The reward chart in Reception... Help me see a different perspective!

[MayDayChild]

there is a big display on wall of rocket and each child has named star. Effort is rewarded and they move up the chart to the moon.
So 1st child in class reaches moon and gets a prize (toy from pound shop type) but coveted clearly!
DD comes home sobbing that x got to the moon and she isn't good enough to get to the moon.
I checked the chart today, she's probably about 8th position of 25 so I'm proud regardless and told her this.

Concerned that top 4 are all girls. Then one boy then more girls.

There is no written or defined rule set or structure to what constitutes effort. It isn't tangible and is teacher viewpoint.

So I don't know what if anything to tell DD. I can't see that the girl who got a prize, or the next three girls in line have behaved any differently to DD. It's week 3!
I may be overthinking DD reaction but I think she can see that the others haven't done or been more 'special' than her.

Wise MNetters. All views welcome please!

I do this kind of thing in my class. Many teachers do.

I try hard to ensure that I reward ALL children for good behaviour and hard work. It?s simply not possible to have a meaningful, individual reward system that rewards everybody in the first few weeks. If it?s the same children week after week then that?s an issues but otherwise it should even out in the weeks to come.

As for more boys than girls my 13 years? experience tells me that nearly always girls work harder and behaviour better. So they are naturally going to be higher up on the list in the first few weeks.

Give the system time and it?ll even out.

I might be missing something but unless you are in the classroom, how can you know that the other child hasn't done anything special?? Reward charts are very common and work very well with children. Your daughter is just learning about how school works and that she won't always be the ebst or first. Of course it is done from the teacher's viewpoint, he or she is in charge of the class!

Of course I get that cansu
There are about 10 stars before the moon.
Why is one child on the moon (so been praised over 10 times) when others are on 1 ( all the boys!!!)
I can't see how after 2 weeks of full time school that only a few children should be so singled out when they are all learning.
My DD has certainly seemed to notice she isnt 'achieving the best'.

this hapens in ds's school. tbh yousound a bit PFB about this.

it's 3 weeks in, it takes time for many of thechildren to catch on to what the idea that 'yes,teacher does mean it wen se says onlygood behaviour will get rewarded' and not all the children will covet the prize of moving up the chart so there will be some who stay in the lower sections week after week.

andmost children of reeption age know what is good and what isn't, if they dont,they will soon learn from waching what the 'progressors' ae doing to ge moved up.

Aicm I'm also mother to a boy. Cleary boys and girls are different. I don't get that they are measured in this manner? Girls get to the top for effort but boys are all languishing at the bottom. It definitely concerns me. Of course boys are fidgety and concentrate less.
This reward system seems to have many flaws to me...

I don't think I would be really happy if it was my daughter...it just seems a bit mean competing against eachother

I do agree that there needs to be a system of rewards - at DD's school they get to take home the class toy for the weekend ..

wrt to 1 child being on 10and another being on one, in ds's school each child hs toget 5 starts to get to choose a prize. once they have gotten to 5 they go back to zero so itmay be that the children on 1 have already been tothe moon and ae starting again.

stars not starts.

I think I prefer our school system which is merit points for good behaviour with certificates after certain amounts achieved. I do get what you are saying about the girl/ boy thing. Boys mature differently and this will show in any system re behaviour. This 'moon' thing just makes it very obvious.

B

I'm a teacher and I hate them too MayDayChild.

BOoyhoo it's week 3. No one has been all the way round yet but that's the bit I 'don't get'
Phew
Thank goodness for mrz

ho do you know no-one has been all the way round? areyou asking the teacher,or worse, your daughter about the behaviour/progression of other children in teh class?

I find your school's 'moon' thing uncomfortable. Too competitive at such an early age.
My ds would be languishing behind the girls. Not 'naughty' but very enthusiastic/ irritating!

Do they start at the beginning each week MayDayChild? I've seen it used that way in some schools.
I've also seen children who deliberately aim to do badly as a result of never reaching the moon

The display makes it clear the circuit

Plus I checked with the mum (a friend) of the prize winner in a pleasant I hope she likes her xxx toy.
They are all nice normal children. I think the praise should be a bit more equalised at this early stage.
PFB? I don't think so.

No not weekly, No-one 'won' last week. Also concerned re the time out chair. DD is terrified of it but it's okay mummy, only the boys sit on it. Fine for now. What about when DS starts school

I like the school. I know no different hence gauging opinion here.
!

If it is a real big issue take it up with the teacher. Personally I think it should be left to the teacher how she teachers and which reward system she uses. You seem to have very little confidence in this teacher and seem to suggest that she may be biased? Time to talk to her then ...

nice normal children? what, no abnormal ones?

sorry teaches not teachers

Our school has a house points system - when you get to 50 you get a bronze star badge - 100 silver- 200 gold. The whole school follows the system - but we find that reception need their own - reception teachers hand them out like stickers, Yr 6 teachers like hens-teeth :)

I also hate time out chairs

Sorry you will clearly disagree with me, but I think you need to chill out a bit about this. Your daughter will not be scarred for life by not getting to the moon first! FWIW my daughter is sometimes on the sad cloud because of her behaviour (SEN and sometimes makes the wrong choices) but this doesn't mean that I think the teacher is wrong to praise those who get it right. I do think you are being precious about this and as usual you probably only have a small part of the picture because you are not the teacher and do not know what the children have done to get their stars! I am off now to worry about something more important!

Cansu. This isn't AIBU. Be constructive. Or go. Oh, you did!

Booyhoo I was thinking along the lines of happy, happy homes, no social or poverty issues where I live.