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FREE READING CHALLENGE · KS1 AND KS2

Reading challenge for kids (free printable bingo card)

A reading bingo card that nudges children to try new kinds of books: 9 squares for KS1 and 16 for KS2, from a poem read aloud to a book set in another country. Tick off squares on screen, add what you read, and print the card, or print it blank to fill in by hand.

Your reading bingo card

Your card is not saved. Nothing you type or tick here is stored or sent anywhere. It stays on this page only until you close or refresh it, so print it when you have finished.

0 of 16 squares done

  1. A book from a series you have never tried

  2. A poem you then read aloud to someone

  3. A myth or a legend

  4. A non-fiction book about something new to you

  5. A book set in another country

  6. A book with a map in it

  7. A graphic novel or a comic

  8. A book a friend recommends

  9. A book written more than 50 years ago

  10. A book that makes you laugh out loud

  11. A story told in diary entries or letters

  12. A book chosen only by its cover

  13. A book read in a den or under a blanket

  14. A choose-your-path story, where you decide what happens

  15. A book you then recommend to someone else

  16. Free square: anything at all

Prints the KS2 card on one A4 page. To keep a copy, choose “Save as PDF” in your browser’s print window.

Every square on both cards

KS1 card (9 squares)

  1. Read a book about an animal
  2. Read a story with a rhyme in it
  3. Read to a teddy or a toy
  4. Read a book that makes you laugh
  5. Free square: any book you like
  6. Read a fairy tale or a traditional tale
  7. Tell the story of a book with no words
  8. Read a book a grown-up loved when they were little
  9. Find out something new from a non-fiction book

KS2 card (16 squares)

  1. A book from a series you have never tried
  2. A poem you then read aloud to someone
  3. A myth or a legend
  4. A non-fiction book about something new to you
  5. A book set in another country
  6. A book with a map in it
  7. A graphic novel or a comic
  8. A book a friend recommends
  9. A book written more than 50 years ago
  10. A book that makes you laugh out loud
  11. A story told in diary entries or letters
  12. A book chosen only by its cover
  13. A book read in a den or under a blanket
  14. A choose-your-path story, where you decide what happens
  15. A book you then recommend to someone else
  16. Free square: anything at all

Why these squares

Poems and myths
Short, old and made to be spoken: good for reading aloud, and a way into the myths and legends children meet across KS2.
Non-fiction
Many children who say they do not like reading love facts. A non-fiction square tells them that counts.
Another country, an old book
Two squares that widen the range of books a child meets without telling them what to read.
Comics and choosing by the cover
Permission squares: reading for pleasure includes the books adults sometimes look down on.
A friend’s book, a recommendation
Reading is social. These squares get children talking about books with each other.
Choose your path
A story where the reader decides what happens next makes the child part of the story, not just its audience.

In the National Curriculum

  • “listening to and discussing a wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books or textbooks”

    Years 3 and 4, Reading – comprehension (statutory)

  • “increasing their familiarity with a wide range of books, including myths, legends and traditional stories, modern fiction, fiction from our literary heritage, and books from other cultures and traditions”

    Years 5 and 6, Reading – comprehension (statutory)

  • “learning to appreciate rhymes and poems, and to recite some by heart”

    Year 1, Reading – comprehension (statutory)

  • “reading books that are structured in different ways and reading for a range of purposes”

    Years 3 and 4, Reading – comprehension (statutory)

How to use it at home or in class

Most children have a comfort zone: the same series, the same author, the same kind of funny book. That is fine, and re-reading favourites is part of loving books, but a reading challenge gives a gentle reason to try something new. The National Curriculum asks children in Years 3 and 4 to listen to and discuss a wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books, and a bingo card turns that range into a game rather than a list of rules.

Choose the card for your child, not their year group. The KS1 card has nine squares with short, concrete challenges, such as reading to a teddy or finding a book with a rhyme in it, and a free square in the middle. The KS2 card has sixteen squares that stretch further: a myth or legend, a book written more than 50 years ago, a story told in diary entries or letters. A confident Year 2 reader might enjoy the KS2 card, and a Year 3 child who finds reading hard might prefer the KS1 one.

Agree the rules before you start. Squares can be done in any order. A book can count for one square, or for two at most, so the card does not fill up with a single favourite. Being read to counts, especially for the longer KS2 books. Decide whether you are aiming for a line of squares or the whole card, and how long you have: a half term, a holiday or a month all work well.

Keep the reward small or skip it. In Litsee’s view, the best reward for a finished card is the card itself, pinned up where the family can see it, and perhaps choosing the next book or a trip to the library. Big prizes for numbers of books can push children towards short, easy books to fill squares quickly, which is the opposite of what the challenge is for.

A challenge should not cost money. School and public libraries are the obvious places to find books for each square, and library staff can help a child hunt for a myth, a poem or a book with a map in it. Swapping books with friends fills the recommendation squares, and the choose-your-path square can be done with a free interactive story online. Books you already own count too, especially ones that have been on the shelf unread for a while.

Make it your own. If a square does not suit your child, swap it: a child who does not have a garden can read in the park or by a window, and a child who already reads lots of comics might be challenged to read a non-fiction book instead. The free square is there for anything at all, including a book they have read five times before.

To use the card above, choose KS1 or KS2, tick each square as it is done and type what was read underneath. The counter shows how many squares are complete. Press “Print my card” for an A4 sheet with the ticks and titles, or “Print a blank card” to start again on paper. Nothing you type or tick is saved or sent anywhere, so print the card before you close the page.

In class, give every child a blank card at the start of a half term and keep a class card on the wall, where any child can add a title to a square. Children who finish can write a review of their favourite book from the card using the book review templates, which gives the challenge a natural ending and the next reader a recommendation.

Sources

The quotations in “In the National Curriculum” are copied word for word from this document, with the year and section each applies to. The templates, examples, challenges and advice are Litsee’s guidance.

How this page was made

The templates, examples, challenges and guidance were drafted with AI help and checked by Litsee against the National Curriculum statements quoted above. No teacher has reviewed these pages yet, so we do not show a reviewer. Spotted something to improve? Email info@litsee.com.

The log, review templates and bingo card run in your browser. Nothing you type or tick is saved, stored or sent anywhere, and it disappears when you close or refresh the page.

Last reviewed: .

Questions parents and teachers ask

What is reading bingo?

Reading bingo is a reading challenge on a grid. Each square names a kind of book or a way of reading, such as a poem, a book set in another country or reading somewhere new. Children tick off squares as they go, aiming for a line or the whole card.

How long should a reading challenge last?

Long enough to finish without rushing. A KS1 card of nine squares often suits a few weeks, and a KS2 card of sixteen suits a half term or a school holiday. Agree the end date at the start, and extend it if your child is enjoying it.

Does my child need a prize for finishing?

Not usually. A finished card on the fridge, a choice of the next book or a library trip is plenty. Big prizes for the number of books read can push children towards quick, easy books instead of the ones they would enjoy most.

Can one book count for more than one square?

That is up to you. A sensible house rule is that one book can fill two squares at most, so the card still sends your child to a range of books. A book set in another country with a map in it could tick both of those squares, for example.

Is my child’s card saved anywhere?

No. The ticks and titles stay in your browser while the page is open and are never saved, stored or sent. Print the card or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print window before you close the page.

From reader to author: let your child steer a story of their own.

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