Reading development begins with a strong foundational knowledge of letters and their sounds. In the early stages of learning, children can practice their letter-sound knowledge by playing fun learning games such as Beginning Sounds Bingo!
This competitive game keeps young learners engaged and excited about their task- learning letter sounds.
This Beginning Sounds Bingo rules guide will cover the following:
- What is Beginning Sounds Bingo?
- What you’ll need to play
- Beginning Sounds Bingo Rules
- How to play Beginning Sounds Bingo (Video Tutorial)
- FAQs
Read on to learn how to play Beginning Sounds Bingo.
What is Beginning Sounds Bingo?
Players use bingo cards with a variety of illustrations represented on a 5×5 square grid to listen for the beginning sound of words spoken aloud by the caller to get 5 in a row before any other player!
Number of Players: 2+
Ages: 4+
Difficulty: Easy
Length of Play: 15-20 minutes
Category: Educational learning games
Similar to: Fly-Swatter-Game, Sparkle Spelling Game
Main Objective: The main objective is to be the first player to get 5 bingo chips in a row!
Why We Love It: Bingo is a very simple game that is easy to play with large groups of people.
What You’ll Need to Play Beginning Sounds Bingo
Everything you need to play is listed below:
- A variety of bingo cards (One for each player)
- A deck of alphabet letter cards
- Bingo chips or counters (25 for each player)
Area of Play
Players can gather at a large table, play at their desks, or even sit on the floor. Since gameplay is played individually, children can spread out across multiple tables.
Give each player a Beginning Sounds Bingo card and a handful of chips. Counter, tiles, or any other small object works well. You can find Beginning Sounds Bingo cards online or create your own!
Beginning Sounds Bingo Rules
To start the game, the caller, or the teacher depending upon who is playing, takes the stack of alphabet letters. After ensuring the deck is well-shuffled, gameplay begins!
The caller starts by reading a letter sound from the card deck. For instance, if the letter drawn from the deck is R, the teacher simply makes the /r/ sound.
Students will quickly scan the images on their bingo game cards for a picture that begins with the /r/ sound. (Examples: road, run, river)
This gameplay continues. If students have a picture on their game board that matches the letter sound being called, they mark the space with a counter or a chip.
If players do not have a matching image on their board, they simply wait for the next letter sound to be called out.
The first player to correctly get 5 in a row wins!
Tips and Tricks
- You can make beginning sounds bingo more challenging by saying a word instead of a letter sound. For instance, instead of saying “/r/,” you might say “rabbit.” This variation allows players to decipher the beginning sound in a word from other sounds in a word.
- The caller may also make the game more intense by showing them the letter card without actually saying the letter sound. This becomes more difficult because students will have to identify the sound of the letter independently.
- Keep track of the letters that have been called by placing the used cards from the alphabet deck in a designated location. After players shout, “Bingo!” you can refer back to the previously called letter sounds to make sure the answers are marked correctly.
How to Keep Score in Beginning Sounds Bingo
You don’t need to keep track of numeric scoring for Beginning Sounds Bingo.
When any player marks five squares in a row on their board, they shout, “Bingo!” This indicates a win, and the teacher can then verify their success by viewing their playing board and making sure images are correctly marked.
Beginning Sounds Bingo is visually concrete, and children can physically see their progress throughout the game as they continue to place chips on various images.
How to Play Beginning Sound Bingo – Video Tutorial
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an example of beginning sound?
Beginning sounds are the initial sound or sounds that you produce when saying words. For example, the word cat begins with the /k/ sound. Some words are composed of digraphs, two letters that make one sound, such as the beginning sound of the word ship, which is /sh/.
What do you yell when you get a bingo?
Traditionally, players shout, “Bingo!” when they mark five spaces in a row either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally with a token or bingo chip. For a fun twist, create your own call-word to use when players complete Bingo at your next party or game night.
How does phonics bingo work?
You can play many variations of Bingo that reinforce phonics skills. For example, use a grid that displays words instead of images. This version is more challenging because the children must identify the letters and sounds (or the word parts) responsible for making specific sounds.
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