Whether you are brand new to distance learning or ready to try some new things, Boom cards are a must-try! This online tool makes it simple and easy to have students practice specific skills, monitor progress, and track data. I know teachers are overwhelmed with trying to successfully teach and connect with students online, so I wanted to help out by giving you a step-by-step Boom tutorial.
Boom Learning is an online platform with digital activities students can do at home to practice important skills. Boom cards are the task cards teachers create for students to do that are game-based. Each card has a task for students to complete, and the cards are self-grading so teachers can easily track students’ progress.
There are cards that cover every subject and grade level. Just like Teachers Pay Teachers, some card decks are free and some cost money. Boom cards can help your students practice literacy, math, and science skills easily from home because they are available on all devices.
While this is an excellent tool to use during distance learning, Boom cards are perfect for the classroom, too. You can use them during literacy centers if you have iPads or computers and to easily differentiate learning for students. Students get instant feedback on their work, and you save time on grading. Plus, you save your paper and copies by using a digital resource!
2. Choose how you’d like to create an account. I chose through email to keep it simple.
3. Type in your email address and choose a password.
4. If you don’t have an account, then click Yes! Create Account.
5. Click on Teachers to get started. Later, if you want to create your own decks, you can explore the Author’s section.
6. Next, you’ll create a classroom for your students. You can import from Google Classroom or easily manually create your classroom.
To manually create a classroom, click either New Student to add one student at a time or Add Many Students to add your whole class quickly. The Add Many Students feature makes it much quicker!
If you add one new student at a time, you’ll just input their name and create a password for them. If you choose the Add Many Students option, you’ll do the same thing.
7. When you’re done adding students to your class, you can view all of the students you have and their usernames. Be sure to share the usernames and passwords for your students with them so they can sign into their accounts and get started.
Now that you’re account is all set up, you’re ready to start exploring Boom cards and assigning decks to students.
For students to be able to start using Boom Learning, you’ll need to assign them decks to work through.
2. Once you find a deck you’d like, you can add it to your library by adding the deck to your cart. If your deck is free, it will still walk you through purchasing the deck for 0 points.
A quick note – for Boom Learning, you purchase decks with points. You can read more about that HERE on their homepage when you scroll down.
3. To see the decks you’ve purchased (for points or for free), head to Library at the top.
All of the decks you have will show up here.
4. There are two ways to assign decks to students. First, you can assign the deck to the entire class by clicking on Action, and then click Assign.
Choose your class if you have more than one. Otherwise, just check the box. That’s it!
If you want to assign a deck of tasks to certain students, click on Classes at the top and then choose the class the student is in.
Find the student(s) you want to assign the deck to. Finally, click the blue arrow to find the drop-down menu and click Assign.
That’s it! Once you assign students decks of Boom cards to complete, you can easily monitor their progress and check their work. It’s easy to see how well each student is doing with specific skills.
There are tons of neat tips and tricks to using Boom Learning, and hopefully, I can share more of those soon. No matter where you are with figuring out how to teach your students online, you’re doing a great job! Hang in there, friends!
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Shop for Boom Cards by Mrs. Richardson’s Class HERE!
Let me know if I can answer any questions to help make this time easier for you!
I’m a K-1 teacher who is passionate about making lessons your students love and that are easy to implement for teachers. Helping teachers like you navigate their way through their literacy block brings me great joy. I am a lifelong learner who loves staying on top of current literacy learning and practices. Here, you’ll find the tools you need to move your K-2 students forward!
18 Responses
Can you assign BOOM cards on seesaw if your aren’t using google classroom?
Hi Sasha!! Yes!! You sure can!! I am SO sorry I am just now seeing your comment!!
Can the same student use the same username and password to be a part of a different classroom. I am thinking of a departmentalized classroom.
Hi Kristin! Great question! I am not sure. I would think not because when I entered my kids, I had to use unique usernames. It told me if it was taken already. You can try reaching out to boom support. I think that’s a very valid question!
Hi—I’m new to Boom Learning, and am considering writing a grant for the next school year. Do you think this would be something grant-worthy? And if so, I know I would need to buy many of the decks needed throughout the year. I’m just not familiar enough with Boom Learning to know whether or not that would work. Do you have any advice?
I’m very excited at the thought of trying to use it—I wish I had started before the school closures, because it would be a wonderful way for my students to practice skills!
Thanks so much!
Hi Kendra! That is a GREAT idea!! I have loved using Boom card decks with my kids at home and they love them, too. Plus, I can see what they are doing well on and what they need some help with even when I’m not by their side! I think it would be a great way to help bridge the gap between the classroom and distance learning. Who knows what the classroom will look like in the fall!
Can you create their usernames and passwords for them? Also, if you create your classes using Google Classroom, does that affect their usernames and passwords?
Hi Heather! You can make them whatever you’d like! Also, you can upload your google classroom so it’s don’t in a snap! I’m not sure if that alters their usernames or not. I uploaded my pretend class manually. 🙂
After I assign the activity, how do the students do it? Do they have to have the boom app downloaded on their device? How do they know they have gotten an assignment? Also, if I assign it through Seesaw, do they need the Boom app? I’m concerned about having parents download so many apps- I want to make distance learning as simple as possible for kids and their parents
You can have them go through the app, OR you can assign it with a Fastpin and then they can click on a link you share in Seesaw and they will go straight to the deck. They won’t have to sign in. With this, it does not save their data. 🙂
When you assign boom cards to students, what do they see on their end? Do they click on the website, sign in, and then the assignment pops up? Thanks
They go through an app. They can easily login with their name and a picutre as a password! If you are assigning them through a Fastpin, it takes them right to the deck and they don’t have to sign in.
I am a speech therapist and will be teaching my students from home. Can I assign them a deck and guide them through it at the same time. I guess what I’m asking is if we both can see the cards but my student is doing them.
Thank you, Darlene
Yes! You can share your screen and you do the moving and manipulating, just as a classroom teacher may choose to do whole group in the classroom. 🙂
Can Boom Cards be used on Google Meet JamBoard so that both a teacher and student can access simultaneously? I’m thinking it would be great as an intervention tool so both teacher and student can work together.
Hi Wren! Great question! I do not believe they can be, though. They work on the Boom Learning platform.
If students do not do well on a Boom Card Deck can you re assign it?
Also, if they turn in a blank Deck for decks that have open ended questions, can you re assign it?
Hi Jean! I think so, but I am not certain. I think it just saves their progress as they go. It’s not like they “turn in” the deck like they turn in assignments on Google Classroom.