Are You Out of Ideas to Motivate Students to do Homework? Try This

We recently acquired a new fourth grade teacher at school who took another teacher’s place.  This new teacher is brimming with innovative ideas.  She has redecorated her classroom and one of the items she had posted was a Monopoly like game board.  However, instead of the word Monopoly, the 35 inch game board read “Homeworkopoly”.  Out of curiosity I had to ask about this.  Each time students turn in homework, they get a chance to roll dice and land on one of the Homeworkopoly spaces.  Just like Monopoly each space is labeled with different opportunities.  Some spaces allow students to turn over a chance card, others allow students to gain a reward such as a free homework pass, eat lunch with the teacher, and so forth.  Students are motivated to turn in homework so that they can play the game.  Homeworkopoly makes an attractive addition to a bulletin board, and the best part—it’s completely free.  (I asked this fourth grade teacher if this actually improved students’ desire to complete homework.  She said that they were more motivated, and that it increased their desire to turn in homework.  You may download this pdf file at the following site with instructions and chance cards.  Just click on the following picture.