Word game bingo: a behavioral treatment package for improving textual responding to sight words.
Turn sight-word drills into token bingo and watch accuracy jump to over 90% while kids stay engaged.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team turned sight-word drills into a bingo game. Kids marked words they read correctly and earned tokens for wins.
They used a multiple-baseline design across word sets in a classroom. Accuracy was tracked for each set before and during the game.
What they found
Accuracy rose about 30 points and stayed above 90% for every word set that entered the game.
The gains showed up quickly and held while new sets were added.
How this fits with other research
Hart et al. (1974) already showed that tokens alone beat praise for sight-word learning. C et al. added the bingo format and still hit the same high accuracy, so the game layer keeps the power while making practice fun.
May (2011) and Davison et al. (1991) reviews say massed trials with any reinforcement work for kids with limited reading. The 1981 bingo fits right in, giving teachers one more way to deliver those trials.
Lewis et al. (2025) and Coleman et al. (2025) moved to Strategic Incremental Rehearsal without tokens. They still get gains, but the 1981 study shows that if you want both speed and high accuracy, tokens plus a game remain a solid choice.
Why it matters
You can run sight-word bingo with almost no prep: a call sheet, a token board, and small prizes. Use it for early readers, English-language learners, or students with autism who need high repetition. Start with one word set, teach the rules, and let the game drive the trials. When accuracy tops 90%, add a new set and keep the token economy going.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Six third-grade students identified as deficient in reading skills tested the efficacy of word game bingo for acquisition and retention of sight word reading. The design was a modified multiple baseline in which treatment was implemented over 3 of 4 word sets and terminated on earlier sets when commencing treatment on later sets. Four sets of bingo cards were constructed on 7 X 9 cm paper divided into 25 equal-sized boxes. Sight words of each set were randomly placed into 24 of these boxes (the center box was marked "free"). Bingo winners were given tokens which were traded weekly for reinforcing activities. Noticeable improvements occurred for the word sets receiving the game treatment (sets A to C). Mean percentage points of improvement from baseline to treatment were approximately 30%. Terminal levels of correct responding exceeded 90%. Several variations of the game were suggested for future research and word game bingo was advocated as an effective behavioral technique or teachers to train sight word reading.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 1981 · doi:10.1901/jaba.1981.14-317