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

[Utterlybananas333]

My sister is a teacher in a South London primary school, she is a year four teacher of around 30 8 to 9-year-olds. She was recently describing her disbelief over the fact that not a single child knew what velvet meant? There were some crazy guesses, and lots of children who thought it was cake (probably relating to red velvet). Is it just the fact that children and adults don't talk anymore? That nobody reads anymore? Or even watches educational TV programs? Would your child know?

My children are too old for me to remember all the words in the books i read to them and I don't know if they would have known the word at age 8 but it's not about individual children.

I'm simply not surprised that it's a word unknown to large numbers of primary school children

Ah I get you, I saw films (& even worse I pronounce it "filums" 😆A lot of the younger boys coming in to my school have these mid Atlantic faux American accents or pronunciations of various words.. it drives me mad, I hear it in supermarkets too (so not just boys!)

Like I know Hiberno-English agus Gaeilge have their own idiosyncracies so it's a tough hypocritical fence I sit on 😂

Just asked my Y2 and Y4 kids - both knew exactly what it was.

Aren’t swedes and turnips different things?

I don't think not knowing this one word is indicative of the massive gap. I'm not saying some children don't have a poor understanding of vocabulary but not specifically knowing the word velvet or reading magazines is not the cause of that gap.

Swede and turnip are different vegetables.

It’s great. I haven’t yet encountered a spillage I couldn’t remove from it, and it’s been through the years of toddler snot and food. It even once got tar on it from out fire place and it came off with soapy water. We also have a cat and because it’s just short pile it can’t really be scratched - most scratches are simply flattened pile so you just have to buff it up again.

It’s from Loaf so at the pricier end. It’s also feather stuffed, so like any feather stuffed thing does require fluffing and plumping.

No they’re not… I just googled it to check and a swede is a type of turnip. The most popular type in England considering I’ve never seen any other turnips in the shops

My 4yo knows the song blue velvet (thanks to my dad) but doesn't know what velvet actually is. I can tell her tomorrow though if that would make people less up in arms about how stupid kids are these days 😂

She does know a vast array of UK bird, mushroom and plant species because she is being brought up by an ecologist... Maybe if I was a seamstress then she'd know silk, cotton, polyester... 😂

And will people go into conversation about their Christmas outfits with their 4 year old?

I would say it very much is a lack of reading. There are lots of things I have never seen but I know what they are because I have always read a lot.

I love velvet lol. I have a black velvet trouser suit. Admittedly bought about twenty five year’s ago but looks as good as new.

My kids knew what velvet was as their Dad has a velvet dinner jacket and they'd know that deer had a different type of velvet on their antlers.

DH is a teacher and had a surprise a few years ago when he took out a group of private school kids on a nature trip and only half the kids knew what a nettle was. He discovered this when one child touched a nettle, developed a rash and went straight to the conclusion that they were about to die from anaphylaxis.

It's not a common word or a fabric anyone wears anymore. I wouldn't expect a child that age to know what it is any more than I would expect them to understand what terylene is.
I don't think it's anything to do with adults not talking to children I can't think of a conversation between parents and children where the word velvet would come up

But if you read Jane Eyre without knowing how to pronounce Eyre you miss a massive plot clue! Jane Eyre is an heir!

Exactly this

Maybe not stiff cotton velvet. But polyester velvet trousers and jackets are definitely worn.

You should get out more

Not by my children though

https://mr-fothergills.co.uk/blogs/all/fascinating-facts-figures-swedes-turnip

Apparently they’re often confused (as they are related/similar), but they are different.

Not shocking. There’ll be words they know that 8 year olds of our age, did not. Velvet is niche. I don’t think I’ve ever chatted to my son about it.

I only read the first page but my year 4 says: Velvet- kind of fabric
Handkerchief - what you blow your nose with
Banister - you hold it coming down the stairs

@Pineappleice43 we’re talking about year 4, not 4 year olds!

I think I only really ever knew velvet because of various photos of my dad playing at gigs in his velvet dinner jackets & bow ties.. maybe that explains my aversion?😊 I didn't feel an antler until I was an adult but I love how they feel & yet can't bear velvet/velour near me

It’s just been Christmas, velvet dresses are everywhere. Plus velvet party shoes, velvet cushions, velvety trimmed coats, even Sainsburys was packed with ladies velvet trousers, jackets, shirts etc. There are even velvet Xmas tree decs, need I go on?