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Original poster

It appears that my not 5 year old Reception class DS is already coasting...

22 replies

Twiglett · 01/02/2006 17:36

bugger .. like mother like son

.. they have a sticker scheme where they get a sticker for doing good things .. when they get 15 they choose a gift .. he has already had 2 gifts from teacher

but for the last month or 2 he hasn't got any stickers and when asked why says 'I haven't been good or bad'

i spoke to teacher and she said sometimes its hard to know whether they get stickers when they tend to be quite good anyway .. but she'll keep an eye on it

worst nightmare .. coasting along and doing the minimum at 5 (well not my worst, my worst seems to involve a very angry dwarf with vampire fangs and a throat eating moth)

OP posts:

Enid · 01/02/2006 17:37

you wouldnt even think this if they didnt have ridiculous sticker scheme

sounds like teacher started it with good intentions but now finds it difficult to administer

Original poster

Twiglett · 01/02/2006 17:41

well he's stopped enjoying the reading side too .. won't use his phonics, insists on guessing .. it is rare that I can get him to sit down and sound out words and as for his writing homework .. he now does 3 or 4 letters when he used to fill the page

I think I'm tarring him with my brush .. I was such a coaster and got by on ability rather than work .. I could've been someone, I could've been a contender

good point though enid .. possibly

OP posts:

wordgirl · 01/02/2006 17:42

I think it's usually the "naughty" children who get the most stickers as teachers are so keen to reward every little good thing that they do!

LIZS · 01/02/2006 17:53

Agree these sticker/reward systems seem inconsistent so nto a good indicator of "coasting" although that may be the impact of not getting them so easily.

Last term dd got loads of housepoints to encourage her to settle and participate (new clingy child, youngest in class etc) so earned her first star badge (for 10 house points ) within 2 weeks. 3 weeks into this term and she only has 9 so no badge yet - she isn't really trying any less, is making progress with her reading and now takes herself into class, just the bench mark for her has moved, yet another little girl who is woebegone when left and needs lots more help and encouragment has her badge already ! ds who took longer to get them last term had his first star badge this term 2 weeks ago because he has tried so hard with writng etc and made progress at last. He's also already had the class cup and will see the Head this week to show some work !

Don't worry Twiglett -ime they learn and have enthusiasm to do so in fits and starts but it all balances out in the end.

Original poster

Twiglett · 01/02/2006 17:59

I just want him to want to read

he used to love stories

I am surprised

OP posts:

puff · 01/02/2006 17:59

What reading scheme do they use twig?

fullmoonfiend · 01/02/2006 18:00

oh Twig you've given me something else to worry about now! My Ds's honeymoon period in reception is deffo over now. He used to come home bristling with stickers and enthusiasm, leaping out of bed in the morning - and now says school's boring

Original poster

Twiglett · 01/02/2006 18:01

Jolly Phonics, Puff

OP posts:

Original poster

Twiglett · 01/02/2006 18:06

sorry fullmoon didn't mean to worry anyone else .. I'm not actually worried per se just concerned, bemused and slightly bothered that this particular apple did not fall far from my tree

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puff · 01/02/2006 18:10

Although the JP phonics scheme is excellent, personally I think the reading books with it are a bit naff ds1 found them boring.

Mistymoo · 01/02/2006 18:15

I think I know what you mean Twiglett. My ds is in Primary one and he seems to just get on with what he's asked to do even though I know he can do a lot more. The teacher told me at parents night that he a nice boy without being a sook which I thought was nice.

His class also have a sticker reward scheme and stickers are counted every week or two. My ds often seems to just miss out getting anything out of the golden box. Not sure why.

singersgirl · 01/02/2006 18:22

I think lots of them are just tired right now. A couple of mums have said to me that their DS/DD doesn't want to read at the moment.

I do hate the sticker thing, too, and could never work out why my beautiful hopeful DS1 never got them in Reception. Now in Y3 they all know that the worst behaved children get their award for 10 merits more quickly than the good ones.

DS2 (Reception) is on a special sticker chart as a motivator for staying out of trouble at playtime, so I know what you mean about the well-behaved kids not getting as many. He has already been sent to the head for trying to climb into the caretaker's work area.... Be thankful your boy is not yet notorious

batters · 01/02/2006 18:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fullmoonfiend · 01/02/2006 19:32

Hear hear Batters, think you've hit the nail on the head! I'm trying to give mine lots of downtime at home as I think he is knackered after school. I also find he knows a lot more than he seems to, IYSWIM. ie if I quiz him about school he clams up, if I try to 'do' reading at home he refuses etc. But if relax and really listen to him at home, he's reading all sorts of stuff, and trots out all sorts of facts and figures. By the way Twigs, I too was/still am a coaster. (and guilty of projecting the achievements I could have had, if I'd worked, on my dear sons, poor sods!)

Ellbell · 01/02/2006 20:16

Twiglett

Can we marry him off to my dd2 (nearly 4)? After a trip to A&E (don't ask!) she started saying she wanted to be a doctor. After a couple of months she announced:

'I've changed my mind... being a doctor sounds too much like hard work'!

hunkermunker · 01/02/2006 20:17

Twiglett...I'm a coaster too.

I'd rather be a proper tablemat though.

Aloha · 01/02/2006 20:19

I think they are making a bit of a meal of the JP tbh. I did them all with ds in a couple of weeks!
Boring to keep at it week after week after week.
Do think they get tired though, and remember, we didn't have this wretched homework at all.

LIZS · 01/02/2006 20:33

Agre with Aloha. dd had pretty much "done" JP by autumn half term. Perhaps he just finds it all a bit dull and easy.

Original poster

Twiglett · 01/02/2006 22:10

@ sneaky

shocked that no-one picked up on my worst nightmare tbh

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singersgirl · 01/02/2006 22:42

Though (irrelevantly-ish picking up on the JP point) there are 40-odd sound/symbol correspondences in the basic JP handbook, and the guide suggests teaching one a day - so that's eight weeks minimum.

And then you start on the alternatives after Christmas, I guess.

Not saying that some children can't pick up more than one 'sound' a day, but some Reception teachers seem to think even this is too fast...

And of course I'm not saying that Twiglett's DS isn't bored by it!

Aloha · 01/02/2006 22:50

But we all have that nightmare, Twigs. Boring.

Original poster

Twiglett · 02/02/2006 14:58

LOL

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