Number identification is just one of many skills bingo can reinforce.
Not only does bingo take the boredom out of memorization drills, but it also exercises your brain and helps keep it sharp, according to researchers at the Franklin Institute. Many of the new skills introduced in kindergarten require a great deal of practice to achieve mastery of your school district's standards. You can take advantage of your kindergartners' natural playfulness by using bingo to meet your objectives in several subject areas.
Math
Kindergarten objectives for math typically include number and pattern recognition. Simple addition is often introduced for more advanced students. Numbered bingo sheets provide an opportunity to practice skills and work toward mastery of math objectives using play instead of drills. For example, begin with simple number recognition and then advance to having students mark "the number after five" for sequencing objectives. Addition objectives can be met by calling out simple problems such as "two plus two." Call out the answer instead of the problem to help students think flexibly about math ideas.
Phonics
Bingo provides an excellent tool for practicing phonics lessons. Objectives targeting sound-letter correspondence can be met by having each student place a token on a bingo card each time you say a sound corresponding to a letter on her card. Additional objectives, such as identifying the initial sound in familiar words, can be met by instructing your students to place a token on the square corresponding to the first sound in each word you read. For example, a student should place a token on the "d" square if she has one, when you say "dog." Word final sound objectives can be met in the same way.
Sight Words
Mastery of sight words is a standard kindergarten goal for most school districts. Use bingo to help your students enjoy practicing word lists and meet your weekly objectives. Most bingo card makers allow you to choose the words you want to include. Include 90 percent target words, 5 percent review words and 5 percent challenge words. You can also increase the challenge by having students mark words that rhyme with the words you call out instead of looking for the exact match.
Social Studies
Many school districts target familiarity with community personnel as part of the kindergarten social studies curriculum. You can use bingo to create objectives targeting an appreciation for the many features characterizing each of those roles. Create bingo cards with a picture of a different community member in each square. For example, you might include a doctor, teacher, firefighter and police officer in one column; a garbage collector, a nurse, a postal worker and a delivery person in the next and so on. Your prompts would then target one aspect of the person's job, such as "he teaches people to read" for teacher. If you have several different descriptions for each job, then it helps students realize the breadth of each of these jobs.
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