Do young children watch the news? Not usually. 

Do young children have a sense of the current news? Definitely. 

The Children’s Society, which produces the Good Childhood Report every year, says that almost a quarter of a million children in the UK are unhappy. Among the list of worries are things that are undoubtedly a direct result of children’s exposure to the media, and knowledge of current affairs: crime, the environment, homelessness and poverty all feature. 

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Avoiding talking about issues in the news, then, is not only naive but also closes off an avenue of discussion that could help children to contextualise and process what they are already thinking about. 

But how do we avoid the potential pitfalls and ensure that these discussions are effective? 

Don’t assume they aren’t interested

Children are naturally curious and will pick up easily on any zeitgeist that happens to come their way. That’s how they learn. Also, as children turn into young adults, they are forming a whole new set of opinions that they want to feel are validated. 

They are interested, they want to know what you think and sometimes even to debate the news with you.

Ask children what they know 

For a teacher/pupil partnership to work, children need to feel heard. We already appoint children as members of our school councils, and even ask them to interview new members of our teaching staff. 

Seeing the world’s news through the eyes of a small child can actually hit the refresh button sometimes - you may be surprised at how your opinions are affected.

Think global

Don’t forget that families in your school community could be affected by issues further afield. Recently, there was a major international incident that sadly affected a family we worked with. They needed the support of the school community, and we had to speak to classmates to explain that they needed to be sensitive. 

All the children concerned dealt with the news sensibly and we were ready for any issues that might have arisen.

Tackle tricky subjects head-on 

There are a lot of difficult news stories and, unfortunately, we can’t protect children from them all. Pupils can be very good at catching us off guard; if this happens and you aren’t sure what to say, be quick to postpone rather than reject. 

“That’s a really important issue, and I’m glad you’ve brought it up. Maybe we can have a quick chat later and decide how we can discuss it in PSHE next week”.

Challenge misconceptions

When I was a parent liaison, I encountered many intolerant views within our parental group prompted by news stories regarding religion and culture. The problem was spilling over into the playground and dinner hall, and beginning to creep into our classrooms. 

Parental meetings and a new focus in PSHE got the ball rolling, but the subject knowledge of our staff at this time was crucial. When you are challenging bias you are usually challenging fear, and that’s tough. 

Often now, schools must practise equity so that all members of the community feel represented - and, more to the point, safe. Know your facts, stick to your policy, and don’t be afraid to deal with sticky issues before they snowball.

Bring the news into the classroom 

The language-rich news lexicon that we are exposed to is an ideal way to pick up non-fiction terms and try using them out. Being afraid to introduce pupils to vocabulary that you think is too advanced will prevent you from dipping into this resource.

Think real-time news recordings on an iPad, podcasts or reviews posted on the school website, or interviews and vox-pops with key guests.

Don’t avoid using the news with younger children 

Even infants need to have a sense of what is going on in the world around them. Local news for these children can be particularly fascinating, so get out there and see that new bypass being built (why are so many people cross about it?), visit the forest to find out who lives there (how would these animals be affected by deforestation?), and get that local newspaper on the phone when a mystery alien object/dinosaur egg/dragon footprint turns up on the playground. Just imagine the writing opportunities.

Warn children about fake news 

Yes, the phenomenon that has blighted poor old Donald Trump can be a dangerous pitfall for our young people. More and more, they are in uncharted waters when searching online for homework help or doing research. 

Something that looks reliable and can fox many adults could prove a real red herring to a child - sensationalist news sites that are merely clickbait are usually bright, sparkly and attractive. Fake news can be a tough concept to explain, but we must arm children with the knowledge that not everything published online is reliable or safe. 

Lucy Moss is a key stage 2 leader in an inner-city primary school