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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

watching movies in reception class

21 replies

jwpetal · 08/01/2012 20:16

This is my first posting. My DS started reception on Thursday of last week. Naturally, I asked him what he did at school and he did not say very much. Today, my son mentioned that they had watched Garfield: two kitties at school. I was really suprised by this. I asked if this was around a lesson. Did they discuss anything about this film; did they have to watch this or did they have a choice etc. No, they just watched the film.

My question is, is this normal? I can understand an older child as part of lesson. I could even be understanding if there was some educational benefit to this - 'something special' or planet earth. I even stretched to say that the film was 'based' in London, but there was no discussion.

Do I have any rights on this issue? why am I sending him to reception, if the teachers are not teaching? I'd love some perspective on this as I am American and my husband is Scottish and for both of us, this seemed very strange.

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DeWe · 08/01/2012 20:42

Relax! That film is just over an hour long. They need some down time anyway, but they have roughly 5 hours in school not including an hour for lunch so it's not like most of their time.

Anyway it's hard to get things from a reception aged child as they really happened. Reception is about learning through play and often the children don't realise the educational value because they're just having fun.

I remember a friend's child saying once when asked if they'd discussed a particular book. "No, we didn't discuss it. Just Miss X. asked us some questions on it."

ElderberrySyrup · 08/01/2012 20:45

was it raining? At my dcs' school if the weather is terrible at break time (ie pouring as opposed to just mild drizzle) they watch a film.

UniS · 08/01/2012 20:46

Was it lunch time?

The school my DS goes to had to cope with an emergency situation the other lunchtime and all of KS1 ( 80 kids) had to be supervised in one space . They watched some of a Garfield film.

They often have a film on in Year one classroom during a wet lunch time.

Not saying your son is lying about the film, just that it may be worth asking teacher about it in a non confrontational way as you may not be getting full story from a 4 yr old. DS considers every adult at school to be teacher and everything that happens in a classroom is a lesson and everything in the play ground is play time ( inc PE ).

MissAnnersley · 08/01/2012 20:48

I have to say I agree with the OP.

I wouldn't be particularly impressed either, especially at the very start of reception. Surely the teacher hasn't run out of ideas already?!

I would check that your DC actually did watch the film though.

The best thing to do would be to ask the teacher.

ImNotaCelebrity · 08/01/2012 21:09

My instinct was also that it must have been a wet break or lunch.
Only way you'll find out is to ask!

simonthedog · 08/01/2012 21:19

Yes my DD seems to have watched several films in reception. We all sat down to watch The Polar Express on Christmas Eve and as it starts she says, 'mummy I've seen this at school.' I was not impressed. Same happened for the snowman and Father Christmas

dearprudence · 08/01/2012 21:25

So he's been in reception for two days? I think it would sound a bit precious to be questioning what the educational value of everything they've been doing already. Give it a few weeks, at least.

Hulababy · 08/01/2012 21:29

When was it?

If at lunch time and a wet play I would let it go.

If in class time I would find this odd. It is not the last week of the year or Christmas, so can't be "treat" time, and wouldn't be appropriate for Golden Time either.

If linked to an education thing/recent topic etc. it would generally be done in short clips ime, and with distinct links between what they saw and what they were doing, but not sure if that happens in reception tbh.

mumblesmum · 08/01/2012 21:36

As a staff, we have to undergo phonics training next week, and, because of the number of people involved in the training, YR and Y1 children will have to watch a film. This has happened because we were unable to organise the training at any other time. Perhaps the same kind of thing has happened in your ds's class.
Why don't you go and ask the teacher rather than start a stressy thread on mn?

Ferguson · 08/01/2012 22:11

In the UK Reception is only a very small progression on from Nursery (Kindergarten) and to a casual observer or a child new to the experience there would not seem to be much TEACHING going on. But some children enter school never having seen or looked at a book, have no concept of NUMBER, and don't know how to respond to questions or share in a game with their peers.

Social skills, personal hygiene, feeding themselves all need to be acquired during the Reception year; only then can learning letters&sounds (phonics) and numeracy be tackled. An entertaining movie could be a good way to get the class to sit still and pay attention for maybe an hour.

