OK, so what is the value in dress up days?

[Hoaz]

Every year and WBD approaches we have long threads about what a pain it is. Presumably schools (teachers, who are actually human) don't just do it to annoy the parents, so what is the value of them?

Does someone wake up one morning and think, oh, that'll be fun, is there some "requirement" to do them, so it's a box ticked when you've done so many, is there a sound educational reason for them?

Well actually, now that it is long behind me, I think it's rather fun. Change from the usual tedium, chance to explore the literature/history of the character ... preferable to spelling tests surely?

I don't send my DC to school to have fun Moomin Actually, personally I'd far rather practice spellings with DC.

I was just interested to know why schools do it. I imagine it must be a pain for them too, some DCs upset because they haven't got a/the right costume, staff having to think of their own costume, dealing with complaining parents, children a bit over excited on the day etc, so why do they think it's worthwhile?

I suppose the school's logic would be that since children learn in a variety of ways, that dressing up covers the kinesthethic (sp?) and doing aspects of learning that motivate children to take an interest and get involved??

Gets them interested in reading when they see characters 'come to life' in the playground.
But yes, it is a pain for teachers as children tend to go a bit potty and for us it means thinking about another outfit to wear.
I am a teacher (off with a poorly 14 month old) and at first it was good fun but now it is becoming a bit tedious and it is losing it's magic. I think some reinventing is needed.

I have no idea Hoaz. It is a huge PITA. Sort of a novelty at first with DS1, but then when DS2 started school there were two outfits to magic out of nowhere.

DS1 is thankfully now at High School where it doesn't exist and I am only going to have to do it tomorrow and next year with Yr 6 DS2 then that's me and World Bloody Book Day done.

One of my best school memories is of Book Week.
I dressed as Peter Pan and won a Terry's Chocolate Orange, we didn't just dress up though.
Parents were asked to cook or bake something and send it in with the recipe. We had a taste session and made a recipe book.
There was a treasure hunt and a quiz in the school library.
The hall was made into Book Land and there were different challenges every day, like tasting the three bears porridge, planting our own Bean Stalk and grinding flour like the Little Red Hen.
It was about 27 years ago but I remember it as if it was yesterday.

Well I do send my children to school to have fun because I firmly believe that children learn best when they are enjoying themselves.

Yes book day can be a pain but they absolutely love it and they get to do lots of different activities.

www.worldbookday.com/about/

It can be a very effective learning experience as notso proves but it depends on whether the school have it as a "fun" day or a "learning" focus.

I still think they can have fun and learn without the outfits fiasco. especially when it's not free choice and you have to do 'Roald Dahl'.

I have always said I would love to see real, proper, statistics showing me that dressing up as a pirate makes Junior suddenly put the Nintendo down and get a book off the shelf.

Yes NotTreading. I'd also like up know what % of children choose characters they really know from books rather than screens.

Oooh, not having free choice (especially if forced to do Roald blinking Dahl) would annoy me too.

But our school is pretty low key about it, and the main focus is that kids bring in their favourite book and some get read out/shared/talked about. Dressing up is up to you - you can if you want, but no pressure.

I quite like it.

I've got to be honest as a teacher I find dressing up days like this just makes the children over excited. [spoilsport smiley]

I hated dress up days both as a parent and as a child. I'm not creative at all and hate thinking of and devising costumes. My youngest loathed non-uniform days as he has ASD and it was a change in routine. The other two weren't much better.
I hated any sort of themed day when I was at school as I learn best in a very traditional way.

I love it.

My DS1 and I have been making the costume for the last 2 weeks. He's done some sewing. Nearly finished it now!

I hated it as a child, and my dd also hates dressing up.

(not in UK so no book day thank god)

It's the whole "you will have fun, and it will be "organised" fun" that makes me heeby. Bit like a Butlins redcoat communal singsong, but dressed as Ron Weasley.

I remember the occasional dress up day from my primary days as really fun so v happy for my kids to do it

mrz DS is going as Fantastic Mr Fox complete with tail. Poor DS2's teacher.

Actually, personally I'd far rather practice spellings with DC.

Well, practise how to spell 'practise' correctly while you're at it.

Fortunately I've instilled a love of reading into my children from a young age, not be dressing up just by reading with them.

Unfortunately the older ones have gotten to their teens and would have to be paid vast sums of money to read a book now.
Maybe it's because I let them dress up as anything they wanted for WBD and it usually involved their favourite Disney film?

You can do spellings in costume anyway

Makes school for the DC very fun for a day, focuses them on a common theme i.e. inspiring books/reading/certain message from a story. Opportunity to really inspire and raise motivation through cross curricular activities. Makes education a lot more exciting and hence valuable. Sense of community of whole school joining to all do same thing for a day.

Mmmm, or just taking the mickey out of each others costumes and being mean to the poor child whose Mum forgot.

Never done it at ds's school (phew) because I would query whether the focus of the day ends up being on the costumes and not the books. It is World Book Day, not World Costumes Day. Just MO.

Which is why the costume part should be low-key/optional and the focus should be on books. We usually only have the younger kids do the dressing up part anyway - not the entire school!