To not like prizes for the 'best homework' in reception?

[Mittensonkittens]

Ds (4) was sent home with a note on Friday saying that he had a homework task and the child who had the best homework would win a special prize.

Anyway ds slaved away at his and tried really hard. He did some Saturday, Sunday and this morning. I have minimal intervention because although obviously although I could see ways to improve it it seemed pointless me doing it.

He came out of school forlorn and saying his homework wasnt good enough because he'd tried his best but didn't get the prize (a stationery set apparently). I completely appreciate he can't always win but I don't like this system because some children will have no support from parents and some children will basically have parents do it for them. Also they're 4 years old. I don't see why they couldn't all have had a special sticker for trying to do the work or put a marble in the jar or something like that.

Aibu? At this age I largely think homework actually measures parental support so don't like it anyway apart from for reading.

Is competitiveness a no-no?

I think it's a bit much. OK it encourages them to try hard, but it's probably going to discourage more children than it encourages.

No they have other competitive stuff like a weekly reading trophy.
I think it was the homework and the prize combined that annoyed me. It wasn't a task that a 4 year old could have done without any support at all so some children will be counted out if parents haven't got time etc.

They're 4. If they were older then fine.

Jeez, that is a bit hard-core for a 4-year old!

I think that's rubbish. Competitiveness is all well and good, but at age 4 how on earth do you measure "best homework". Poor effort on the teachers part I think, there are far better ways to encourage young children.

Can you not make a nice treat for him, even something little like choosing pudding/a new book, so he knows you appreciate how hard he tried? Sounds like he worked really hard :)

Yanbu. It's as silly, and out of the kids hands, as attendance awards.

Prizes for classwork is more appropriate.

YANBU

OTT for reception.

But if they're going to do it, you'd hope that every child gets a turn at the prize, and there will have been plenty of submissions that were more than good enough. Your ds not getting the prize doesn't mean that he didn't do brilliantly, and hopefully you will be able to explain that successfully.

Ds school do poster competition for school fair...I spoke to a teacher I was helping shocked my DS had won..he is not the best artist...She said they take out the ones obviously high parent input before judging...

YNBU..I think all the kids need encouraging at that age not just the best

It was a word finding exercise. So they were given 6 letters and told to make as many words as they could. Ds found 27 on his own using magnetic letters I gave him and shuffling them around. Without the magnetic letters he wouldn't have found anywhere near as many.

I could see quite a few more (five letters long) but short of me telling him he was never going to find them.

The child who found the most words won. But I can't help wondering if the parent actually found the words. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe the child did it themselves.

I honestly don't know how most of a reception class who have been there a few weeks which isn't long, would even stand a chance to be honest. Over half will ky know a few words at this point. And as for spelling, well no chance.

What a stoopid idea. Children punished for parents' inability/unwillingness/philosophical objections to help/ing

What about EAL children?

Ds rearranged the magnetic letters and then sounded out to see if he'd made a real word.
He only got so many because one of the letters was an 's' so he could make plurals! But any words that he couldn't phonetically sound out he couldn't get.

Without the magnetic words he'd have made about four. That's what I was thinking really, children who were just literally left to it at home would have had no chance!
Ds found writing the actual words must tricky as his fine motor is still not great.

Mitten - I like your approach though

Ds was a bit stressed before the introduction of magnetic letters! Giving 4 year olds 6 letters and expecting them to make words is a bit of a stretch! I'm not sure ds even understood what he was supposed to do at first tbh. Giving him a row of letters and saying 'make words from that' didn't help.