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 think the teacher is wrong Cansu stupid system

I'm surprised at a school having a time out chair!
I think you're overreacting on the chart/moon thing though.
I have seen new starters in reception that cannot even sit down, or stop running around- they're not going to get many reward points in the first 3 weeks.

my children live in the largest council estate in our county, it is also the most deprived area in the county. i am a lone parent on income support. we have no money left over after essentials every week (sometimes not even enough for essentials) they are still normal children FFS!!

Yes CaptainNancy but those who are developmentally less mature than others shouldn't be punished for it. Also although they need to learn how to behave appropriately in school boys should not be made to feel lesser through girl friendly reward systems at such a young age.

Thank you captain Nancy. I do see that in regards to MY daughter but it seems very sex-ist
Reward girls for doing what they naturally do well.
Punish boys for what they do well.

Create competition and disillusion between the girls. Nice touch.
This is tough being a school age parent!!!

Sorry booyhoo too much of the middle class in me. I didn't mean to offend

I think to label it sexist of what your daughter has told you is over the top. Have you been into school and witnessed the behaviours? If your worried have you spoken to the teacher or head teacher?

Re giving out awards having set things they are given for doesn't work. For one child sitting still for 5 mins may be a massive achievement and should be rewarded in the same way another would be for writing his alphabet. Teachers need use things like this for individuals.

Gosh, where do you live where all homes are happy and there are no social or poverty issues at all? Or do you mean you're paying for pre-prep (no guarantee of happy home life of course!) so the Poor Children are kept out? And Cansu was just giving her opinion...

There's nothing wrong with a system in which every child isn't a winner every week - that's what life is like. Reward charts work well.

I am a teacher who wouldn't do this either. I hate those wall chart things. Totally unnecessary.

Don't get me started on time out chairs

Gosh, I type slowly, lots of x posts.

You can have a system where a child isn't a winner every week without highlighting the losers though.

I think it's horrible whatever age the children for so many reasons.

My dd's reception class has so far drawn up and agreed a set of 'rules' eg 'tell a teacher when we're leaving the classroom' and just reminded kids of them when necessary.

This sounds sensible to me and I was shocked to hear that some friend's children have already been put on 'rainbows' (good behaviour), 'white clouds' (slightly troublesome behaviour) and 'black clouds' (behaviour that results in missing break as deemed 'bad'). This is in the first two weeks of reception.

My dd would be traumatised by this approach and I would be mightily pissed off.

Why not just talk to children?

maydaychild I find your happy home comment a little odd. My children are "normal" but also from a recent separated family. I receive benefits and children get free school meals. But unless you knew me well you wouldn't know that.

At the same time I agree that a time out chair and also rhe rocket chart sound not good things. DD in year 1 gets stickers for doing (presumably good) things and each week a couple of children from each class get certificates in a special assembly. DS in year 3 gets a certificate from his teacher for ten pieces of work that are "good". Both classes have marble jars where thry work together as a class to fill the jar and then get a treat. I prefer these methods I think.

quite

public humiliation is not particularly beneficial to fostering good self esteem

Acknowledge all achievement and start each session with a clean slate as if it is the first.

MayDayChild it's very difficult to find the right word to describe a typical child

Oooh, Miranda, actually I take back what I said about thinking reward charts are a good idea and much prefer the marble jar idea.

But I stand by my comments about "happy homes" etc.

We don't have time out chairs - we have a box......

first time I was told this I practically exploded - then it was explained.... there used to be an area of the playground with 2 big squares painted in it - if kids fought they were sent to separate "boxes" - which became "go spend time thinking about it in the box"

There is no longer any marking - but kids know where "the box" is and will apologise and shake hands quickly to avoid standing in an imaginary box in an arbitrary area of the playground - daft really......

Ok. So whilst my empathy is bang off as usual, my concerns are justified in a sense by some teachers and parents - yellowsub that is my wave length.
I get the whole competition is healthy part. I just don't get the rules.
I think there is a whole side of me needs to understand I am not going to agree with education in all it's parts. I'm only three weeks in!
Just have to come here to clarify I am not alone!

yes ds's class in p1 had a jar they filled with beans to get a class party. the children gt to put a bean in the jar for good behaviour. but this jar was alsorun in cnjunction wihthe traffic light system and if someone wasplaced on the red light theyhad to remove a bean from the jar.

Normal to me means a happy willing child. Regardless of their background. Not a wailing I don't like school child.
Sorry. I mean happy normal children as exactly that. They are happy. Normally so.

I would have thought that this type of 'reward' system would mean that child X (for whom sitting on the carpet is a major difficulty) will be rewarded for sitting nicely for 1 min whereas Little Y who has no problem sitting down for 40 minutes would have to achieve 5 minutes sitting nicely? What is rewarded is something that is a challenge for each individual.

Hmmm that being the case cap't Nancy then I would expect the class reward chart to be a lot more even.
Clearly not. Wish it was.
Thanks all

why would it be? Just because all have different 'targets' doesn't mean they will all reach them at the same time.