skippy Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 Please could I ask you to share your views on the use of stickers as rewards. Ie good sitting, great tidying up etc. some staff give them for everything and others are very selective. Thank you in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 We use stickers as a reward system, but not heavily. So if a child has done something fantastic, used the toilet for the first time, tidied away before being asked etc. they get the immediate reward. Sometimes at songtime a bit of ennui can creep in, and so the children who are making an effort get one, and amazingly the whole thing picks up! Sometimes the sticker goes in the home diary and sometimes on the jumper, depends on the child - one child peels them off and eats them, so it goes in her diary. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildflowers Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 I wouldn't give any. People should be do considerate things out of care for others and the environment, not to get a reward. More valuable to the child is, in my opinion, to point out the impact of their action on others. In many situations you can just say a warm 'thank you'. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apple Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 (edited) I agree with wildflower on this one - acknoweledging expected behaviours or praising the effort/achievement and why something is good/great etc is my personal opinion is, in the long run far more beneficial - it helps to create a growth mindset rather than a fixed one (see the work of Carol Dwek or Guy Claxton). Plus verbal praise costs nothing - stickers can cost plenty! I should add that experience in the past has show that they can become quite divisive with some 'wanting' one for no reason or effort and not understanding why they can't have simply because someone else has got one. Praise the effort and create a can do culture and it's ok to 'fail' as I can have another a go and keep trying - so linked to the characteristics Edited October 5, 2013 by apple 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fredbear Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 No we don't give any, as they were being given just as you describe too freely. A thumbs up with a warm encouraging smile, or similar comments such as that was kind, thank you I feel is more appropriate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rea Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 We give them on occassion but not to all children all the time, pretty much how Cait does it. There are some children who benefit from having something longer lasting than a thumbs up or well done too, especially for behaviour, but they tend to be in a diary. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 I use them as immediate reward. I would love my children to be able to understand the joy of a simple thank you....but to my little ones (especially those with sen needs) it isn't motivating enough. I use them VERY carefully but i have 12 toiletting at the mo...so they are being got through quite quickly!! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlettangel Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 I am doing similar to finleysmaid. I think it's up to the setting, nothing wrong with using or not! We do tend to use them more at this point in the academic year though perhaps to exaggerate the joys of tidying up or being kind or weeing on the toilet and not in pants etc!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apple Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 do you have to wean them off stickers after tidying up? which is such a key life skill (or though you wouldn't think my neighbours knew that with the state of the rubbish stinking away in their front garden!) maybe they didn't have enough stickers when they were younger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 No, no need to wean as it's not an everyday occurrence to give them out. We are still doing it at odd times throughout the year when something particular happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 just read this quick presse......see what you think? http://www.mindsetonline.com/howmindsetaffects/parentsteacherscoaches/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 "This means that instead of learning, growing, and moving the company forward, everyone starts worrying about being judged. It starts with the bosses’ worry about being judged, but it winds up being everybody’s fear about being judged." Very interesting sentence in the leadership and management section! Ofsted take note! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panders Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 do you have to wean them off stickers after tidying up? which is such a key life skill (or though you wouldn't think my neighbours knew that with the state of the rubbish stinking away in their front garden!) maybe they didn't have enough stickers when they were younger y my deputy is a great sticker believer as she says the mlore the merrier! The children respond well to it, but I don't give out anywhere near as many. At tidy up time I hate to hear "but I tidied up too, I want a sticker" etc. when I am doing tidy up time, I use a red sparkly star which I wave over heads and give a special mention to those children who have been noted to have helped best. I c ertainly give stickers out when children are doing something independently, or whose efforts are so great the need some extra motivation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 we use as an incentive/carrot in september for tidying etc as praise not enough of a reward, then it lessens through the year for this as children understand why we should all help and fairness etc, but may give for other things, e.g. singing if you end up doing a solo performance!! and toileting - got 4 of 31 in pull ups - they go to reception next year. so we are toilet training and stickers great incentive as per scarlettangel!! it all depends on your cohort and area you work in i think, but giving out willy nilly is pointless i agree x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fredbear Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 Now that's an interesting site Finleysmaid, thank you for signposting. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildflowers Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 I'm trying to nurture an awareness of everyone's shared responsibility for the well being of the group - and I don't get any sparkly stars when I tidy up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panders Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 Wildflowers perhaps you need a few sparkly stars in your life if you feel you aren't getting enough recognition for your part in tidy up time ) x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildflowers Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 What I meant is that I'm trying to move away from children doing things to please or rebel against adults. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rea Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 our key groups are red, blue and green. We have a pot of each colour and during the session staff tell children who are seen doing something specific, new, random, to put a token into their pot. The tokens are a box of 'things', duplo bricks, cars, marvels, odd bits and at the end of the week the tokens are counted with cheers for the group with the most Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fredbear Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 I too was not criticising those that use them, I suppose for us it was more about the practitioners choosing those to give them to and some not, that at times was unfair and more importantly why they did or did not. So after a team discussion it was decided to stop them. I think you know your cohort of children best and what works best for you all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted October 8, 2013 Author Share Posted October 8, 2013 Thank you for all your thought provoking comments xxx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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