Bingo is a very popular game, and, as a result, virtually everybody knows the rules and how to play the game. Undoubtedly, of course, the simplicity of the rules have contributed to the game’s popularity, but nevertheless it is true that many people love playing the game. Although bingo is traditionally a social activity, particularly for older people, today however it is also finding a place in the classroom.
The basic idea behind introducing bingo into the classroom, is that it provides a fun and interesting activity for students, but the bingo cards, and in some cases the game mechanics, can easily be adapted by the teacher depending on the situation, the particular subject being taught, and the age of the students.
Generally the most common adaptation of the game is simply to vary the content of the bingo cards (so instead of simply containing numbers, the cards contain items chosen by the teacher that relate to the subject in question), although in some cases it may also be necessary to slightly modify the rules of the game as well. Some common educational variants of bingo include:
* Reading bingo or Sight word bingo – This is a game principally for younger students. The cards are printed with words that the students must recognize or find – very often these are words chosen from the Dolch sight word list or similar word lists.
* Math bingo – The bingo cards contain math problems. In order to check off a square on their cards, the students must correctly solve the math problem in that square.
* Foreign language bingo – The bingo are printed with words in one language, and the students must find the matching word when calls are made in another language. This game can be played in French, German, Spanish or Italian classes, and the bingo cards can be in that language, and the calls made in English, or vice-versa.
By: Sunil Tanna
While most of tend to think of bingo as a pastime enjoyed purely for leisurely purposes, it is also true that many K-12 teachers have adapted bingo for use in their classrooms. Bingo is today being used to help teach a diverse range of school subjects including reading, English, foreign languages and math.
Education versions of bingo are generally played according to roughly the same rules as the standard game – with the teacher acting as bingo caller, and the students as the players – but they often played with specially modified bingo cards containing items chosen by the teacher rather than the usual numbers. Additionally, in some cases, the teacher may tweak the rules somewhat.
Here are a few ideas for using bingo in lessons:
* Sight word bingo – The bingo cards are printed with words chosen by the teacher (often words from the Dolch sight word list). The teacher reads out a word, and students must find the matching square on their cards.
* Phonemic awareness bingo – The bingo cards are printed with letters. The teacher calls out a word, and students must find the letter which begins that word.
* Vocabulary bingo – The teacher gives a definition for a word, and students must find the square on their card with the matching word
* Parts of speech bingo – The teacher gives a clue for a part of speech (”a verb beginning with T”, etc.) and students must find the square with a matching word.
* Foreign language bingo – The bingo cards are printed with words in the language being taught (French, German, Spanish, etc.), the teacher reads out a word in English, and students must find the matching word. You can also reverse this, so the teacher speaks in a foreign language, and the students must find the matching English word, or you could simply play the entire game in the foreign language.
* Math bingo – The bingo cards are printed with numbers, and the teacher gives a math problem such as simple addition, subtraction, multiplication or division problem. Students must find the square containing the answer to the problem.
* Fraction and Decimals bingo – The bingo cards are printed with fractions and/or decimal numbers. The teacher reads out a number and the students must find the matching square. This doesn’t have to be easy – the student could be required to convert the number between representations such as find the square containing “0.75″ if the teacher says “six eighths”, etc. Obviously teachers can vary the level of difficulty so it is appropriate for their class.
* Rounding bingo – The bingo cards are printed with numbers, and the students must find the matching square when the teacher says something like “two point six rounded to the nearest whole number”, or “twelve rounded to the nearest multiple of ten”.
* History bingo – The bingo cards can be printed with names of historical figures (for example, “Theodore Roosevelt”), events (for example, the “Battle of Gettysburg”), or dates (for example, “December 7th 1941″), and students must find the matching square when given a clue by the teacher.
* Geography bingo – Basically the same idea as history bingo, but using city, state, country or other place names. The teacher can give clues such as “it’s a state on the West coast of the United States and it’s capital is Sacramento”.
* Science bingo – Just like history and geography, bingo can also be used to help students learn key facts about biological, chemistry or physics.
By: Sunil Tanna
Most people have played bingo at some point in their lives, but even those of us who have never played the game, generally do know how to play the game.
Traditionally bingo is played using cards containing a grid of squares (usually but not always a grid of 5 X 5 squares), with each square containing a different number. Each player is given one of these bingo cards, and the objective of the game is to mark off a row, column or diagonal of squares (in some versions, the objective is to obtain multiple lines, another square, or even get all squares marked off). Squares on the cards are marked off by the players when the bingo caller (who also acts as referee) calls out the corresponding number.
Bingo has undergone something of a renaissance in popularity in the last few years. While the traditional game remains popular, new variants of bingo are reaching new audiences. In each case, these variants of the game are played using bingo cards containing custom items related to a particular topic, rather than the standard numbered bingo cards.
Some examples include:
- Holiday bingo, using bingo cards with words and phrases themed around a particular holiday be it New Year, Valentine’s Day, July 4th, Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas.
- Wedding and baby shower bingo is a popular activity on these social events. Bingo cards containing items related to brides, weddings, or babies, are used as applicable.
- Educational bingo is getting more and more popular with teachers. Versions of the game can be produced for almost any type of class including English (including K12 and ESL), math, science, history, geography or even religious studies. Game play may also be varied by the teacher, so for example in math bingo, cards containing math problems may be used and students must write in the answers to these problems rather than simply tick off the squares.
In order to play any of these variants of the game, you will of course need bingo cards printed with the appropriate themed items. These are not always easy to obtain for every possible topic, and even when available can be expensive. Therefore the best option for most people is to simply print them using a computer and appropriate bingo card generator software.
By: Sunil Tanna
