Active Reading:
Fun with Tambola / Bingo
for a
Non-Fiction Text

Replace the Monotony with Fun!

Reading non-fiction texts can sometimes feel like a solitary and passive experience for your students. However, by incorporating interactive elements like games, we can transform it into an engaging and active experience. One such game that can add a touch of excitement to non-fiction reading is Tambola/Bingo.

Let's explore how to create a Tambola/Bingo game based on a non-fiction text from the prescribed curriculum, making the reading experience more enjoyable while fostering comprehension and retention of key information.

Step 1: Select the Text
To begin, zero in on the non-fiction text .Choose one from the prescribed curriculum. The NCERT textbooks have a fair inclusion of non-fiction texts. Non-fiction texts create significant concepts, facts, or ideas that players can identify and mark off on their Tambola/Bingo cards.

Step 2: Identify Key Concepts
Read through the text carefully and identify the key concepts that you want to include in the Tambola/Bingo game. These could be specific terms, names, dates, events, or any other essential information that student-players should encounter while reading. Make a list of these concepts, ensuring they cover a broad range of the text's content.

Step 3: Create Bingo Cards
Design Bingo cards with a grid of squares. My students are familiar with Tambola, so I simulate a Tambola ticket of 3 X 9 squares (or rectangles). Otherwise, for Bingo, teachers often typically use the 5x5 or 4x4.
In each square, write down one of the key concepts from your list. It's important to shuffle the concepts randomly so that each Tambola/Bingo card is unique. This randomness adds an element of surprise and prevents players from anticipating the next concept they need to mark off.
If you can print and create copies each time you wish to use, you may do so. I choose to laminate my cards and reuse as many times / in my designated class sections. 

Step 4: Explain the Rules
(i) Before starting the game, provide players with a brief overview of the rules.
(ii) Clarify that this would be a Pair-exercise. Explain that they need to mark off the squares on their Tambola/Bingo card as they come across the corresponding concepts while reading the text.
(iii) Inform them that their game-goal is to achieve the Tambola/Bingo pattern. This adds an element of anticipation and friendly competition among the players.
(You can choose from any all strikes pattern. For Tambola, I use patterns like, a complete row: top, middle, bottom;  four corners, Queens's corner, King's corner, The 'H'. You can use any pre-determined pattern you decide on.) 
(iv) Emphasise the importance of active reading and paying attention to the content. 

Step 5: Start Reading
Distribute the Tambola/Bingo cards to the student-players and have them start reading the non-fiction text.
[IF IT IS A LAMINATED CARD, THEN STUDENTS CAN COPY THE CARD IN THEIR NOTEBOOK AND STRIKE OFF. ANY ATTEMPT AT CHANGING WORDS WOULD BE USELESS AS THE LAMINATED MASTER EXITS.]
(i) Encourage the students to share a single text between themselves and read silently (Using a pencil/finger to follow the lines as they read is always welcome).
(ii) Encourage them to read actively, keeping an eye out for the key concepts on their Tambola/Bingo cards.
(iii) Remind them to engage with the text, taking notes or highlighting relevant information as they go along.

Step 6: Mark Off Concepts
As student-players encounter a key concept from their Tambola/ Bingo card in the text, they should mark off that square. They can use a pen, pencil, or place a small token on the square to indicate that it has been covered.
Encourage players to reflect on how the concept relates to the text and deepen their understanding of the subject matter.

Step 7: Achieve the goal
Student-players continue reading until one student pair achieves a Tambola/Bingo pattern on their card (as explained in Step 4 iii).

Step 8: Confirm TAMBOLA/BINGO!
(i) When a player believes they have achieved a Tambola/Bingo, they should announce it - Hollering "TAMBOLA/BINGO!!!" usually works. Indicate all the other student-players to stop reading and listen.
(ii) Ask them to explain which words/concepts they encountered to complete the Tambola/Bingo pattern and verify if their claims are correct (by checking your list for the words).
(iii) Make sure you ask a couple of questions / elicit 1-2 concept details to stay abreast of the student-pair understanding. Else, they tend to just skim for words etc. without engaging with the text. Encourage other student-pairs, in class, to  supplement the response too.
(iv) For example, you could say , "what does this term indicate in the text?" ; "Why is this significant?"; "Why has the writer said this?" and so on.  
(v) Announce that that particular Tambola/Bingo pattern is off the table and even though student-players continue striking off all words, they can only announce achieving the next pattern achieved. This continues till the FULL HOUSE-striking all squares on the card.
(vi) This step encourages players to articulate their understanding of the text and promotes discussion among participants.

Step 9: Reward and Continue 
Congratulate the team  who achieved the Tambola/Bingo and reward them accordingly. This can be smileys on the leader board / blackboard, a small prize, a round of applause, or a simple acknowledgment. Announce the next round and let the student-players resume reading, fostering continued engagement and motivation.

Step 10: Play Until Finished
Repeat steps 7 to 9 until multiple players achieve TAMBOLA/BINGO or until everyone has finished reading the text. Encourage players to discuss and reflect on the concepts covered during the game, to foster a deeper understanding of the text.

Once this is done, you can segue into the next phase of your lesson, knowing fully well that the learners have engaged with the text.

I created the TAMBOLA tickets for the non-fiction texts . First, for class X CBSE -Glimpses of India -II (Coorg) & also for class XII CBSE-The Interview-I.
If interested, CBSE X & XII teachers can procure  these resource at www.ruchisengar.in

https://www.ruchisengar.in/courses/Text-Reading--Tambola--Tickets--X-Coorg-648bb5c7e4b09ec4c6a8ee4e

https://www.ruchisengar.in/courses/Text-Reading--Tambola-Tickets--XII--The-Interview-I-648bb648e4b0cf6a617b17f7