The Universal Homework Model

I have searched for a way to make homework meaningful to my students and not a chore for their parents.  I've dreamed of a school year in which the students were excited about doing their homework and parents never shared with me that getting their children to do homework was a struggle.  I've tried assigning different types of homework and using different reward systems, but I have never found one that I thought really worked.  That is, until now.  When I read about the Universal Homework Model I was in love, and immediately knew that I had to give it a try.

Here is how it works.  Choose three tasks that you would like your students to do for homework each night, and assign each of these tasks a star value of one, two, or three stars.  Two-star homework would also include the completion of one-star homework, and three-star homework would include the completion of one and two-star homework.  Each night your students would choose how many stars they would like to earn.  You would set a minimum number that is required for the week.

Then, at the beginning of each day, students would share how many stars they completed the previous night.  Students who chose two or three-star homework would be given special recognition.  The total stars that the class earned for the previous night would be added up and recorded on a class homework bar chart on the board.  At the end of the week, if the class met their goal in stars (TBD by the teacher and posted at the top of the board graph) the class would earn a reward, like playing Mind Soccer. (A wonderful WBT review game that students will beg you to play.)

I have added my own little twist.  I am going to create a display on the wall by the thermometer called "Star Homework".  Each student will have a blank hundred chart on the wall with his/her name on it.  At the end of every week, I will record on the blank hundreds charts the total number of stars that each student has earned for the week.  When a student has earned 100 stars he/she will automatically move up one level on the Super Improvers Board and will earn a trip to the treasure chest. 

Click Star Homework cover sheet for next year.  I have chosen to use nightly reading and the SuperSpeed Math game for one star, math or phonics review pages for two stars, and writing about nightly reading for three stars.  What you choose is up to you. WBT encourages reading, review games like SuperSpeed Math and SuperSpeed Reading, and writing. YOU CAN EDIT THIS FOR YOUR PREFERENCES. If you can't edit this please let me know.

Each level is worth a set amount of Team Stars. These stars accumulate each day to earn minutes of a learning game called Mind Soccer! 

At the end of each school quarter, I raise the number of Stars needed to earn the minutes.  

You really want to get Team Spirit hyped up, so here is the recommendation from Coach B:

This really works!  I am always happily surprised to find students not only eager to volunteer, but also follow through on their commitment the next morning!  You may find as I have, that some of those eagerly volunteering are the ones struggling in class, and/or have not always been consistent in returning daily homework!  Amazing!

When you present the homework plan to your parents, it’s very important for them to understand that extra homework turned in for Stars does not count as Extra Credit!  Many are shocked when their child comes home excited to do more school work just to earn more minutes to play a learning game!

For more detailed information, please visit http://wholebrainteaching.com/  
Watch the WBT Webcasts  for Universal Homework
Mind Soccer