[Betsy Posts: 2,318 Status: Offline PICKY EATERS WWW]

For those of you who are parents or teachers (or just knowledgeable), is this part of your child's (elementary) school curriculum? 

[elisa Posts: 103 Status: Offline]

My kids' elementary school goes from k-5 and I have a 1st grader and a 4th grader. . .and no, they do not use hand tools, nor are they taught to use them in school. Maybe a private school would? My kids are in public school.

Lisa

[Eric Hammond Posts: 56 Status: Offline WWW]

Where I am it is not. It used to be in Middle and High School [they called it Industrial Arts her], but it may have been axed from the budget. But it was never in elementary school.

[olmue Posts: 3,492 Status: Offline WWW]

Nope. Not in any school in the US we've ever been in.

In Germany our 1st grader was asked to bring a sharp paring knife, a cutting board, and an apple to school once. His older brother (3rd-4th grade) did a wood carving of a snake there. And the preschooler played with hammers and nails (and in her words, "the kids who aren't too scared can cut wood.") But the idea of ANY of those things happening in any US school I know of...uh, no. Even my now-middle school and jr. high boys joke about how the most heavy duty thing they're allowed in school is a plastic spork.

[andracill Posts: 5,266 Status: Offline Worlds within...screaming to get out! WWW]

I learned in 7th grade, but no hint of it in elementary school.  And definitely not in my kiddos' school today!

[Mara Posts: 498 Status: Offline WWW]

Not in my daughter's elementary school. And I don't recall seeing any tools at school until seventh grade wood and metal shop.

[JFriday Posts: 596 Status: Offline]

No, not at all. I think they even took shop out of the regular high school a while ago.

[Betsy Posts: 2,318 Status: Offline PICKY EATERS WWW]

Well, that's a shame.  When I was going through teacher training, they taught basic construction in kindergarten.

Thanks, everyone.  I guess that answers my question.

I suppose it's because if some kid happened to hit his thumb with a hammer, the parents would sue.     :

[Mara Posts: 498 Status: Offline WWW]

Maybe at a Montessori?

[Fiona L]

Definitely not in my cousin's current primary school or mine.

[MysteryRobin Posts: 781 Status: Offline]

I was going to ask what a hand tool was.
My kids go to a private school and there's no construction training at all.
When I went through school - public elementary had none of that - shop was available in junior high, but was later discontinued and all the boys had to take home ec, too.

[Mindy Alyse Weiss Posts: 3,190 Status: Offline A long journey - but I'm determined to get there!]

No hand tools in the elementary schools by me either.

[Wonky Posts: 402 Status: Offline]

You mean saws, hammers, etc? I think elementary school kids are too young for those. We certainly did not learn this and that was in the 80's. We didn't have industrial arts (shop) till jr high.

[jmm41799]

Not here in central PA either. Only scissors, and they must be the ones for munchkins. My daughter is in sixth grade this year and has tech ed (or industrial arts) every other day of the cycle. She built a bridge made from many cut up wood pieces that had to hold a certain amount of weight (a lot of math was involved for this project) and now they are doing metal work and creating boxes. They are using all types of tools including machinery that scares the crap out of me.
joelle