I’m proofreading a book right now that centers on childhood language disorders. Interspersed in the text are samples of diagnostic tests and reading inventories — tools a speech-language pathologist would use in order to decide if a kid had a disorder of some type.
In one of these samples there is a list of sentences the child is supposed to read while the SLP scores his or her “performance.” These sentences include things like,
Who is on the phone?
I like these.
I watched him yesterday.
I am going to nursery school.
And
Where is the gun?
Really?
Magrilless 
tell me that it is a typo….please
It boggles the mind Very hard to believe. I wonder who made up this test??
Scott and I are at Grandma/Grandpa/s and r still talking re: “where is the gun” Grandma and I are ranting now about guns & gun control. We're wondering if its a sign of the times, if so, still grossly inappropriate.interesting post
Sunday afternoon Dad and I are out to dinner with Grandma, Grandpa Collins, & Aunt. C We are still talking about the “where is the gun” blog. Char brought it to the college [where she works] for a 'look & see” by the professionals there and, well, they are dumbfounded too. Inappropriate was the continuing theme… Gretch …did you ever find out if this line was a type?as always, love, Mom
I think it’s just a question where they’re concentrating on the words. At a specific developmental stage, kids are supposed to be able to answer and pose wh-questions (i.e., where is the . . .). And also be able to sight-read certain types of words (i.e., consonant-vowel-consonant). Why the didn’t ask “Where is the cup?” instead is beyond me too.Or maybe the kid is being shown a picture with an old West cowboy and the kid is supposed to be able to use complex sentence structures and clauses (i.e., The gun is being worn by the cowboy on the horse which is standing in the river.)It is shocking. But I guess we’re also seeing it much out of context and perhaps it’s not as bad as we might think. That’s what I’m hoping anyway.