From some experience with some of the teachers I have encountered in the past, the behaviour your child demonstrates in class as well as how many times the teacher has prompted your child not to forget the name issue affects the way a teacher handles this circumstance. My son has a teacher for example, that would write on top of his paper "remember to write full name" or "must answer in complete sentence" yet she will not take points away from his grade. Then he has another teacher that would deduct the 10 points from a paper if he did not answer in full sentences, period. I noticed that his reaction to both instances was the same. It made little difference to him as long as he received a passing grade. How do you handle that and how do you know which teacher ir right? I think is all a matter of the parent sitting down with his or her child and goign over the incident, explain why it happened and why it is important to follow the teacher's rules so that the incident is avoided in the future and if you must remind your child by making him write his name in a whole sheet of paper so that he is reminded each time, i think he will really have learned the lesson, yet, there are kids who are more mature than others and will make their own decisions etc... after all we are referring to 9 yr olds here and at that age they still need some guidance from the parents. Ten point can be harsh for a one time offense but not for a recurrent problem that received many warnings before it took place.

I would have to agree, for the most part, with TeacherParent here. Personally, I think ten points is a bit harsh. If your daughter has the same teacher throughout the day for all subjects, then it's probably not hard to discern who the "missing name" paper belongs to. But it does teach a lesson to your daughter about putting her name on her papers.

It sounds like the lesson was learned, and your daughter was able to earn a few points back.

Also, regarding your daughter's changing behavior, a lot of kids are getting antsy, with the last days of school in sight. Keep an eye on her continuing progress in math to make sure she doesn't fall behind.

Good luck!

Yes, this incident gave me something to think about for days. I am observing and asking all her teachers for any important information.

One teacher reported that she is losing focus since she was tested and moved to advanced Mathematics about five months ago. Two weeks ago, social studies teacher had to moved her seat because she was talking with other girls, which was strange.

All the above it is not a pattern of her behavior, but I have to educate myself for any potential problem. She is turning nine soon and i fear if i miss something along the way.

My daughter thought the ten points was not right. She asked for the points back, but the teacher gave her extra work for three points. I am very proud that she advocated for her self and hopeful she learn something from this.

Thanks everyone!

Some teachers have a major problem with the 'forgetting the name thing' . As a teacher,children are children and when handed a paper, especially a test, they're nervous, even anxious, and they want to get right to it. So they forget to put their name at the top. It was not something I sought to punish and it was always something I asked them outloud to do when handed any paper.

Maybe this 10 point deduction will help your daughter to remember to put her name on all her tests even when she's nervous but to me it teaches more of a lesson about the teacher - I think this gesture is a bit mean. It's also a stern application of arbitrary power. Teachers are pretty much free to do these things and children have little recourse but to accept it. I find that an odd lesson to teach in a democracy where we were are supposed to voice our opinons and protest when we see injustice.
Yet if your daughter voiced her opinion about this 10 point deduction or protested it herself, she'd likely get in hot water at school. And they wonder why more people don't participate in politics.
That your daughter ends up with a 94 is what would keep most parents, me too, quiet about this. But what if it took her 84 to a 74? Or a 74 to a 64?
In any case, as a teacher and as a parent, I think taking points off for forgetting to write your name on the test is a poor practice. Two points would still be too much but two points would make much more sense then ten.

As all of the above - before reacting - I would gather the info. regarding the teacher's requirements for the test. Gather the facts. What is the student's understanding of what happened - and how does she feel about the grade? This could be a valuable lesson- learned. - and still a 94! It sounds like this young lady really works hard! Does she often forget details on assignments, or is this just a one time occurrence? Be mindful of this in case she is demonstrating some focusing and organizational issues. If there is a pattern, she might need some special education accommodations. You can request that the school do an evaluation.
I hope everything works out! Please keep in touch!