How To Use Boom Cards To Reinforce Transition Skills
Picture it: A student with a device who is engaged in learning and receives immediate feedback to help reinforce their transition skills.
I can picture this easily because this happens often in my classroom. Devices are not always a distraction in my room because I have some tried-and-true tools and programs that are always a hit with students. One of those options is Boom Cards.
If you’re not familiar with Boom Cards then keep reading for details on how to bring this amazing tool into your special education classroom.
What are Boom Cards?
Boom Cards or Boom Decks are digital learning activities available on the Boom Learning website. There are free and paid options to join the platform and use their cloud-based resources that are created by teachers for teachers and their students! The platform is great for in-person as well as remote learning so students don’t need to be in a classroom to use the platform.
These are not exclusively for students with disabilities but I find it a tool that is quite helpful in my special education classroom.
You can visit this page to get more details about how to use Boom Cards as a teacher.
Why Use Boom Cards in the Special Education Classroom?
There are a ton of opportunities to use Boom Cards in your special education classes and to use them for added review outside the classroom too.
Here are my top 3 reasons for using (and loving) Boom Cards:
- They are self-checking. The cards are set up to provide students with immediate feedback on their responses. Plus the cards are randomized so students can’t just memorize answers in a particular order.
- They are an amazing way to collect data. Because the cards are self-checking, the platform provides a variety of report options that teachers can access. This makes updating IEPs
- The resources are flexible and diverse. You can find a variety of options to use throughout the school year to support learning in any number of subjects and for any number of topics. Check out this selection of Boom Cards from the Accessible By Design Shop.
What’s more is that the cards can be used individually, in small groups, or as a whole class. If you don’t have individual devices available then using a projector and showing the Boom Cards to the whole class is another option.
Additionally, these can be used in class or at home for additional review. No need to print anything out, it’s a matter of assigning the task or using Fast Play (an option within the platform that doesn’t require students to log into the system).
When To Use Boom Cards
There are a ton of Boom cards to use for a wide variety of learning goals. I like to use them in nutrition lessons – check out this post for more details – or to reinforce transition skills like those useful in the kitchen.
Identifying kitchen tools is one of those lessons that can be made better with Boom cards like this set of 30 cards. Students read a simple sentence, examine a picture, and choose which kitchen tool is best for the task depicted. With these cards that means deciding whether a can opener, pot, or whisk is the best option.
This set of 20 cards is all about using measuring cups that incorporate science, math, reading, and independent living skills. This is a fun activity that gets students to measure the volume of liquids. Students will learn to identify the measurement on a measuring cup in cups and ounces. They will identify one measurement from a field of two choices and the self-checking Boom cards will provide them feedback right away.
A final option is all about food storage that uses 30 different cards in full color to learn where to store food properly. This is a functional math skill that supports independence. This life skill is also useful for health and safety. Familiarity with food storage will help students to increase the shelf life of their food, keep the taste and freshness of food, and avoid food poisoning.
A Final Word On Using Boom Cards
Like any online tool, Boom Cards can be great when integrated properly into learning in class or at home. The variety of options and their flexibility along with the self-checking and data collection make using Boom Cards a great option for students with disabilities. If you haven’t used Boom Cards yet, this is your sign to try them out. Check out all of these options you could use in class right away!
