Cutting and laminating visual activities for my son was not my idea of a relaxing evening. However, having a child with autism, I didn’t have a choice. Despite my aversion to the task, I spent many evenings grinning and bearing my way through it. The Gilmore Girls were always good companions for the job, but I still longed for scissor-free nights…
And one day, it happened.
I discovered Boom Cards.
And just like that, I had my evenings back!
So, what are Boom Cards?
Boom Cards are self-checking digital task cards.
Allow me to break this down:
Self-Checking: When playing a digital deck, the kids get instant, automatic feedback on their answers, making it an incredibly powerful learning tool. It also allows you, as a parent, to step away from the screen, which is always a nice bonus. Even better, you can get a report on your child’s performance for each activity.
Digital: It’s the magic word that makes cutting and laminating obsolete. OK, not entirely obsolete… You might still need to print out visuals from time to time, but at least it won’t be a daily occurrence. I’m not able to give away my laminator just yet, but thankfully, I can now watch The Gilmore Girls with no distractions.
Boom Cards are like mini-apps. You play them directly on your internet browser or on your phone or tablet using the ‘Boom Learning’ app.
Task Cards: What makes them different from any other app is that each Boom Cards deck (and there are thousands) targets a specific skill. The best part is you can create your own to precisely address the skill your child needs.
How Can You Use Boom Cards?
Two years ago, Zach started putting his dirty clothes back into his drawers. I would even find dirty underwear with clean ones. It got worse when he started doing it with the dishes, but stopping him when we caught him did nothing to solve the issue.
So, I created a Boom Cards deck to teach him the concept of “clean” and “dirty.”
He mastered the deck within a few days. We applied his new skill in real life by asking him repeatedly if an item was clean or dirty and redirecting him to the dishwasher or the laundry basket when needed. It honestly felt like a miracle. My son has now learned new life skills, and my scissors didn’t even come out of the kitchen drawer. It makes me so happy to write this that I could skip into my living room.
Where Should You Go to Start Exploring Boom Cards?
Click here to reach the Boom Learning Website. From there, you can explore the store and try out any deck in’ preview mode.’ This will show you the first four cards of any deck.
If you like what you see, you can create a totally free starter account that will allow you to:
- Play as many free decks as you need.
- Purchase paid decks (most decks only cost $1-5 USD).
- Track your child’s performance (up to 5 children)
- Create five decks for your personal use.
If you need help setting up your child with Boom Cards, sign up for my newsletter and get free access to a resource library, which includes a Teacher’s Guide for Boom Cards. If you use Boom Cards at home as a parent, you can follow the directions as if you were a teacher, create a classroom for just your child and you’ll be ready to go!
So, step into the future of learning with Boom Cards – a tool that not only simplifies your life but also empowers your child with autism to acquire new skills and succeed in their own unique way. Who knew that transforming the way your child learns could be just a click away?”
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