School Rewards - Love or Hate?

[roseyrose2020]

I know this might be an unpopular view but I hate the homework rewards/certificates they give at school.
I think it really penalises children that have no control over their homework especially primary school.

I was one of those kids who had a really dysfunctional upbringing, I had an alcoholic /heroin addict mother and recovering addict father.
There was so much going on at home that homework was the last think that got done. This wasn't through my choice. As a young child you need parents helping you/prompting you to do it but mine didn't.
I remember the absolute disappointment and shame I used to feel that I never got certificates etc

At my children's primary school they have homework certificates/end of year prizes etc for the children that get all of it done.
But all I feel is for the children that have no chance of ever achieving it through no fault of their own.

Hideous aren't they? Up there with attendance awards that penalise any child with any sort of health condition and even those who catch a heavy cold

Absolutely detest them. There's always a small group of children who end up with nothing, normally the middling kids.

YANBU they're almost as bad as attendance awards. Most of the homework projects at our primary are done 90% by the parents.

YANBU. My DD1 got them as a bribe to make her behave. Which didn’t work as she saw right through it. She behaves perfectly well without rewards when the environment is appropriate for her. DD2 never gets them despite being quite bright and doing all of her work without complaining. I don’t think the teacher knows she is there. Staring year 7 in September and she can’t wait. Leave the stickers and certificate bullshit behind.

I should have said my DD1 has ASD. She isn’t just badly behaved 😄

Hate it all !
I have 3 Dc - one in primary school year 3 and in 3 years has been her won a certificate in anything ( they give them out every Friday ) has never made it to a end of school attendance trip etc

She has complex heart disease / failure required a heart transplant. Neutropenia, tube fed amongst other things.

Hate hate hate them. I hate anything like star of the week anything like that. I genuinely believe that good behaviour should be expected and bad behaviour investigated. Behaviour is a complex issue that managed badly can have long lasting effects.
In 20 years of teaching I have never done individual rewards. I might give everyone in the class a sticker going home because it's Wednesday or its sunny or its Mary's birthday etc.

We need to stop rewarding children to match the mould.

Sorry rant over!!!

I hate rewards for individuals. My dd is top of her class, quiet, well behaved and never gets awards. She thinks she’s not working hard enough. It’s been like this throughout primary school. She never gets a headteacher award and when they had the golden table (where you got your lunch served to you and cake for pudding and you chose a friend to take) she was never chosen as the friend either. The same kids were getting all the rewards and the popular kids were chosen to accompany to the golden table. It broke her heart and while I tried to explain they were used as motivators for less well behaved kids or kids struggling to learn something who finally mastered it, that means nothing to a sad child who wants the same recognition.

A recent teacher gave group treats so groups within the class would be awarded points as a team and at the end of the month the team with the most points got the treat. which was slightly better.

I work with children and have two of my own and I hate any kind of homework/attendance award. Where actually the children have very little control over whether they achieve the targets or not. Maybe they should do certificates and special rewards for the parents

I also despise any kind of behaviour monitoring where children are rated according to some twee system and displayed on a wall display. And some usually become gossip fodder and it can lead to much angst for some children. I think these sorts of things can be absolutely rubbish for some children's well-being. However I appreciate schools have to do something to encourage good behaviour and engagement. There isn't ever going to be a one size fits all approach that suits every child. And I assume they must work on the whole or schools wouldn't waste their time on it.

Not homework, but my DDs school has 4types of achievement award.

1. Roll of honour... 4kids every two weeks per class
2. Shining star... 1 kid per class every two weeks.
3. Half term awards (a few per class I think)
4. Sort of a 'Pupil of the term award).

In the past year and a bit since they started, my youngest has got every type of award. She confident and outgoing.
My eldest.. well she got the Roll of Honour soon after she started. Pretty much the only child in her class to get nothing whatsoever last term. (If she had been in school this term, she probably would have) She struggles academically. She's shy. And she has really low self confidence. And it's now even lower.

These things.. great for those who get them. But can be torturous for those who don't.

Our school now has fecking ‘Best of the Best’ 😬🤦🏻‍♀️
It’s hideous. Try explaining that to a 5 year old when his best friend gets the Headteachers Award weekly and as such, then gets awarded THAT one too.
FFS.

How to put down children at such a young age

My child's primary school does award certs but it's generally accepted that everyone will get at least one and no one gets more than 3 a year.
They also do one English, one maths and one effort reward for the year per class.. If win once don't win again..and classes are mixed up each year (split classes) that it's well received.
It seems to work relatively well

Hate them. With a passion, so demotivating for the children who are overlooked.

I hate them. It is always the same kids who get everything. I must admit that I got a tear in my eye when dd got a special headteacher's certificate at the end of Y6 that said something like 'just for being you.' She was the type of kid who stood out. Ds isn't and also suffers from not being dd and not living up to expectations, even though he's actually similar ability at most things . Throughout Y6 he complained about never getting any awards and I knew he wouldn't get a special certificate at the end. Just about the only good thing to come out of lockdown was that we never got to find out.

