Should 2nd graders be taught

[Michie]

about the WTC and Waco Just picked my daughter up, and her teacher was talking about these events to the class I would have appreciated a heads up. I think my DD is still to young to go in detail about these horrific events.

 

[HaleyB]

Wow, that is a little much for 2nd grade. Did the teacher do a lesson on it or was it more like some kids had questions about it and she answered them? Sometimes it is worse to not answer the hard questions, because then they stick with the kids.

I sure hope she didn't go into detail or start the conversation.

 

[kbkids]

My DD is in 2nd grade and knows all about WTC. She was old enough at the time to remember it and will still ask questions about it at times. Waco - she's watched a documentary on it with DH one night, but she never mentions it - I guess because she doesn't has a personal memory of it.

 

[becka]

I can see a little bit of the WTC especially if you live in an area where the kids may have been personally exposed to people involved in those events but I struggle to imagine how Waco could or should be discussed in a 2nd grade classroom.

 

[THE HAT]

i do think they should be taught in the classroom, and i have helped with the discussions on them in a few. when waco, and 911 happened, i looked at my husband and said boy, the text books will have to be updated now.
ds was 4 when 911 happened and we had him watch all the events with us, he never got upset or scared but was very deep in thought, and had questions that even adults wouldn't think to ask at that time. i think keeping them from it, makes them more scared, then telling them what is going on and happening. knowledge is power, and information is key to understanding.
there is no difference to them learning about this, then to us learning about pearl harbor, d-day, the vietnam war, protesters, bombings, etc. when we were their age. this is to teach them about goverment, history of our country, freedom and those who fight for it for us. no it is not a "happy" topic but, it is not one that should be shunned either.
we have done research that shows the younger they are explained it, the better they adapt and learn to ask even deeper questions as they get older on it. it also makes them feel more secure to be talked to on these subjects, then hear the hush hush talks adults do on these type of subjects, that is when it becomes scary to them.
many kids have either a family member, or friend of family that is somehow effected personally by one or more of these events.
if you want to explain more to your daughter on these subjects then what the school is doing, then there are some wonderful books out there at the local libraries. i actually bought a very nice hard cover book on the wtc that shows the happenings before and after that day. ds find it very interesting to browse through.
i don't think they(the school) needed to give a heads up on this. it is part of our history and it would fall under social studies. you wouldn't think for them to give you a heads up if there were to talk about WWII or the attack on pearl harbor. this is just fresh to all of us because we have personally lived through it.
i would just see if your daughter has any questions on these topics that the teacher has brought up, and answer them truthfully with out being to grapic. i always answer questions kids ask me but, i just keep it basic, that is usually all they need to hear, and if they want more they will come back to your answer with another question.
none of these are happy topics but, still ones that the younger generation needs to be aware of, as it is part of what is shaping the country they will grow up in.
you never know this might just open up a whole new way for you and your daughter to converse. in everything the glass can be found half full.

 

[FreshTressa]

Kids learn all kinds of things parents would rather not have them learn at Public School. That is the way of public education.

The only way to stop this is private or homeschooling.

It does seem a bit young for details. I remember being so freaked out about USSR when I was young.

My kids know all about these things...but then they don't scare easy.

 

[DawnCt1]

Waco? Absolutely not. It obviously didn't occur during a period in her life where she would have even heard it on the news. I can also remember clearly, they were advising families with young children to turn off their tv sets and turn away from the coverage of the WTC because it was too upsetting and too graphic for young children. Second grade is too young to be focusing on terrorism, regardless of what they know. If children that age have anxieties about it, they should be addressed at home by the parents.

 

[kbkids]

ds was 4 when 911 happened and we had him watch all the events with us, he never got upset or scared but was very deep in thought, and had questions that even adults wouldn't think to ask at that time. i think keeping them from it, makes them more scared, then telling them what is going on and happening. knowledge is power, and information is key to understanding.

