To be shocked that not even one y4 child knew the meaning of the word velvet?

My daughter is an avid reader but prefers modern books. Therefore hasn’t come across the word velvet in any way other than a red velvet cake. Not knowing one word does not necessarily mean all the children do not read.

I think everyone talking about the prevalence or otherwise of velvet, or turnips, or whatever, are missing the point, or rather that is the point.

Books expose you to things outside day to day life. If an 8/9 year old reads plenty, they’ll come across velvet. It’s a beautifully descriptive, adjectival word as well as a literal thing which may or may not be in the child’s world.

That’s the point OP was making wasn’t it? That it denotes a lack of reading. Now I wouldn’t expect the whole class to know it, but back in my day there would be at least a handful of avid readers who would.

Ah, sorry; I totally misread that!

I’m 51 and I have known gabardine since 7 as it was part of my school uniform! It was used as a noun for our coat ie ‘you’re not wearing your gabardine’. Virtually never heard it since though!

Never heard of cavalry twill, but know that twill relates to fabric.

Little girls don't wear ribbons anymore do they?

In the 1970s every little girl had their hair in ribbons and you would have velvet, satin, embroidered even organza mesh with satin 'stripes'.

Can I just muddy the water, velvet is a type of tenderising mainly used in Chinese cooking.

Me too

Lol I'm 48... 🤷🏼‍♂️

Silly me, as a toddler I should have been finding these books and reading them to myself 🙄not everyone has parents who do this sort of thing. Some kids grow up in houses where most of entertainment is the telly and when I was a kid it was quite limited. I think now there is so much more that everyone can aceess

You must be a very English English Lit Academic -in Scotland haggis, neeps (translation turnips in English), and tatties is eaten annually on Burns Night Jan25th (that’s Robert Burns the famous Scottish poet).
Good turnips are harder to find these days, I think because they were left in the ground to get big and round and sweet through the winter but now are harvested earlier to prepare for a new crop.

Hrft but this is the dress a 3 Yr old relative had for Christmas. She loved it and it looked gorgeous
share.google/zTfRZTUy3nIYC2U4l

Are you very young? Could be a Scottish thing.

This thread proves the problem we have with general knowledge, reading comprehension and common sense

I really don’t think children needed to wait for the Internet to learn about animals.

Way back in my 1960s childhood my parents ensured we had a huge illustrated book on the animal world. Plus others on birds, the natural world, astronomy. As well as illustrated dictionaries and a complete set of the Children’s Britannica (an encyclopaedia covering history, geography, literature, science, and more general knowledge than you could shake a stick at).

And the beauty of books, in contrast to Google, was that they included information you were not actively seeking out, rather than only providing you with the specific thing you asked for. In a bookish household, or one with at least access to a library, it was really easy to be well informed as a 20th century child.

I know a song called Give Me Back My Gabardine Mac, It's No Good To You.

I’ve been teaching for over forty years. What’s scary about teaching vocabulary????? It’s always been our job. Bizarre comment

Unless we, as parents, teach our DC things like this, of course they will unlikely know. The same with anything, at an early age we learn so much vocabualary from our family.

Before the IT age I knew most capital cities at primary age, just from a simple turnaround by hand map, also important events through encyclopedias.

Now, it's all so different and the focus on what they enjoy to a prolonged stage.

It does also does come from parents' own knowledge, beliefs, what they've got from education.

As educators we are often in disbelief at the lack of basic knowledge children have, so before being able to get on with the curriculum we have to do and are accounted for, we have to take so many steps back to teach foundation vocabulary before we even start.

No judgement, especially for none English speaking DC with different lifestyles, but teachers have the pressure of a quick whip through of the basics to then be judged by outcome of results.

Of course there are adjustments made but trying to enable every child to achieve their best means so many modifications and personal stepping in to help with this, it's just hard! Xxx

Turnips and swedes taste very different to each other. They are also different colours. Turnips have white flesh, swedes have yellow.

Just thought this was amusing - MN is featuring an ad from Cotswold Company that has velvet cushions. Photo attached.

Not really surprising as I often have difficulty finding them in supermarkets. It was touch and go whether I’d get my neeps and tatties this new year.

I certainly knew what velvet was at that age, one of best fancy outfits back then was a satin mini skirt with a velvet blouse. Maybe they/their parents don't wear velvet. I don't think it's really dated but it does to be more luxury than cotton or nylon. Being London it may be a not very well off area and can't afford or have any occsion to wear velvet.

I've just asked my teenager and he's passed with flying colours... he even rushed to fetch a Warhammer box to show me T'au Ochre

He's doing surprisingly well on the textiles for someone with sensory issues, and he did know that he hates the feel of velvet.

Cashmere is often mentioned in fiction, and I knew it was a material, but had no idea what it looked or felt like. Ditto silk, twill, and many others.

I have velvet clothes that I never where when with my kids as they’d totally ruin them. Kids & velvet don’t mix

Jesus why on earth does that matter. This reminds me of when my daughter changed primary school after a house move. The teacher called me in saying that she had major dexterity issues because she couldn’t do the buttons up on her shirt. No she didn’t she just wasn’t used to buttons as her old uniform was a sweatshirt and she could get it on and off without needing to do the buttons. She just hadn’t needed to so hadn’t learnt yet - she was only 5 years. Point is kids are exposed to different things and different conversations.

There are no hankies in Despicable Me (not that I can remember). Or Wicked. Or many of the other films I ever seen and books we've read....