Cards?” you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, I will break it down for you.  

What are Boom Cards?

They are digital task cards housed in Boom Learning. They are made by teachers for teachers looking to make learning more fun and interactive. Teachers can make their own Boom Cards or find sets on TPT or at the Boom Learning site based on the content their students are learning.

Let’s go over some terms you might hear and what they mean.

• Boom Learning: a free-to-use platform with paid options for upper levels that cover most subjects and grades
• Deck: a complete set of Boom Cards used on the site that usually focuses on a specific topic or skill
• Boom Card: a digital, interactive task card that students work with
• Fast Play: allows students to enter a Fast Pin (PIN number) to unlock play quickly

Teachers can easily sign up, pick decks on Boom Learning or TPT that match their lessons, and use them in class. With features like quick feedback and tracking progress, these digital task cards help teachers see how well students are doing.

Understanding Boom Cards

These digital cards provide many benefits including cool features like instant feedback and the ability to adapt to each student’s pace, making them perfect for the classroom. There are ones specifically designed for subjects like math, language arts, and science. Others focus on important skills like problem-solving and creativity.

How Boom Cards Work

Boom Cards are extremely easy to assign.

1. You can create or purchase Boom Decks that cover the skill you want your students to work on.
2. Then, you assign student the deck to your student(s) either through a Fast Pin or on the class portal.
3. Next, students work on the digital task cards using a device.
4. Finally, depending on the subscription you have, you may get feedback on how your students did.

There are 4 different subscription models: free, essential, premium, and publisher. Let me break them down for you.

Free Subscription

I started off with the FREE version because I wasn’t needing to track my students’ progress. I just wanted to be able to assign no-prep task cards that provided students with immediate feedback to them. It worked very well and was the perfect option.

1. Allows you to track 5 students.
2. Can be used with 1 classroom.
3. Allows you to create 5 self-made decks.
4. Gives you access to Fast Play.

Essential

If you do not plan on learning how to make your own decks but want to track your students, this version is for you. It has a very affordable yearly subscription price. 

1. Allows you to track up to 150 students, but you can add more for a small fee per student.
2. Can be used with 17 classes.
3. Allows you to create 5 self-made decks.
4. Gives you access to Fast Play.
5. Share students with colleagues. Great option for sharing access with interventionists.
6. Shared students reports.

Premium

This membership has all the features of the Essential plan, with a few additions. If you plan to create more than 5 decks, you will need this membership or the next one.

Additionally:

1. Provides LIVE reports. You can see students’ progress in real time.
2. Allows you to share self-made decks with co-workers.
3. Gives you the option to upload custom sounds.

Publisher

This is the membership I ended up changed to when I started created Boom Cards for my students and decided to make them available for other teachers to purchase as well. This membership is exactly like Premium but gives you a Seller’s License.

Assigning Boom Decks to Students

Assigning Boom decks to students is a straightforward process. Once the teacher has selected or created a deck tailored to their lesson objectives, they can easily distribute it to students.

Within the Boom Learning platform, teachers have the option to assign decks directly to individual students or to the entire class. They can set parameters such as due dates or specific instructions to guide student progress. Additionally, with the paid membership teachers can monitor student activity and track performance in real-time, providing valuable insights into each student’s learning journey.

By assigning Boom decks, teachers empower students to engage with interactive learning materials at their own pace, fostering autonomy and enhancing comprehension.

Fast Pin

Using Fast Pin streamlines the process of distributing Boom decks to students with efficiency and ease. Teachers simply generate a Fast Pin link for the desired deck within the Boom Learning platform. This unique link can then be shared with students via email, messaging platforms, or posted on digital platforms like Google Classroom.

Once students receive the Fast Pin link, they can quickly access the assigned deck without the need for individual logins or accounts. Fast Pin expedites the distribution process.

Conclusion

Now that you have the gist of how they work, make sure to check out the benefits as well as some GREAT ways to use them in your classroom.