Sight Word Bingo

Sight Word Bingo

1. Each student is given a bingo card or bingo worksheet containing a different random selection of sight words, and a marker pen (or set of counters).
   
   Here is an example of a typical Sight Word bingo card:
   
   
   
2. The teacher (or parent) reads out words from the list in a random order, taking care to pronounce each word as clearly as possible.
   
   
3. The students then look for that word on their bingo card or worksheet. If they find it, they cross off that square (or cover it with a counter). Students start off with one square they can mark off without waiting for it to be called out - the "Free Space" square in the middle of the bingo card.
   
   
4. The winner is the first student to achieve a winning pattern and call out "Bingo!" (the teacher or parent should check their card at this point).
   
   It is of course essential that the teacher (or parent) should explain what is required for a winning pattern before play starts:
   
   
   • If you want to play a short game: The winning pattern could be any straight line (horizontal, vertical or diagonal) of five marked off squares.
     
     
   • If you want to play medium-length game: The winning pattern could be any two intersecting straight lines of five marked off squares.
     
     
   • If you want to play a long game: The winning pattern could be to mark off every square on the bingo card. Please note however, if lots of your students are prone to miss matches, you might never get a winner this way!
     
     
   • If you have lots of students, and want to have multiple winners: You could have multiple winning patterns - the first winner is the first student to mark off all four corner squares, the second winner is the first student to get a straight line of five marked off squares, the third winner is the first student to get two intersecting lines of five, and the fourth winner is the student who is first to mark off all the squares on their bingo card.

1. Try varying the winning pattern.
   
   
2. Try using different words. You could get ideas for words from various sight word lists, such as the Dolch sight word list.
   
   
3. If students are learning reading with phonics, you could also make bingo games that mix sight words with phonetically soundable words.

1. Start the Bingo Card Printer.
   
   
2. Click New... on the File menu.
   
   
3. Choose Blank as the type of new template, then click OK.
   
   
4. Enter each of the words into Bingo Card Printer software:
   
   
   • To add an item: Type the new item into the field entitled Type your new item here.
     
     
   • To remove an item: Select the item (by clicking with the mouse) in the list of items, and then select Delete Item on the Edit menu.
     
     
   • To add multiple items quickly: Click Add Multiple Items... on the Edit menu of Bingo Card Printer, and type the items one per line.
     
     
   • To copy a list of items from another program (for example, a word processor document): Select and then Copy the items in the word processor or other program (they must be listed one item per line), switch to Bingo Card Printer, and click Add Multiple Items... on the Edit menu, and then paste them into dialog box by right clicking in the text entry area and selecting Paste on the pop-up menu.
   
   
5. Optionally: If you want to, you can change the colors and/or fonts for the bingo cards using the Colors... or Fonts... options on the Format menu.
   
   
6. Optionally: If you want to, you can change the printing options (such as the number of bingo cards to print, or the number of bingo cards per printed page) on the main screen of Bingo Card Printer
   
   
7. Click Print... on the File menu. Change any of printer options if you want to, then click OK to begin printing.

1. Note: To make use of these materials you will need the registered version of the Bingo Card Printer. The materials were prepared using version 3.20 of Bingo Card Printer, so if you have an older version of the software on your computer, please upgrade to the latest version of the software first.
   
   
2. You can download the settings file bingo_sight_word.bcp by clicking here. Save the file to a folder of your choice on computer.
   
   
3. Start Bingo Card Printer.
   
   
4. Click Open... on the File menu, then select the file that you saved in step 2, and click OK.
   
   
5. The template will now open, and you can use it, modify it, etc., as you wish.
   
   
6. Note: If you prefer to download as a ZIP file containing both the settings file (which you can open into Bingo Card Printer) and a PDF of the printable on this page, you can do so by downloading bingo_sight_word.zip by clicking here.