No More Homework Excuses

Teaching Theme of the Week

by Linda Starr, Education World®

Weekly prizes encourage students to do homework daily.

BINGO

Five in a row makes BINGO.

Create a 5"x 5" BINGO card for each student. Write the numbers 1-5 down the left side of the card and the letters A-E across the top. Each day, select a letter-number combination and initial that square on the cards of students who have completed their homework. Each week, award a small prize to students who have BINGO.

A Homework Raffle

Students earn chances to win a prize.

Each day, present a raffle ticket to every student who turns in his or her homework. At the end of the week, draw a few students' names and award small prizes to those students. Point out (often!) that the more raffle tickets they earn, the greater their chances of winning a prize.

No Homework Today!

Doing homework earns a Homework Coupon.

Every day, award a ticket to students who turn in their homework on time. When a student accumulates 5 tickets (or 10 or 20!), allow the student to turn them in for a homework-free night.

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