Combine Fun and Learning With This Teaching Strategy

I know you're always on the lookout for new ideas to engage people in learning. Today I want to tell you about a teaching strategy based on the Bingo game.

In the traditional game of Bingo, players are each given a card containing a 5 by 5 grid of numbers, and check off squares on their cards when the bingo caller calls out the corresponding number. Depending on which version of the rules you prefer, the objective is for a player either to get a line of five items checked off, or to check off every item on their card. The winner of the game is the first person who checks off their items and shouts out "Bingo!"

In learning settings, you play Bingo with important differences. The first and most important modification is that instead of using bingo cards containing numbers, you use bingo cards based on the subject of yourlesson. You would use items related to theme of the class, for example, books of the Old or New Testament, names of the people in biblical stories, etc. You can also play themed versions of bingo to celebrate particular times of year like Christmas or Easter.

If you want to "ramp up" the learning, you can require the person claiming "Bingo!" to describe each of the items that they have marked off on their bingo cards - in other words, they can't claim (for example) "Isaiah" as part of their winning line, unless they can say that Isaiah is one of the major prophets in the Old Testament. Alternatively, if you prefer not to make the game into a test, you could for example have a class discussion after item is called out, or ask for a volunteer to explain the particular bible story or character, etc. You know your class well enough to know how challenging to make the game.

Bingo is easy to learn, highly adaptable, and doesn't require expensive materials. The big headache, of course, is producing the cards. Everyone should have a different card, and that means you have to make them up by hand in advance. That's a LOT of time, even if you recruit helpers!

There is an alternative approach: let your computer help! Bingo Card Printer software is slick, easy-to-use, and even has a free trial version for your first project. Check out it here:

http://www.teachtochangelives.com/bingo

You'll find this software gets you over the "headache hurdle" that keeps you from trying out this fun teaching technique.

Try out the free download version, and keep on teaching to change lives!