to be shocked at my DD being taught multiplication by using pretend shooting with finger guns

[MrsPurple]

My DD1,who is 5 and in year 1, was teaching me how they do ten times table at school and she said they play shoot out with their fingers as guns.

I asked her to show me and she pointed (fingers as gun) at me asked a question related to ten times table and who ever didn't answer got shot .

In this day and age with all the gun crime, AIBU to be upset about this?

We have always tried to instill go values in our children,but this has shocked me. I want to go and talk to the teacher about it, but don't want to look too over protective. I think IMO it is wrong to use this style of teaching, but wondered what others thoughts are on this, or is it a standard teaching practice?

No I don't think YABU. I would be pretty shocked too.

No, there was a study on a kindergarten class in Brno, where the children actually did this but they had to line up and then sort of fall over if they got 'shot'. They measured the long term effects, 10 years later and 3 boys had a criminal record, 2 for gun crime and 3 girls (feom a clas of 20) also had some form of police dealings or had been locked up for low level to severe crime.

So, it just goes to show that children are more likely to kill others if exposed to this sort of teaching.

Really weirdly sinister is that one of the vitims had the 7 times table stuffed in his pocket at the scene of one particular shooting.

I suggest you bring this up at parents evening - or has your school had theirs already?

YABU. If you're worried about it then talk to your child about how 'play guns' can be funny, 'real guns' are horrible. Boys play guns all the time, like it or not. I've done 'shoot-outs' with kids I teach in small groups, and afaik, none have gone out to shoot anyone.

, personally I think that is amusing. Is it a class with a majority of boys.

This is how I was taught them 20 odd years ago but YANBU, things have changed a lot since then.

hobbgoblin, you just can't make that extrapolation. With no info on family backgrounds/what sort of socio-economic groups the children were from - it's very Daily Mail reporting to say 'these children played shooting in kindy, then went on to shoot people, ergo playing shooting made them actually shoot people'.

PMSL at Hobbgoblin

LilyBolero - I suggest you Google the link

i would be shocked and upset too

majority of class is girls (1/3 boys).

I know when I was at school it wouldn't have been frowned upon, but that was 30 years ago and as Sowhat has said,times have changed.

We have parents evening coming up so will mention it, but glad to hear I'm not the onlyone who is shocked.

Mrs Purple - YANBU - I would discuss this with the class teacher

We dont promote guns in any way at home, so I wouldnt want them doing this at school

Instead why cant they just do something dramatic - jump, fall over, say a word like bannanas or something - that would get my kids giggling

PMSL at people not PTSL at Hobgoblin...

But I think yaNbu unreasonable. I am a little OTT about toy guns, I am not happy about the being sold or kids playing with them and think that there are more appropriate way to teach the times table.

what should I google?

Would you wait to parents evening (in 3 weeks) or have a quiet word before -in real dilemmas, as although I've had to speak to teacher before (and I'm not a wallflower), don't want her to think I'm critising her teaching, just this practicular thing.

She's a lovely teacher who has helped with a few problems my daughter has encountered re name calling etc but I don't find this appropriate.

Oh the joys of parent hood.

I found this www.teachingideas.co.uk/maths/shootout.htm

is this what you mean?

It is meant for ages 7 to 11 and although called shoot out doesn't mention guns. Maybe my DD1 teacher has put her own slant on it? She taught year 6 last year, I don't know if is appropriate for that age, as DD1 hasn't reached that age yet.

I observed this game in a year 6 class, when they stood back to back, someone shouted a question (times table) and the person who knew the answer spun round and 'shot' the other. Honestly, I can't see the harm, they were enjoying the game and learning at the same time.

As my DD is only year 1 I do have concerns. When she is year 6 I don't know how I'd feel (probably less shocked or upset as it is easier to explain to and older child)

Surely this isn't a good idea no matter what age they are?

I would not approve of this at all. It's quite different from small children making up their own games with pretend guns IMO - this an activity led by a responsible adult, a figure of authority.

Particularly bad now, when the death toll among teenagers from shootings is so worrying.

I feel better for knowing I'm not going mad and am too over protective. Thank God Most people seem to have the same thoughts.

But would you wait till parents evening or not?

I would speak to the teacher right away and make it clear that I didn't want my child to be in the same room as this never mind participating in it, surely the lea would have something to say about this too??

don't want to single my child out, or cause a riot , but I do agree, so will have a quiet word tomorrow.

Do other parents know what they are doing? I would definitely not allow my child to be doing that at all and I would involve the lea if necessary, ie got no joy from the school.

I really don't think that teaching tables in this way is going to contribute to gun crime. Seriously.

Read Sally Magnusson. She describes when she realised the difference between boys and girls, when she gave her dd and one of her ds's a clothes peg each to play with . The girl cradled hers as a doll, the boy shot her with it.