to think school should not be celebrating world book week by showing Dr Who?

[bellabelly]

AIBU? I had a bit of a moan to DT's teacher this morning about it and slightly got the impression she thought I was being a nutter rather over-protective. My boys (Reception class, 4 and a half years old) came home yesterday, telling me that they'd been put in groups with older kids to watch stories. So far so good, nice to mix the year groups up from time to time and I'm assuming some of the other stuff for World Book Week will involve looking at actual books, rather than watching dvds.

DT2 told me his group watched the Gruffalo's Child. DT1's group, however, watched Dr Who - not sure which episode but he said it involved sinking boat and people drowning, so am thinking probably that xmas special set aboard the Titanic - 'Voyage of teh Damned'. That's a guess though.

Teacher was v insistent that all the dvds were age appropriate and kids not shown anything too scary. But I do think it's just weird tat they think it's ok for 4-year olds and I also think that there are better ways to celebrate World Book Day than watching Dr Who? Am I being too precious? Am genuinely interested to hear opinions.

PS DT1 told me he found it "scary" and "spooky" but that he wouldn't have nightmares - and tbf, he didn't.

Thanks for all the replies, just going to write that note to the headteacher now...

Another YANBU from me.

Book issues aside I would be livid if DD1 had been shown Dr Who at school. She's in reception and she has been scared just by seeing adverts for Dr Who. I know some 4 year olds can manage it (I watched Dr Who when I was 4, but it was much more cardboardy back then ) but I know my DD wouldn't cope with it.

I guess the point for me is that with very young children, you actually never know what they will find frightening and I don't think it's for the school to be making those judgements. If they are going to show DVD's to 4 year olds, why not play safe and choose a U certificate?

Yep, you definitely need to complain!

Yes those of us with older children forget that sometimes 4 year olds are still very small. My Y6 DD2 said the reception girl she was looking after was scared stiff of the witch in the panto and not sure about the dragon. Even though she said "mummy said monsters aren't real"

Whoa! Doctor Who! Not a book!

The work of Terrence Dicks as one of the greatest writers of modern time, not a book! Yes the Gruffalo is a nicely crafted book & the program fantastic but Dr Who is absolutely the right thing for children of this age. Both DS1 (3) and DD1(5) love Dr Who and I regularly read them Dr Who Books.

Some of you need to get with the programme.

Chutney, the letter is written, the die is cast... Seriously, if it had been a Dr Who book that they'd been looking at and discussing, then I wouldn't have had any problem with that.

ChutneySpoon, the OP said that the kids were watching a Dr Who DVD, not that they were reading a Dr Who book.

Some Dr Who books may well be suitable for 4 year olds, but that's not what they were getting!

Oops, pressed post too soon. The tv prog has proved, in the not-too-distant-past to be too much for my two boys and also has bugger-all to do with World Book Day, imho. Which is pretty much what I've written to the HT but far more pompously

YANBU.
And watching a filmed adaptation of a book (Shakespeare or Harry Potter) is not the same as reading a book. Honestly.

I think what would faintly bug me (though not perhaps have me frothing) is the apologetic attitude, the sense of "well, we can't possibly expect these children to spend a week on books, unless we dress it up as popular culture". Ime even with children from very learning-averse backgrounds you will get better results if you do not apologise.

I don't mind films being referred to one World Book Day, but they should be in BOOK form. My eldest loves the pirates of the caribbean books (never watched the films) but has been told he can't dress up as Jack Sparrow because its not a book.... understandably he's a bit confused.

To be honest, its all turning into a bit of a twatty event. Each parent trying to show how well read their child is by the costumes they choose, rather than letting the child decide. Then there's the "every parent MUST be seen reading a book in the playground" - the very wording makes me want to stick two fingers up.

I'm an avid reader, my whole family are, we are devourers of books... if we were asked to join in by reading in the playground we'd happily do it for the fun of it (I often do it anyway) but as soon as its demanded, as soon as schools assume we're all a bunch of illiterate rednecks, I'm out.

aldiwhore - that's bizarre that they have said, "every parent MUST be seen reading a book in the playground" - I would react exactly like you to that approach. (ANd I'm an English teacher, so hardly a hater of schools or books!)

I wouldn't be happy about Dr Who. DD isn't ready for it (4.7) and I don't think she's unusually sensitive for her age? Maybe she is I don't know

DVDs in general, well, in my DD's school I know (I spend time there volunteering and am very happy with what I see!) they would have lots of books too, and that DVDs would be a minor addition. However if I felt that it was DVDs instead of books on WBD then I'd be pissed about that too!

Parents MUST BE SEEN READING IN THE PLAYGROUND? Jeez!
What next, are they going to start asking what the reading matter next to your bed is at parents' evening?

I'd be tempted to turn up with a big fat Jilly Cooper under my arm and start reading out the saucy bits...

Well DH is taking his ACDC biog, and I'm probably going to read something inappropriate too.

Thing is, I love the whole idea of World Book Day, I am just not liking how its being done at our school. It feels patronising and competitive, rather than celebratory.

parents must be seen reading in the playground

Eh? Who told you that, I don't understand

Fuzzpig - if you were quoting my comment, I was quoting from aldiwhore just above:

"every parent MUST be seen reading a book in the playground"

This must be just a one-off from some particularly zealous school, not a general instruction!

Was quoting from aldiwhore but don't understand it - what on earth do they mean? Are parents supposed to stand reading a book while waiting for their DCs to come out of class?

YANBU. Agree it's a day for books not DVDs!

I'd be quite cross tbh.

Dr Who is not appropriate for this age group at school.

Dr Who is rated a 12.
It should not be shown in a primary school.
In our school we are only allowed to show a U rated film. Anything above a U required written parental permission.

Totally inappropriate for school.

I have no problem with schools using films in lessons as part of their learning time. And I have no problems over films made into books being used either. I do have a problem with schools showing inappropriate films.

Only some Doctor Who is a 12; many episodes are PG.

But as I posted above, I am uneasy about PG material in KS1 classrooms.

I just went from Amazon tbh.
But I work in KS1 and we only show U films. That's our policy. A PG needs parental permission for us.

Ooh have I inadvertently shown myself in a good light in the playground? I sat reading my book on one of the benches yesterday because I was early and nobody talks to me anyway. It was one of the Frost paperbacks :)

Right, quick update for anyone who is still interested - have had a response from the HT which I am happy with (won't bore you with all teh details), suffice to say she is looking into exactly what was shown (thinks it might have been a Dr Who clip from KS2 Literacy scheme) and says that next year the focus will be on books and readings from books rather than bunging on a dvd...So pleased that I didn't just let it go, thanks fr all the really useful and interesting replies.

Thanks for updating. I guess not so bad if it was only a clip, but still I hope they go as far as possible in finding out and giving you a full answer. :)