My DD was 4 at the time too. She watched the news with us as well. Asked lots of questions, but the one thing that I remembered the most - don't ask me why - was "But Mom, he's very handsome! Why would he do something so mean?"

 

[paigevz]

Well, it's not in the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills), so we shouldn't teach it, right?

Seriously, all my kids know about WTC and it does come up from time to time. None of them have ever asked about Waco, and I would not bring it up. If they did ask, I'd likely respond to WHAT the kid says (there was a fire.........yes, do you remember what we do if we have a fire at our house? or kids dies...............that's sad, isn't it? or if it's a more political statement, I'd just have to see what they said and respond "in the moment" as it were), but I'd be pretty careful not to "wax political" or give any more info than the kid already knew..............however, just that much would give more than the other kids knew to them.

I had something kind of like this a few weeks ago with my older son. When I really sat down and talked with him, and posted on here, and followed up, I found it was in a book they were reading, and wasn't really that bad.

Try to find out everything about it that you can, and then if you still don't get it, ask the teacher about it. Just tell her that little Sarah still has questions, and what was the information given and how did it come about?

 

[Michie]

Wow, that is a little much for 2nd grade. Did the teacher do a lesson on it or was it more like some kids had questions about it and she answered them? Sometimes it is worse to not answer the hard questions, because then they stick with the kids.

I sure hope she didn't go into detail or start the conversation.

I am not sure The DD said the teacher had a book over WTC. I am going to ask the teacher in the morn when I see her.

 

[RitaZ.]

Something tells me that discussing Waco and the WTC aren't part of the 2nd grade curriculum. I would look into that further.

When my oldest was in 3rd grade, his teacher decided to discuss Columbine in detail to the class. When I asked her why this topic was discussed with the class, she said that she felt that the children needed to know the truth. The principal wasn't too happy that she had taken this upon herself.

During 9/11, the schools here didn't disclose anything to the children, they allowed the parents to do so at home and in an age appropriate way.

 

[Daxx]

I think it all depends on how things were handled. How much info was given and how "detailed" was the info?!

DS had just turned 5 when 9/11 happened and he knew all that was going on and we took him to NYC to see the effects. I know it made an impact on him b/c he still talks about it today.

Waco -- boy, I haven't discussed that w/him b/c I just never had reason to. Not that I don't want to or that I don't choose to ... it's just never come up.

I do feel that children should know about these things ... and that they're discussed in relation to what a child can handle (words, images, etc.).

 

[MouseWorshipin]

Waco? War?

In second grade we got, "I live in a house, on a street, in a city, in a state, in my country, the United States of America." We learned to pledge the flag, sing the national anthem. We got city organization: fire departments, church, the grocery store...the world around us.

I can understand addressing the 9/11 thing in the New York or D.C. areas, so the kids understand (on a very basic level) what happened and there isn't teasing of kids whose loved ones died. But Waco?

I dunno.

 

[ryka]

I can see Talking about the WTC. I live close to it and alot of people from city were killed. My son remembers seeing the smoke and seeing all the people coming over here on the train and the rescue workers helping them. I answered all his questions he had and still do til this day. My daughter ( she is 5 now)doesn't remember much from that day but when she does come up with some questions I answer them.

I don't have a problem with them learning about it in school. They talk about it in school here but they do it where they don't push it on the kids. It comes up in conversations about other things and it really is a part of our community so it helps to talk about it. We also have a memorial in one of our parks with all the people's names from here that were killed. So when we go by there we always look at it and remember. There is also another park 1 block from me that was renamed for a lady that was killed in the WTC. She would always go there with her kids. I guess I think differently because of how close we are to it and that it really is a part of everyday life here. I use to be able to look out my window and see the WTC.

 

[Daxx]

In second grade we got, "I live in a house, on a street, in a city, in a state, in my country, the United States of America." We learned to pledge the flag, sing the national anthem. We got city organization: fire departments, church, the grocery store...the world around us.

Yeah, except now you learn that stuff in Kdg.!

