Can you introduce yourself and describe your role?
I am a pediatric speech-language pathologist based in California. Across my 22 years as an SLP, I have worked in early intervention, adult transition programs, and everything in between. However, the bulk of the first 17 years of my career has been in public schools, primarily working with preschool to elementary-age students. Five years ago, I opened the doors to a one-person speech clinic to serve the needs of the Japanese-speaking bilingual community in the Bay Area. I am privileged to work with a diverse mix of single- and multi-lingual families in in-person and teletherapy sessions. I love the variety and the balance of my caseload.
How did you first learn about Boom Cards, and what inspired you to use them in your practice?
I got my Boom account in 2018 while working in the schools. Back then, I wasn’t very successful at incorporating digital materials into therapy sessions without feeling disconnected from my students. The tables, however, completely turned in 2020. When I transitioned to teletherapy, I needed digital materials to connect with my students! Boom Cards did just that for me, and I came out of the pandemic with a wholly changed mind.
In what ways have Boom Cards been a game-changer for your sessions?
Boom Cards were a true lifesaver when I was first scrambling to learn the ways of teletherapy in 2020. However, the most significant game-changing moment came when I realized I could make my own Boom Cards. While task cards were helpful, I needed something more than “self-checking” for my speech therapy sessions, which led to more interactions between me and my students. Before I knew better, I created interactive activities on Google Slides, but moving and manipulating objects on the Slides screen was clunky at best (because “moving” was basically “editing”).
I was hooked once I discovered all of Boom’s versatile design elements! Thanks to the smooth “playability” of Boom Cards, student engagement improved, and so did session productivity. It was an all-around win-win.
Do your students enjoy the time you spend when you are using Boom Cards? Do you use them as a main tool, reinforcer, or for practice at home materials?
As an SLP, Boom Cards are mainly instructional tools in teletherapy. My students use the “power of their words” to make things happen on the screen (as I control the mouse). They can sometimes get very into it, and that level of engagement on the teletherapy platform is gold! My in-person learners also get pretty excited when I pull out the tablet because they know it’s going to be Boom Cards time.
How do parents and caregivers respond to using Boom Cards in therapy?
The grown-ups are always invited to join in our Boom Cards activities. As soon as they do, their role changes from a supporting adult to an equal participant, and the interaction with their child becomes more natural. My younger learners get excited whenever they compete against, collaborate with, or ask their adult partners to make guesses with them. There is no better way to support parents and caregivers than to have them directly participate in therapy sessions.
Can you share a success story or a rewarding experience you’ve had while using Boom Cards?
Hearing success stories with my Boom Cards from fellow SLPs and parents, like:
“My students ask for your pronoun activity, and they’ve actually learned to use pronouns from playing it.”
“My child started asking why? just like in your Boom Cards book.”
That’s what keeps me going.
How do Boom Cards cater to the diverse needs of the learners you teach?
It is easy to embed extra supports into Boom Cards, like a movable marker to highlight essential parts on the page or, conversely, a movable cover to help reduce visual clutter. A deck can include optional audio or leveled sections. The new Ink function has helped add quick notes on the page. I like to embed these supports in the decks I create so the clinicians can access them when their clinical judgment calls for them.
Do you create custom Boom Cards? If so, what’s your process?
I sometimes quickly put together personalized, worksheet-type decks for specific students. I also create more complex interactive decks that I end up publishing in my store. Either way, the ideas always start with a student’s needs. After I get the first seed of an activity idea for the more complex decks, I brainstorm. If I get excited about it in my head, I sketch it out, and it gets made 🙂 I also enjoy doodling some of the images myself. Hours feel like minutes when I’m creating decks, because it’s so much fun.
How do you ensure your Boom Cards are engaging and effective for your students?
Keeping EBP (Evidence-Based Practice) in mind, I focus on the following:
1) Interactive and engaging | Does it invite the learners to wonder, guess, and comment?
2) Addresses skills in context | Does it give the learners a reason to use the target language skill?
3) Enough trials or variations | Does it give enough practice opportunities? Can it be used across sessions?
4) Versatile | Can I address more than one goal with it? Can I use it with different groups of learners? (This last one is to help the clinicians who use my decks.)
It is also so important to teach the skills before jumping into practice, so whenever possible, I include teaching sets, vocabulary previews, or teaching tips for the clinicians in my decks. As for student engagement, besides the gaming factor, embedding playful twists and surprises within the activity is the best way to keep young, curious minds motivated.
Have you collaborated with other professionals in creating Boom Cards? If so, how has this collaboration enriched your resources?
I’m not yet collaborating, but a dear SLP friend and my son have been beta-testers for the materials I create. Collaboration with colleagues is something I absolutely miss as a solo clinician.
Are there specific features of Boom Cards that you find most beneficial for therapy sessions?
Besides having access to thousands of resources created by other talented educators, the ability to create my own “playable” activities is what sets Boom Cards apart from other platforms. I find the versatility of the design tools to be amazing. The possibility of interactive features you can create is endless. It is not foolproof, but if there is a thing I want the cards to do, there is usually a way to make it work. I also appreciate that the Boom support team is listening to the publishers and is always investigating and developing new tools to add.
What advice would you give to other therapists considering using Boom Cards in their practice?
Boom Cards are not just for teletherapy. I bet you would have a lively session if you used Boom Cards in a group or even a whole-class push-in session. Do you have access to an interactive whiteboard? Even better!
Can you share some of your favorite Boom Cards or decks that you use regularly?
My recent personal favorites:
I rely heavily on Troll in a Bowl articulation game series for articulation. I enjoy Dave Sindrey’s simple and clever games as much as my students do. I am also a fan of his warm artwork and the clever use of the Boom design features.
How do you see the role of digital resources like Boom Cards evolving in the coming years?
As students are naturally drawn to digital media, and we are interacting more and more online, I’d love to see a greater variety in digital resources that invite interpersonal connection and communication, which is at the forefront of speech therapy.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience with Boom Cards that we haven’t covered?
A heartfelt shout out to Boom for the support and care for all publishers, large and small alike. Thank you for considering a mini-store like mine for the blog spotlight. 🙂
