Troy Students Play "Reading Bingo" Over The Summer

Photo: Several Troy School District 30-C elementary students played “Reading Bingo” over the summer, earning prizes for books read and bingos earned.

Here, top from left: Isabella Wieher, Elizabeth McGowan and Troy Cronin Elementary School Reading Specialist Megan Janssen

Front from left: Patrick Janssen, Everitt Semplinski and Gianna Hernandez

Students at Troy Cronin, Troy Shorewood, and Troy Heritage Trail Elementary Schools had fun playing, “Reading Bingo,” over the summer, and advancing their reading skills while doing it.

Troy Shorewood Reading Specialist Meredith Beitler began the program two years ago after hearing about it from a Troy coach, and Reading Specialists Megan Janssen, of Troy Cronin, and Mary O’Hara, of Troy Heritage Trail, later adopted it for their students.

Bingo cards were sent home with the grade school students at the end of the school year. The 25 blocks on the cards could be filled in for bingos when the students read adventure, audio, non-fiction, historical, animal, and scientific books; by swapping books with friends; by reading a best friend’s book; by recording audio stories; and by reading books while eating a snack or at bedtime or by their favorite authors, among other reading goals.

Students who participated said they enjoyed checking off the boxes to get their bingos.

Elizabeth McGowan said her favorites are chapter books. She especially loved, “The Notebook of Doom,” series. Isabella Wieher enjoys chapter books, as well, and also graphic novels.

“I like to read the books because I like to learn a lot from them,” Gianna Hernandez said.

Patrick Janssen likes reading books about emergency vehicles, and Everitt Semplinski loved getting his bingo with books that included the “Captain Underpants” series.

"I wanted to encourage our Shorewood students to read for enjoyment over the summer,” Beitler said. “Students were challenged to get five in a row or fill the entire bingo card for an in-school reward."

“The game was voluntary and was open to all of our returning students,” Janssen added. “It’s important for students to read over the summer to retain the skills they worked so hard to achieve during the school year. The true goal is to create lifelong readers who enjoy the magic of reading.”