At their secondary it's even worse and they are so competitive about it. One week ds had to be in a head to head with someone from another tutor group and he got no points that week, despite trying his best, getting great marks for things and being well-behaved. He'd also asked for points as his tutor had encouraged nagged him to and he got nothing! He ended up in bloody tears in the Sunday night ffs, a kid who loves school. Bloody hate them - they're all aimed at a certain type of kid. Rant over!

I loathe attendance awards, and I rejected a possible junior school for DD when they proudly showed off the bronze/silver/gold badge scheme they operated. Kids earned points not only for good work but for punctuality, correct dress, bringing back the reply slips from letters to parents... all stuff that was not within their control.

I'm ok with the Star Of The Week thing at the school we chose. It's awarded for anything - being particularly polite, helping tidy up, listening carefully, being kind to another child, showing enthusiasm or asking good questions... whatever makes an impression on the teacher that week. Everyone has a fair chance to win it in any given week. DD couldn't stop smiling when she won it.

My son has got one of these things once, but generally it's the kids who struggle or are a bit naughty that get them. He's baffled as to why doing work well gets you nowhere, but being a bit naughty does. It reinforces the opposite of our values that we teach him, so it's really frustrating.

I absolutely loathe them.

Who does like them then?!

I asked school once when my youngest dd was in yr1 why she hasn’t ever had anything despite being kind, confident etc. The teacher told me ‘little Johnny gets one for putting his coat on nicely’ and ‘little Katie gets one for sitting still’
I pointed out that my dd puts her coat on and sits still and wonders why she doesn’t get a certificate...cue teacher shrugging and mysteriously a certificate appeared in the bookbag the very next day.

They are a really crap way of trying to rectify bad behaviour

Hate them.
They are meaningless but still annoying.
If people are overlooked that's mean. And when they're not, then it really is meaningless, they all get a turn. But the feeling motivated/proud one week is not worth the 24 weeks of feeling jealous or wondering why your work wasn't good enough.

And now my son's primary school has "Homeschool Heroes". 4 or 5 pupils a week get this and so far only it's only been the 20 children who never need to attend. So as a single parent key worker who has sent my child in part time, when I'm working and have no other option, there seems to be a message being sent out there.

We do home school to the best of our ability three days a week but obviously we are not heroic enough.

Hate them too...my dd is 9 and has just had Achiever of the Week, it says on it she got it for her hard work and positive attitude in lessons,as she quietly gets on with all her tasks to the best of her ability.What utter tosh! She should get on with her work to the best of her ability,thats what she is there for,So should all the other kids,Now this would be ok ish I suppose if 3 of her friends hadnt had the same certificate with the exact same wording!!! It is a pointless exercise and creates a difference albeit temporary and a division between the kids and I hate that. She was so upset though when she didnt get an attendance award due to the fact she had caught chicken pox from said school and it wasnt her fault she was poorly, Ridiculous things these awards and should be binned off.Praise yes where praise is due and encouragement where needed fine with all that but not by these awards..there has to be a better way.

My two (twins in the same class) worked out very early on they were a con - silly teacher always gave ds2 one exactly a week after giving ds1 one.

My child's school has a 'kindness' award which they give every term to the class bully. They've been doing this for years - you would think they would have learned by now that it doesn't make him nicer

@Stinkywizzleteets my DD2 was exactly the same. However, she is a chip off the old block and although she always behaved really well in lessons and is bright, could be a monkey & wind-up merchant when she chose. She saw straight through the system and used to announce in a loud voice who would win ahead of time and was invariably correct.

The one that pissed off both DDs was the end of year award that was given in the mixed-age top class for being outstanding all year. DD1 was in a year group of 8 in year 6. She played her instrument in school events, played on a sports team for the school, represented them at gifted & talented days etc. So they gave it to a perfectly nice year 5 who rarely did homework, was obsessed by Justin Bieber (a crime in itself according to DD2) and never did anything for the school apart from turn up. Both my DDs decided it wasn't worth anything and stopped bothering.

In my primary school, in a mixed y4/5 class we have star of the day and as I see them in an afternoon, I get to choose once per week. I try to make it for something non-academic such as being kind or helping others (especially organising me!). The recipient gets to leave class first with a friend for the next day and is also responsible for errands. They all seem to really love it.

DD's school are currently doing star of the week for the children in school and a separate home learner star of the week.

How can they fairly decide the home one? DD could easily win it as we're in a fortunate position - she's an only child with a dedicated device and I only work part time from home so am able to encourage and oversee. What about the sibling sets who are sharing devices, those with unreliable internet, those with working parents who can't help. If they can't do all the work do they miss out on the award?

@freddiesmoustache

DD's school are currently doing star of the week for the children in school and a separate home learner star of the week.

How can they fairly decide the home one? DD could easily win it as we're in a fortunate position - she's an only child with a dedicated device and I only work part time from home so am able to encourage and oversee. What about the sibling sets who are sharing devices, those with unreliable internet, those with working parents who can't help. If they can't do all the work do they miss out on the award?

This is a perfect example. Children's home circumstances are so different. It makes me so sad for children that don't have the support at home. Also it puts more pressure on parents who may already be struggling.