Printable Reading Bingo Cards, Free

Q: Can I change the squares?

Yes, under Words. Keep each task short, a few words, so it fits the square.

A month of reading in 25 squares

A reading challenge works better when the squares are small tasks. Each one asks for a kind of book (a mystery, a poem, a true story) or a way to read (outside, to a sibling, in a fort). Readers pick their own titles, so the card never tells a child what to read. It only nudges them to try something outside their usual shelf.

Teachers can give one card to each student on the first of the month and ask for a line by the end of it. Parents can use the same card for a summer challenge, with a family movie night as the finish. The cards come from 52 tasks and are different for every child, which stops copying.

Print two per sheet, or four to save paper. The free square in the middle gives every reader a head start. A line earns a sticker, four corners earns a bookmark, and a full card earns a pick from the prize box.

Words on these bingo cards

Book with a map
Set in winter
Has a dragon
Funny book
True story
Poetry book
Graphic novel
Under 100 pages
Over 200 pages
Read outside
Read to a pet
Read to a sibling
Animal hero
Mystery
About space
About the ocean
Number in the title
Color in the title
From the library
Picked by a friend
Set in another country
Craft or cookbook
Made into a movie
Re-read a favorite
About a sport
Biography
About history
Mostly pictures
Made you laugh
Made you think
Read before breakfast
Read for 20 minutes
Read on a bus
Read in a fort
One-word title
Long title
Twist ending
First in a series
Last in a series
News article
Magazine
Joke book
Has a ghost
Fairy tale
Folk tale
Picked by its cover
Recommended by a teacher
Book of facts
Written long ago
Has a sidekick
Set at school
Tell someone about it

Running a reading challenge

Print one card per student with Number of cards, and write the end date at the top.
Readers mark a square with the book title in pencil. Check cards each Friday during silent reading.
At the end of the month, collect the cards. Count lines, and let each reader tell the class about their best book.
Press New cards for the next month, so the squares change.

Questions about reading bingo

Can one book fill two squares?

Your call. A strict rule is one book per square, but a lenient one lets a mystery set in winter count twice.

What reading level is it for?

Grades 2 to 8. Squares are about types of book, so a child can pick one at their own level.

Does audio count?

Many teachers say yes. Listening to a book is reading with the ears, and it keeps reluctant readers in the game.

Can I change the squares?

Yes, under Words. Keep each task short, a few words, so it fits the square.

Printable reading bingo cards