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?

“I saw a fully grown adult American pronounce Jane Eyre as “Jane Eye-ree.””

@FFSToEverythingSince2020 That’s not a stupid guess at the pronunciation of Eyre. You could easily read the book without knowing how the title’s meant to be pronounced. Mispronunciation is really common if information is learned by reading rather than listening and we all make mistakes.

I don’t think my four year old would know what velvet was. I don’t think he’s ever encountered it in his life before, and I’m not sure when I last did outside sofas and chairs (and I don’t like them so we don’t have any).

But I also don’t think he’d necessarily know what cotton, linen, polyester etc are. Not because we don’t talk to him at all, but because I don’t think I talk about fabric much to anyone! He knows what “fabric” means, but I don’t think we’ve discussed specifics.

My grandchildren would have firstly said it's my sister's friend. We mix amongst the African communities. Only because I drag them around museums etc, they would have known. We aren't that far away from Port Sunlight and there's old cottages. We are also fairly local to Croxteth and Speke Hall. I've inflicted Gon with the wind, on them, watching TV with your Nan can be educational. It's got to be remembered that school trips stopped because of Covid and then because of other issues. So if parents aren't taking children to places, they won't experience what we did, as children. People aspired to having velvet curtains in the 80's.

I'm in my mid 50s and i have NEVER had a velvet bedspread/quilt in my whole life! Aside from old-school wool/crocheted bedspreads back in the 70s, blankets, and quilts that I think were made from manmade fibres, after that, it was duvets all the way. No velvet.

Velvet WAS popular on clothing in the 70s - the dreaded headbands (sorry to that poster but my goodness, that's dated), party dresses etc. Became very unfashionable for a bit afterwards, had a revival (velvet jackets etc) but now I'd say mostly cushions/sofas etc - but you might not if you've got small kids 'cos it's so easily damaged & ruined. And I always knew how it felt and liked it, and knew it was a descriptive word too, but then i was a big reader and it was talked about more too.

It will be lack of familiarity with the material, largely. It's not "shocking" in some kind of moral way and it doesn't demonstrate some terrible drop in standards, imo.

My children would have known at that age because their nan insisted on buying velvet dresses with collars for my daughter when she was not a velvet dress with collars sort of child. 😬

It’s a dated material, I don’t think it’s surprising that young children hadn’t heard of it.

ime parents talk to their children more now and are more open with them than ever. Years ago they were sent out to play with a lot less interaction from parents.

I agree, my own mum did a lot of sewing when I was a child but it's not something I can do so would never be a topic of conversation in my house

Velvet still very much in common usage here and not just in light grey (or at all)! I have a lovely squishy velvet armchair (coal skuttle) that my dog is currently fast asleep on and sofa (teal). Last night I wore a velvet t-shirt from Next. I also have velvet trousers from Hush. DD bought a velvet hair ribbon from Accessorise last week. She had velvet leggings from Boden when she was little and a party dress from Next. All very ordinary shops.

My 8 year old knows what velvet is.

Find it a bit odd that many posts say it's not too shocking as it's an outdated fabric. There are plenty of outdated/non-relevant words in the English language that we all knew of growing up.

I'd have to agree it must be a lack of communication/reading.

I agree. Your KS3ers have probably suffered from the 'skills curriculum' which did not/does not value knowlege (tends to call it rote learning) - the stuff we actually think with!

I think this may well be a huge part of it - clothes and making and materials are a thing spoken about in our family - plus kids seem to have tactile sensitivity so have learnt fabrics they do like feel of so more can be bought.

Yes this seems mad to me. My DC is 7, I'm going to check her understanding now.

Not helpful but now I’m more worried that I don’t even know what velvet is because I wouldn’t describe it as an obscure, random fabric consigned to history? Crushed velvet in millennial grey has been ubiquitous in home decor in recent years and I’ve definitely seen people wearing it during party season. Fair enough kids might not care about it but it’s not that old fashioned is it?

Just asked my 8yo and she knew it was fabric.

Me! I have a velvet suit, two velvet dresses and a velvet jumpsuit. Apparently I’m keeping the velvet industry alive!

edited to add, I also have two velvet sofas. Didn’t realise I led such a velvety life. My 6 year old has no idea what velvet is though 😂

I have no idea why anyone expect a child of any age to know what velvet specifically is. I don't think there's been a single velvet item in my house in the last decade and even if there was I don't expect I would be walking around ensuring I referred to it as velvet. I don't tend to talk about fabrics very much at all.

My DD had a black velvet dress as a small child - for parties. White lace collar, too. 80s.

In the early 1990s I did some work experience in a local country park. Some of the eight year olds didn't recognise sheep (One asked "Is it some kind of dog?") and they were from a school about four miles away, a town surrounded by hills with lots of sheep on them.

Where I live now is quite rural in character, loads of well-used footpaths, surrounded by farmland, loads of walkers at the weekend, but well connected by train and road. When I helped out at the village primary school on walks around the village it was clear some kids had never been out walking in the countryside with their parents.

I'm not sure whether I knew about velvet when I was that age, probably, but it's hard to think back to when you didn't know stuff. And it kind of shows the purpose of school. They learned something new: great!

Not judging but it's strange isn't it. Step into any department store clothes department and you are going to find some velvet.

I think it's because children don't read and are not exposed to books and magazines that broaden their experiences like they used to be.

Velvet quilt - from mainstream shop:

https://www.toa.st/collections/blankets-throws/products/hand-quilted-velvet-throw-sage-natural

You’re welcome!

(Sorry all the more exciting colours seem to be sold out. Better photos of the blue.)

That's not a quilt...

As an aside, my aunt reminded me this Xmas that once upon a time, you'd get a whole floor of a department store dedicated to fabrics and wools, because it was nearly always cheaper to make your own clothes than buy them ready-made off the rack.

I remember lots of materials because my mum was often making clothes for herself and me out of various things. Including horrible scratchy tartan (or tartan substitute) which I'd wriggle and run a mile from...

Gotta say, though, to me, this all seems a bit pearl-clutching, although I suspect some might be down to a lack of reading. If they don't know it and aren't familiar, introduce the kids to it, and different ways to describe materials.

My DD has 3 velvet sofas. DiL has two.

Strangely, I remember learning this word - I think I was about six. I was trying to describe a top someone had been wearing at school and my mum identified it as a velvet top.

>gulp<
I suppose a yard of bombazine is out of the question? 😸

I wonder do non-velvet people think of velvet and any vaguely adjacent fabrics as ‘plush’. I would be amazed of the fabric, no name needed, were truly unfamiliar

What I do remember, very clearly, from being young though, is adults being incredulous at my ignorance of some things, and that made me feel embarrassed, in spite of being generally considered pretty intelligent. So I try not to be like that towards younger people now.