If nothing has been taught/learnt by Half Term that might be the time to start worrying.

southeastastra · 08/01/2012 22:13

watching films at primary school seems to be the norm now, have no idea why, it's lazy to me, they could be doing so much more

maydaychild · 08/01/2012 22:24

What southeastastra said

Baffles me

dearprudence · 08/01/2012 22:55

I would also be unhappy if the children were watching films at school on anything like a regular basis - even if it was a wet playtime. But if it was just a couple of times a term I'd have no problem. It's only been a couple of days so far.

workshy · 08/01/2012 23:55

our school, friday afternoon after play time is golden time -if the children earn enough class wide rewards then they get to choose what they do (whole class chooses usually the week before)

sometimes it's watch a film, it might be they go outside and play dodge ball or tag rugby, they might do some baking

they really enjoy it and I don't see it has a negative impact on their education, esp on a friday afternoon when they are all feeling a bit dozy anyway

mummytime · 09/01/2012 11:45

Okay. It could have been a wet break etc. as mentioned before. It may also have been only part of the film, my DD is watching something during form time in secondary (they see a little every few days), and in primary I could imagine would give the impression it lasted the whole period.
Films are often used in the run up to Christmas, because the kids are exhausted. You could ask the reception teacher how many kids were napping in the book corner by the end of term. The Autumn term is very very long, the kids catch lots and lots of bugs from each other. Learning is exhausting, and after 12-13 weeks or so, lots of them are barely coping. They can also watch a film (allowing some to nap, or at least rest) then do some art work based on it afterwards. When I was at school I can remember us some times folding our arms on our desks and having a nap, to music or a story being read. (The advantage of a film for the teacher is they can sort out displays, mark work or have 1 to 1 time with a child, whilst its showing).

Original poster

jwpetal · 09/01/2012 11:49

Thanks for the feedback. I wanted to check with people before asking the teacher so that I was informed and could have a reasonable conversation on the matter. I spoke to two of the other parents and they had not been aware of it either. on conversation with their children they found out that last term they watched 4 films and that is what the child can remember.

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BendyBob · 10/01/2012 11:32

Agree with SEA. My primary dc have come home often over the years and say they've been watching dvds. And yet they still have homework.

Ok, if it's relevant to schoolwork or wet playtime maybe, but often the link seems a very tenuous one. We're always being told how important it is to not miss school and what a full curriculum there is to get through. What's wrong with reading them a story if they need some downtime? Sticking on a dvd seems rather unimaginative and requires no effort.

snice · 10/01/2012 14:54

could be wet playtime
could be they only watched 10 minutes of it
could be that a child wet themselves and needed changing so teacher stuck it on to occupy others
could have been put on for those that had finished an activity whilst waiting for the others to catch up eg getting changed for PE
could have been put on at home time for the chidren to watch whilst coats/bookbags sorted out
could be the teacher is a feckless lazyarse but I doubt it

FootprintsInTheSnow · 10/01/2012 14:56

I know what you mean - although IME the TV comes out for wet weather lunchbreaks. On balance, I'd rather Dd came home with square eyes than a head cold - so I don;t sweat it.

Kaekae · 11/01/2012 14:05

I don't agree with it either I also think it is lazy. My son is in Reception and in December he wached, Peter Pan, The Snow Man, Father Christmas, Beauty and the Beast, The Gruffalo, Robin Hood and these are just the ones I know about. I was on the verge of approaching his teacher about it but I spoke to another parent and she told me it was the norm over Christmas, due to wet plays, school plays and as treats. Then on his first day back to school he watched Snow White!

coronet · 11/01/2012 16:52

I wouldn't say anything to the teacher if your ds has just started. Choose your battles wisely - you are bound to have other issues and the teacher will take you more seriously if you are generally supportive of them. My dd watches films from time to time in YR. She likes it. They do get really tired, and maybe the teacher thought your ds's class needed some downtime, or maybe they had staff off sick or training.

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