Boom Cards™: A Digital Solution for Student Programming and Materials

I am here to tell you that Boom Cards™, are changing the way I look helping students access learning materials.

As a BCBA in a public-school setting, I typically work hand in hand with the special educators on my team. Together we make plans for how to best adapt learning materials for students, modify teaching programs to match IEP objectives, as well as systematically fading support. Often it entails creating extensive data collection systems, prepping and laminating materials, and modeling expectations for staff.

However back in March, traditional education came to a screeching halt, as school professionals were forced to explore digital options for teaching and programming.

Enter Boom Cards™

Boom Cards™ are interactive, digital task cards hosted on the Boom Learning Platform. They are self-checking, many decks provide built-in audio cues, and they are played like a game or an app. All you need is a device with an internet connection.

Boom Cards™ are arranged in sets called “decks” and you can find decks created for all ages and abilities. There are tons of free options, like this one, and paid cards work on a point system. But don’t worry, Boom lets you try before you buy, each deck has a preview in which the first four cards are playable.  

Boom Learning even tracks student progress and data!

Want to see a set of Boom Cards in action?

Getting Started with Boom

All you have to do is create a free (or paid) teacher account via the Boom Learning Website.  This chart explains the different features that you get when you sign up for a free vs. paid membership. For many parents, a free account will be plenty, however, teachers looking to create their own decks will need to explore one of the paid options.

Once you have an account, you can set up your classroom(s) and individual student accounts. The student accounts allow you to access the progress and data for every deck you assign. Don’t need the data? Send your student (or child) a fast pin instead. This allows them to use the deck without a login or password.

Purchasing Decks

Like I mentioned before, the way you purchase decks is through a point system. On the Boom Learning platform, you buy points and use those points to purchase decks. Points cost about a penny each and therefore a deck priced at 100 points costs approximately $1.00.

However, there is an alternative. Many sellers also use the Teacher’s Pay Teachers platform to sell their boom decks. If you purchase a deck on TPT, you will receive a PDF download containing a secret link to the Boom Card deck you purchased. When you click the link, the deck will automatically show up in your Boom library.

More Information on How to Assign Decks and Use with Students

There are two different ways you can assign decks to students.

Fast Pin:

• A fast pin does NOT require a student to log in to a Boom Learning account therefore you will NOT receive data and progress on student learning.
• Fast pins expire in 5 days (for free accounts) or 14 days (for a premium account).

Hyperplay Link:

• Requires a Boom Learning account, in which you have an established “classroom” and student accounts.
• Use the assign button in the blue action menu to send a specific deck to a student account.
• Hyperplay links require a student to log in before they can interact with the deck.
• You will be able to view student progress and performance.

Boom Cards can be connected to most Learning Management Systems. Learn more via this link. 

You can also give remote control to students via some video conferencing platforms like Zoom. Click here for more information.

Still Have Questions?

Boom has a YouTube Channel featuring other great video walkthroughs and tutorials.