~Daxx's Wife

 

[teacherforhi]

I have a third grade reading program that has a unit about "Twins". One of the stories is about the Twin Towers and September 11th.

 

[THE HAT]

i find that the more open we are with our children about the events of our world, the better adjusted they will be.
there are ways to discuss everything, in diff levels, to adjust to the age you are talking to but, all the things that have happend in our country need to be taught and explained. these are the events that have shaped the world your child is going to grow up in.
when wtc happend 2 of the terrosists came down through our state of maine to fly out of our airport in portland, ds was explained this and he said it made him aware that there can be bad people anywhere. i will not have him think we are living in a glass bubble. bad things happen and they happen in our country, and they are what teach us how to make it safer. because of columbine there are such security measures in our school system now. and columbine was an area to talk about guns, and kids having issues with depression, and bullies, and what to do if something like that did happen in his school years. it was all scaled down in conversation to talk to his age level but the event gave an opportunity to bring it up. (he saw a story on it in a magazine a while back).
our children are going to be made aware of these things, and if we explain it to them as early as we are able to, and they are wanting to know, then that can help them understand, and ask questions, and help with things that might scare them, because these are all very scary topics but, they are part of our lives too. and i feel part of our job as parents is to explain it, and let it be taught.
i wasn't scared when i was little with the whole ussr issue becaue, my parents let me watch the news, they read time and life and newsweek to me. we went to the library etc. and most of all we talked about it. they had a topic on it once a week at school for current events. i feel that if i had known about it but, noone was talking about it, then that would have scared me more. it would have made it seem even worse.

now i am not sure why waco was brought up, (meaning what topic lead to that opening up, but hey if it got to it, then discuss it) and in a public school you would have to be careful of how far it went to a religious topic. but the gist can still be told.

i don't think that 2nd grade is to young to learn about terrosim, it is in our face every day. the military going off to war is on the news, the president talking is on tv, etc etc. at our school we have a big bake sale to make money to do care packages for the men/women fighting in iraq. the kids in the school are well aware why they are there, and what brought them to have to go there. many have some family member fighting. and by taking part in the bake sale and packages they feel like they are doing something to be a part of it all.
i am sure i will be in the minority, and that is OK, cause once again it just shows another reason this country is so great....freedom of speech....and the right we have to disagree but still discuss.

if you child seems upset by this topic, and of course if you are upset by this, then go and talk to the teacher, and find out how it occured, and where she is going with it. as a parent you have the right, and always speak up if you are unsure. almost all teachers will respect you for it and will be happy to explain.

 

[Hannathy]

Yes. I have no problem with schools teaching anything that happened in history as long as they do it factually and honestly, no slant to it to fit their agenda. Children need to learn that the world is not always made up of nice people. Now I do have a problem with some of the "sex education" they start at very young ages anymore, but that is another thread.

 

[RitaZ.]

i find that the more open we are with our children about the events of our world, the better adjusted they will be.

Too much information, especially regarding events and things that we have zero control over, just leads to anxiety and fear. Childhood is short and precious, kids are bombarded with topics they really shouldn't know about as it is. I think it's unnecessary and detrimental to go into an in depth discussion with a 2nd grader about tragic and horrific events. I'm not saying that's what the teacher did.

It's not about keeping kids in a bubble, it's about taking their age and emotional maturity into account. If they hear about it from their friends or if it's something that they should know about (like sexual predators), they may bring it up or we may. We attempt to discuss it in non-threatening way while taking their emotional maturity into account. I don't see the need to discuss Waco, I really don't.

When my son's 3rd grade teacher took it upon herself to disclose "the truth" about Columbine to the class, my son was terrified that he would be shot in school. It took a lot of reassuring from us that he was safe at school. That's how kids interpret scary information, they internalize it. JMO.

 

[Hannathy]

RitaZ how does your son handle intruder drills at school all these years if he was that upset in third grade.

I think there is much more fear and anxiety when children don't have all the facts and begin to imagine things rather than being told factually and honestly.