Watching tv in reception

[TellMeHowToLiveMyLife]

Is this normal? Ds is in reception and seems to watch an awful lot of tv.

When I drop off in the morning there's a 10 minute slot when all the kids arrive. There's normally an Alphablocks or Numberjacks playing which seems fair enough as the kids go in and sit on the mat to watch it so their all sat down ready for register. Again at the end of the day they have a similar programme showing so all kids are sat on mat and get up to leave as parents arrive.

But they also seem to watch things all through the day. Ds asked to watch something on YouTube. I let him watch the odd thing on the iPad but he'd never referred to it as YouTube so I asked where he'd heard it. He told me the star of the day at school is allowed to choose something on YouTube and that the girls always chose the Let it Go song (again he's never watched Frozen so wouldn't know that song unless at school).

Then also on Friday I went to pick him up early as he had a GP app and they were all just sat on the mat watching Peter Rabbit.

Is this normal? It seems an awful lot of tv to me. Also not sure how watching Peter Rabbit on a normal school day is helpful or even encouraging tv to be a reward is great.

DS used to have Friday afternoon telly at school iirc.

No - that does sound a lot.
I used to use videos (showing my age - it would all be on the interactive whiteboard now ) quite a bit in school but they would always relate to what we were doing - as a visual presentation for those who learned better that way. That said, they do learn to write about a film / programme now, in the same way you'd write about a 'read' story when I started teaching. I think it does depend on how much and how often.

That sounds a lot, don't think ours watch any tv unless the weather is too bad to go outside. They do watch some phonics videos and the odd song but that's about it. Surely a teacher can engage them enough to sit on the carpet without having to rely on tv?

Not heard that my son watches any in his reception class but mostly free play from what I can work out. I'll ask him in the morning though if he watches any.

Ours dont as they have loads of free play and outdoor play in all weathers.
They may watch the odd thing as part of a topic but neither one mine ever mentioned TV in class. Unless very very bad weather and they stay in at lunch and they sit and watch something or play in classroom. Or end of term treat, or possibly 20 min on a Friday if they have been exceptionally good

That does sound like a lot of tv that doesn't seem relevant (though it may well be). The DTs are normally watching something (dif classes) when I collect them but it is generally a story they have been doing that week (such as room on the broom or the gingerbread man etc) or that really annoying phonics song.

When they go in in the mornings the screen is on with music for dancing but most of the kids choose to play with the other provisions set up.

They also go outside in all weather if they want as the school have full waterproofs for all classes. The only times they have been kept in is last week when it was really really windy and they were bringing all the play equipment in to stop it flying around or when there is ice.

Hmmm, it sounds like it is more tv than usual then. He's my first to start school so nothing to really compare it to. I might ask some of the parents what they think.

Blimey thats a lot. Ours is defo nothing like that. Surely thats not teaching???

There's a fair bit of that in my son's school and I'm not particularly happy. childminder then adds more and that means he's already over what is reasonable in my view before we've ever watched anything at home.