Rewards for reports.

[Houseworkprocrastinator]

My daughter asked me today if she could have a present because she got a good report. She said most of her friends had one. Just wondering if most children do get rewarded for good reports. I thought praise was enough that's what I got when I was young.
Thinking about it now I am in two minds... She should work hard and be good just because she should but then when you are an adult you get paid for it. Hmmm.

In fairness, we are going to buy a joint present for all 3DS because they did spectacularly well in their reports - and have had difficult years for different reasons. I haven't particularly done it before, as I do think that genuine pride from a parent is worth a fortune.

I took mine out for a cake as their reports had praised their good behaviour and effort

We gave DS a treat or present for a good report - but the "good" part was more about effort and attitude than about results. How about a meal out or a trip to the cinema to mark her hard work, rather than a physical reward? DSs presents tended to be computer games or Games Workshop figures, which were his main leaisure-time activities, so it also fitted with it being the end of the school year and him having time to enjoy them.

DD isn't promised a reward or treat for a good report but if it's an exceptional report then I will give her a wee surprise - this year it was a £3 DVD. It doesn't have to be a grand gesture but if your child has got a fantastic report then it doesn't do any harm to recognise that. IMO anyway.

It's not normal and no way would my kids get a present for a good report - are you not aware that all school reports are good?

Very few schools allow teachers to write them any other way.......

Not true Indigo. I have seen some really grim ones (teacher) but maybe you are just lucky. Once saw one where the teacher (admittedly retiring the next day) had just drawn a picture of a sinking ship. But, euphemisms are sometimes the order of the day.

Mine get lots of delighted hugs and maybe a small treat.

my DDs get to choose a book if they have a good report

teachers are allowed to give bad reports, but this will only be a surprise if it's a bad teacher!

you can also tell from the tone of a report if it's genuine praise

if I do a good job at work I'm rewarded, so I reward my dcs

We go out to our local pub and the DDs are allowed to have a biggish dessert.

So far they haven't had a bad report yet, they do very well at school. Could change with DD1 hitting the teenage years...

Not true, Indigo. Last year at our school, effort grades were included for the first time (1-excellent to 4-poor). Compared with several parents and there were a variety of grades awarded (and generally agreed by parents to be probably accurate!). You can always tell genuine praise and the whole reports are always individually worded by both class teacher and HT.

Reports at our school are pretty standard written using report writer software imput levels and out comes a report often with dodgy grammar only the general comments section is worth reading.
And yes they are always good "must try harder" is long gone.

DD's teachers do so much cutting and pasting that they sometimes forget to change the pronouns between reports and DD will be described as "he" or "him".

Take her out for celebratory meal / whatever she would like to do.

I've spent a million years hours and hours writing my reports and many parents will probably assume that I've copied and pasted. We are required to comment on attainment according to the National Curriculum, so that can make them sound official and not very personal.

I've sweated over making each set of comments more personal and haven't copied and pasted.

We aren't allowed to give a 'bad' report though. Firstly, it is too late by then to suddenly give a bad report. Any problems will have caused us to already talk to the parents about them. Also, our head believes that reports should be as positive as possible.

As a result, anything less than positive is delivered in a 'sandwich'.

Good comment.
Positive comment.
Negative comment.
Buffered by another positive.

I've never given more of a reward for a good report than praise, a hug and a kiss. DD1 is in y6 though, so I may bend this rule this year and take her out for a cake.

I agree, we aren't allowed to give bad reports either. I was told to take certain comments out about children being easily distracted (even though I said they were working hard to manage their distractions...) because my head is scared of the parents. Sigh.

I spent about 2 hours on each report.

I feel your pain Juniper. My current head isn't, but a previous head I worked for was definitely scared of the parents.