Homeworkopoly By Carolyn

How it works:
Kids turn homework into separate "Inboxes" each morning (one for spelling, math, and reading).

During their "morning work" I go through the homework and check it in.

Teacher moves I've put with the board:
I have them take their turns at the end of the school day. They get enough time to take care of our daily "routine" and have time for the game. However, they need to get seated and quiet in order to take turns. This makes the end of the day less crazy for me. (Yes, we have had plenty of days where we didn't get to homeworkopoly becasue they didn't settle down. They still get their roles the next day since the work was in on time.

For Class Comedian game spot (since I teach 2nd and 3rd grades) I have created cards with jokes from kid joke books. The kids pick a card and need to practice it for fluency during the school day. At the end of the day when we are doing game realted items they can go up and read their joke. (of course those that got themselves ready and quiet first are usually the first to go up and read). I also make it their responsibility to ask if their is a word they don't know. I have had kids who were not ready to read it at the end of that first day. Since the goal is getting reading fluency up, I don't care how long it takes before they are comfortable reading.

I don't use the "Chance" idea suggested on the web site. I actually haven't thought of a good idea for that space yet so it's just like the curriculum spots. What I didn't like about the idea on the website is that many of the ideas they used would be interpretted by some kids as negative. I want the homework on time so I don't want anything negative attached to the "reward."

Passing go earns some silly thing from Oriental Trading. I went with cheap things (super balls are a huge success). It could even be a piece of gum or candy.

I made very simple homework passes in Word. I put the student's name on it and my initials so that I don't need to worry about kids taking them from each other or trying to sneak a fake past me.

I made a "Just Reading" corner and during morning work the next day kids can go to our reading area and read instead of morning work. (Best part is they think they are getting out of something.) Game spot works the same way and I only have games in my room that work on skills or build strategizing skills. Again, they think they are getting out of something when they play the "Mad Math" game!

Since morning work is corrected together the kids get the benefit of anything we go over in class they just haven't done it twice.

Brain Bender is suppose to be logic puzzles but I will have to put that together this summer, I didn't get to it this year.

The game is one of my bulletin boards. The pieces are just each child's name typed and laminated and put on the board with a tiny piece of sticky tak.

Depending on the area that you teach in you could ask parents to donate a package of fun pencils to your classroom at the beginning of the school year and use those for your pencil station.

If I left anything out, ask. I obviously don't have a problem sharing. I'd also be happy to try to help you rethink it for an older grade.