What were you taught when you first started school.?

My elder son had a strange fascination with the Titanic from quite a young age. Every visit to the beach was spent hunting for bits of pottery which, according to my son were from the wreck of the ship! I have no recollection where he heard the story of The Titanic, but I remember telling him some details. I skimmed past the huge amount of lives lost and concentrated on telling him about the people who helped and the brave survivors. Was the story of the Titanic actually taught to your Grandson or had he just drawn a picture of a sinking ship and the subject was discussed with the teacher? I worked with 5 year olds for a long time as a Nursery Nurse and I can categorically say the story of the Titanic was never on the curriculum! But we did discuss many many other things over time and perhaps the subject naturally arose from a child who knew the story and talked about it to other children. I think the teaching staff would have approached it sensitively. Perhaps your Grandsons Mum or Dad could broach the subject with the teacher if they are also worried.

Sorry Maywalk I mean your Great Grandson!

One of my GD's was obsessed by Titanic from she was 4 years old ,She could and did sing the Theme song from the film all the time and she twisted her dads arm up his back to take her to the Titanic museum in NI.She loved it .Shes 10 now and still talks about it and the fact people died on it doesn't faze her at all ,She's very matter of fact about death.

When I started school ( according to my School Report) I did Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, History, Drawing and Sewing.

I’ve forgotten everything except the sewing, we knitted a pot holder and embroidered a square. The reason I remember that is because I still have them.
Maybe we were taught about the Titanic as well ( my Great Uncle was a survivor) and we lived near to Southampton, if we did I’ve completely forgotten about it.

I can only remembering playing but we must have had lessons because I did learn to read, write and do arithmetic.

I suppose we think that the Titanic is history and not within living memory, but, of course there must be people whose relatives remembered it or were even on the ship, like yours Maywalk which meant it was so personal for your family.

Perhaps you could write the personal story for him to read when he's a bit older but imo many small children are matter-of-fact about these things.

When I started school, all I remember is the toy cupboard, and where things belonged. The Queen mother had visited Chester where I lived at the time, so we were given the task of drawing the queen, I was upset because she looked like an ordinary lady to me - she wasn't wearing a crown or a glittery dress, and she didn't have wings. My neighbour, Brenda volunteered to draw her for me, she drew an ordinary lady. I was very disappointed with myself. Not long after, we moved to Scotland were I found the school doing exams (I didn't know what an exam was). For the addition, my answers were the curliest figures. I couldn't read either. My dad spent a lot of the summer holidays getting me up to strength with the rest of the class. He must of done a good job because I was 3rd top in the class!!

My DGS was obsessed with volcanoes at a very early age. One day I inadvertently read him a page about Pompeii and how the burning larva from the eruption of Vesuvius engulfed the citizens as they ran away. His poor little face! In the end I just had to be honest and say this is what sometimes happens in disasters.
I agree that children accept matter-of-fact explanations, so I wouldn't worry too much.

Not that young, but our granddaughter was shown The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas film at school when she was about 9. She was traumatised.

Kate1949

Not that young, but our granddaughter was shown The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas film at school when she was about 9. She was traumatised.

No! That is truly shocking. I would be up at the school and tearing a strip off them because it has a 12 Certificate. I was traumatised by that film and only saw it a few years ago. I really despair that teachers have so little common sense. Movies about the holocaust are definitely not for primary school children, in fact I'd say 15-16 is more appropriate. Why do they need to know any younger?
Do we think they should inform us before showing movies to the children? I certainly do.

Chestnut Yes our daughter was up at the school pretty sharpish along with other parents. I can't remember what the outcome was. Our granddaughter is 21 now so it was a when ago. Dreadful. That film traumatised me never mind 9 year olds.

while ago

I think that film is included in KS2 teaching resources. Personally I would prefer to wait until secondary school before showing it.
The Diary of Anne Frank is a better bet for Year 6.

DS was traumatised by a graphic film showing a baby being born. He was about 9 and my friend was very pregnant so he was very worried for her.

