Behavior Bingo
Behavior management in the classroom is key, especially in Kindergarten! You really do have to work on behaviors and classroom management in order to get students to a place where they are ready to actually learn. Kids thrive when there is structure and consistency, which is what we should make the goal of our behavior management system. Read on for tips on how to use behavior bingo as a tool in your classroom!
I remember when my students were having a tough time staying focused and following classroom rules! Sometimes this happens at the beginning of the year as everyone gets acquainted with the new routine and new people. Other times this happens before or after a long break or at the end of the year. At any rate, this behavior bingo freebie is the perfect way to encourage those positive behaviors and give your students something fun to work towards.
Behavior Bingo
To use this behavior bingo board, you will want to choose one behavior that you find your students are having a tough time with. Choosing too many behaviors at once will make this less effective. The key is to let your students know that you’re looking for that specific behavior!
Communicate to your students that you are watching for this behavior as well as other teachers they may see around the school (the PE teacher, music teacher, or librarian). This will help with behaviors throughout the day, that way it becomes a habit and not something they ONLY work towards in your classroom.
One year, my kiddos were having a super hard time transitioning quietly. I’m pretty sure I was running a circus. ? We needed several reminders to transition quietly and quickly. So you guessed it, this was the behavior we focused on with behavior bingo and were going to be rewarded for when doing it correctly. Read on to see exactly how I used this in my classroom!
How It Works
First off, I put our bingo chart and prize chart up on the whiteboard, front and center. and stored the bingo pieces in a little bucket. The little colorful buckets from the Target Dollar Spot work perfectly for this!
When we transitioned quietly and quickly, I chose a ticket from the bucket. Then, I covered the corresponding number on the bingo chart with a fun magnet. You could also just use a dry-erase marker to mark it off since the chart is laminated. You could even call out a student who has been showing great behavior and leadership skills and have them cover it as well.
The students earned a bingo by filling an entire column. Whichever column they filled up first was the prize they earned! It was so fun to encourage the students and see them working together and giving each other reminders throughout the day of what they were working towards. We talked a lot about how this was a TEAM effort and the only way we could get a bingo is if we all worked together to achieve it!
All About The Prizes
The behavior bingo chart spells PRIZE, with each letter standing for a different, fun prize. Here is what each letter stands for:
P- Popsicle Party. {You could do popcorn party, pizza party, or just party and then you can decide what they get!}
R- Read-a-thon. My students really enjoy reading and being read to. During our read-a-thon, they can bring a pillow or blanket from home, read with their shoes off and basically just have a relaxing afternoon reading. You could also invite guest readers such as other teachers, the principal, or parents to come in and read to the kids.
I- Inside Games. You know, those fun games you get to play during rainy
day recess. You know, the games us Southern California residents rarely
ever get to play! That’s what we’ll do! Think of board games, card games, etc. Of course, you can always make this one an ice cream party, or an invite of some sort to do something special.
Z- Zoo Day. They could bring a stuffed animal to school or you could watch a zoo-themed movie. Z was harder to come up with! Any other ideas?
E- Extra Time on something they all love. Extra recess, computer time, PE lessons, etc. I have a feeling this one is going to be the most enticing for your students!
Want to try this with your class? Download your own behavior bingo board here!
Are you thinking of different prizes? Or maybe you want to change up the prizes when you change up the behavior of focus? The zipped file contains both a ready-to-use behavior bingo board and an editable board! You will need access to PowerPoint to edit the custom slide. I would love to hear your ideas for other prizes!
I hope this behavior bingo resource will help you and your students in working on those positive behaviors. Once the behavior of focus has improved, choose a new behavior and keep going!
