My daughter had one similar to what you describe, Parentastic. I mixed in a random activity to distract her from the boredom. I made her read the word and then run up the stairs and back down, and each time I timed her. So the goal I gave her was to do it faster each time. So she would try to cut her time by reading faster, and also by darting up the stairs faster. No one ever knew what it took to get through that homework, but it doesn't really matter. They're my kids, I can make them do it however I want! She learned the words, that's all that matters. And she was definitely having fun, thinking that the stair races were part of it.