Why are they showing these things to primary school children? There is plenty of time for them to learn such things at secondary school. The growth and birth of babies can be taught with pictures which is less traumatic than watching a movie of an actual birth. There are plenty of ways of teaching about the war without covering the holocaust which is the most shocking and gruesome part. They just want to throw these kids in at the deep end when they are too young to deal with it.

Chestnut

Why are they showing these things to primary school children? There is plenty of time for them to learn such things at secondary school. The growth and birth of babies can be taught with pictures which is less traumatic than watching a movie of an actual birth. There are plenty of ways of teaching about the war without covering the holocaust which is the most shocking and gruesome part. They just want to throw these kids in at the deep end when they are too young to deal with it.

This was 35 years ago, Chestnut, I think several parents were aghast at the explicit nature of the film afterwards. Mind you, he has seen the real deal since. ??

I can remember standing next to the teacher's desk to read out loud. Poems by Walter de la Mare. That was in Scotland, and as far back as my memory goes.

I remember learning about cave men and how fire was discovered. Playing with very hard plasticine and never being allowed to go on the rocking horse that stood beneath the windows in the classroom .

I stared nursery school at 3. I remember a weather chart with shiny black umbrellas to stick on if it was raining, and we were taught how to blow our noses. The teacher Miss Hutchinson kept her hanky in her knicker leg, and hauled up her skirt to take it out. I must have learnt grownups weren’t supposed to show their knickers, because I was very surprised.

I remember the percussion band, which I disliked, and singing, which I loved, and still do.

I could read before I went to proper school, but my mother says I taught myself. I don’t remember learning at school.

I'm impressed you can all remember, think I learnt by osmosis.

I could read before I went to school too. My primary one teacher (in Scotland) was Mrs Rennie. I remember nothing about what I was taught that first year. I remember a boy did the toilet in the playground and a girl was belted because she couldn't say four but said tore. I loved my primary two teacher, Miss Cartmell. She was young and fun.

I learned that the time after lunch was the right time to put my head on the desk and listen to the teacher reading a story/have a nap.
A valuable life lesson - still like my 'siestas'!

I think lots of children, especially boys get very interested in certain topics even before they go to school. It's often something from the TV. One of mine was an expert on Thomas the Tank Engine and talked and drew pictures about The Fat Controller and his engines for months (years!). Lots are fascinated by dinosaurs, tractors, toy cars, lego etc.. It's very normal IMO. Maybe school just made him aware of the Titanic and it's fueled his imagination. I'm sure he will join his classmates and start collecting football stickers eventually.

I remember very little about infant school. I remember enjoying singing, any learning to recite The Owl and the Pussy Cat. I also remember nature walks down by the river and collecting things for the nature table/ I certainly didn't learn to read until my lovely teacher in my first year at junior school taught me. I remember her keeping me in at playtime (not as punishment). We read together every day and eventually cracked it.

paddyann54

One of my GD's was obsessed by Titanic from she was 4 years old ,She could and did sing the Theme song from the film all the time and she twisted her dads arm up his back to take her to the Titanic museum in NI.She loved it .Shes 10 now and still talks about it and the fact people died on it doesn't faze her at all ,She's very matter of fact about death.

Goodness, I’d never have thought that film suitable for a 4 year old.

I remember only being taught the 3 Rs., plus activities like music and movement, and we had a nature table.

And, on our very first day, being told that we didn’t need to ask to go to the loo, we could just go.
That didn’t stop one girl wetting herself in the very early days, though. She sat in a corner crying and even at 5 I wondered why on earth she hadn’t just gone to the loo.

I remember that our teacher read random history stories that would grab our attention - King Alfred burning the cakes, Robert the Bruce and the spider, Flora McDonald and Bonnie Prince Charlie. We also used to make a lot of scrapbooks out of brown paper, using thick white glue. Plasticine also figured largely and we learnt straight away that on no account must colours be mixed together.

I started, aged 3, in the nursery, then went into the kindergarten, before going into ‘school’ then at about 9 or 10 went into ‘big school’.