As a school, Willow Brook has signed up to Picture News. This is a national news weekly publication that we will use as an assembly (or lesson) that will support our My World/PSHE curriculum. We aim to get children reflecting in a more focused way on British Values, world events and our 5 C’s.
Having age-appropriate conversations with your child about the news keeps them interested and informed about what’s happening in the world…they often have some very insightful ideas and reflections.
They naturally move from wanting to know what happens in MY world to what is happening in THE world and how to take their place in it.
By having regular conversations about the news, you are able to share a whole range of topics and together make more sense of different events, issues and stories.
Some significant news stories might seem unusual and disturbing, and you will need to consider what your child can cope with and whether they are developmentally ready to understand certain events, as we do. For example, you might decide to listen to the news rather than watch it as there may be images they might find upsetting.
Talking about the major headlines of the day and current affairs is important for children to grow up as global citizens but it’s important too to share a variety of fun and exciting news stories from the worlds of sport, entertainment, music, science, etc. as well as local news closer to home. We will be posting some of the resources we use in school for you to talk about at home.
Here are some quick tips from Picture News:
- Initiate discussions about the news using the Picture News Ask them what they discussed in Picture News this week!
- Read and watch some news stories together from different sources
- Find out what your child knows about the news and explore their understanding
- Listen to what your child says and value their opinions
- Explain simply and in a way that makes sense to them
- Promote a habit of enquiry, and make asking questions your child’s default
- Help your child to spot fake news and how to fact-check
- Defuse bad news and offer reassurance
- Protect your child from distressing and disturbing news
- Monitor your child’s exposure to the world of social media
Discussing the news of the day doesn’t have to be formal but can be done naturally and casually in everyday moments such as on the way to school or when preparing a meal. The important thing is to keep the conversation going about the news and make it a feature of your daily lives.
By working together, we can help children become critical consumers of the news so that they are ‘news savvy’, articulate and confident citizens.
