Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Just - arrrrgh, re differentiation

DD8 reads a lot, several years ahead, and recently she and I decided that reading logs are a distracting WOT but she wasn't keen to give up the rewards that came with it. Which is fair enough - to an 8 year old it's sweet to be rewarded for something you're always going to do anyway.
So we talked to her (awesome) teacher and agreed I could just write "DD read all week" and sign it (for show, so the other kids in the class don't feel ripped off).
I'm not at all big on bribing kids, for anything, but maybe I can only say that because it doesn't really work on my kids They do things because they want to or because they need to! Stickers, coins and candy don't affect either of those things

Stickers, coins and candy don't affect either of those things....

Right but if stickers, coins, candy or other prizes are being handed out...they don't want to be left out when they are passed around (if the prize is good enough).

My DD10 has never seen a prize so worthless that she doesn't want it. Luckily, there were no prizes associated with the nightly reading log. The public library summer reading program, now...

My kids never did the logs (and they didn't fail LA), and they never responded to rewards, especially the summer library programs. They thought the rulers, yoyos, pencils, etc were lame, so by the time they were 13 and could win an iTunes card or a gift certificate to the local indie bookseller, they said "meh". I asked if they'd do it anyway and give ME the prize! Nope.

Unfortunately, this lack of incentive carries over to grades. They don't go for the As. Or Bs...

Yup.. those rewards never really interested DS. Didn't work for potty training, never worked for anything academic. He honestly doesn't care about having a lot of stuff. As long as he has his computer and a few clothes to put on his body he is happy.

Our school has a trip to the rec center for those who turn in three reading logs from the summer, which motivates DD9, and they also can turn each log in to the little store for a free ice cream bar, so that keeps her going all summer. The library has gone to a points system where each reading log gets a "dollar" that can be used to "buy" prizes, and she makes out pretty good on the worthless prizes there, too.

Our problem is that we stink at filling out reading logs -- luckily, neither the school nor the library care if we fudge them and only put the minimal scribble of what book it was, without filling in times and all that garbage. They know she's reading tons.

DD's new teacher this year had a form to fill out to tell her about the students, and one of the questions asked about your homework routine. I wrote, "Err... try and get it done at bedtime if she remembered to bring it home?"

I wonder if doing it in Excel is out of the question?

Ugh - I hate reading logs! We tried Dude's approach last year for DD10 who reads all the time (in English, anyway). Teacher said that she should fill in the logs anyway to 'develop executive function skills'.

French reading was a bigger struggle because she didn't want to do the French reading - she put it off and then had anxiety attacks because it wasn't done.

DS7 (who can read but not for long periods due to his vision issues) just flat out refused to do it - both the reading and the logs.

LOL - sounds like my house!

I think I must be getting grumpier in my old age, this would make me see red!