The puliti affair and the 1924 Paris Olympics: Geo-Political issues,National pride and fencing traditions

During the Paris Olympic Games of July 1924, there were a series of ‘incidents’ in the fencing competition that became known as the Puliti affair. At the centre of the troubles was the Italian Oreste Puliti. The ‘affair’ had to be discussed by the ‘jury d'honneur’ recently set up by the IOC. Both the IOC and the International Federation were concerned with this issue for four more years. This article uses the Puliti affair to discuss several aspects of nationalism in the mid-1920s: the growing tensions between Fascist Italy and democracies such as Hungary and France, the specific Olympic status of fencing challenged in Paris after three centuries of confrontation between the French and Italian schools of fencing, and ongoing tensions between the IOC and the international federations. Finally, the press perceptions of the incident in various countries are briefly discussed.     

Age and Sex Differences in Motor Performance of 3 through 6 Year Old Children

Abstract

This study examined the relationship of age and sex to the performance of 3, 4, 5, and 6 year olds on seven motor performance test items. Although significant age and sex differences were found on most of the motor tests, it appears that age generally was related more to performance than was gender. Overall, change with age was fairly linear except perhaps for balancing and a general tapering in improvement in the 5 to 6 year old category. On the tests of throwing and balancing, gender was as important as age, or more so, in its relationship to performance. Boys were superior to girls at all ages on the throwing tests; girls were superior to boys at age 6 on the Balance test. Gender differences of a lesser magnitude were found on the Speed Run and Standing Long Jump tests with the performance of boys generally being superior to the performance of girls. Thus, it appears that gender differences in motor performance occur as early as the preschool years. Interestingly, except for the Balance test, on all the tests the 3 and 4 year old boys performed similarly and the 5 and 6 year old boys performed similarly. For the girls there were more significant differences from year to year in performance, with the data generally indicating at least three distinct skill groups for girls from age 3 to 6.     

Reviews

Jeffree, Dorothy M. and Skeffington, Margaret (1980) Let Me Read. MacFarlane, Tom, with Moyle, Donald (adviser), (1980) Comprehension Through the Newspaper. Pugh, A.K., Lee, V.J. and Swann, J. (Ed.) (1980) Language and Language Use. Veatch, Jeannette (1978) Reading in the Elementary School.     

L'ecole francaise et sa difficile insertion communautaire

Résumé Après avoir distingué différentes conceptions possibles de la liaison entre école et communauté locale (banalisation des équipements scolaires, intégration des équipements éducatifs, culturels et sociaux, ouverture de la pédagogie sur la vie réelle, contrôle et participation des parents et des usagers), l'auteur attribue les difficultés d'insertion et d'adaptation communautaires du système scolaire français à une tradition de centralisation administrative et bureaucratique (qui se manifeste dans la conception des programmes et méthodes d'enseignement aussi bien que dans le recrutement et la gestion des personnels). Parmi les innovations pédagogiques récentes susceptibles d'aller dans le sens d'une meilleure liaison entre école et communauté, on peut retenir surtout certaines expériences d'intégration architecturale et fonctionnelle d'équipements à vocation éducative, culturelle ou sociale conçues dans une perspective de participation et de déségrégation communautaire (cf. par exemple les réalisations d'Yerres, d'Istres et surtout de la Villeneuve de Grenoble). De telles expériences s'avèrent cependant difficilement généralisables dans le contexte français, de même que s'avèrent difficiles à mettre en oeuvre le contrôle des parents d'élèves sur le fonctionnement des établissements ou l'ouverture des contenus de l'enseignement sur les réalités du milieu local.

---

The author distinguishes between the different ways in which it is possible for the school to relate with the local community — by making school equipment generally available, by integrating the educational, social and cultural resources, by opening up education to real life, and by participation and control by parents and users. The difficulty for the French school system to penetrate and adapt itself to the communities in which it functions, is attributed to the tradition of administrative and bureaucratic centralisation manifested in the conception of teaching programmes and methods, as well as in the recruitment and management of personnel. Among recent educational innovations that could lead to a better association of the school with the community, one might mention first and foremost certain experiments concerned with the architectural and functional integration of educational, cultural and social facilities, conceived in a perspective of participation and desegregation of the community (e.g., in Yerres, Istres, and specially in Villeneuve, Grenoble). However, in the French context, such experiments are difficult to generalise from. It is equally difficult to effect any kind of control by parents over the functioning of educational institutions, or to open the curriculum to the realities of the local environment.

---

Zusammenfassung Zunächst unterscheidet der Verfasser zwischen verschiedenen möglichen Konzeptionen von der Verbindung der Schule mit der örtlichen Gemeinschaft (Zugänglichkeit der Schulausstattung, Integration der pädagogischen, kulturellen und sozialen Einrichtungen, Öffnung der Pädagogik auf die Wirklichkeit, Kontrolle und Teilnahme von Eltern und Benutzern). Die Schwierigkeiten des französischen Schulsystems, sich in die Gemeinde einzufügen und ihr anzupassen, schreibt er dem traditionellen administrativen und bürokratischen Zentralismus zu, der sich sowohl in der Konzeption der Lehrprogramme und -methoden als auch in der Einstellung und Führung der Lehrkräfte kundtut. Zu neueren pädagogischen Innovationen, die zu besserer Verbindung der Schule mit der Gemeinschaft führen könnten, gehören vor allem gewisse Beispiele architektonischer und funktioneller Integration von pädagogischen, kulturellen und socialen Einrichtungen im Hinblick auf Teilnahme und Einschluß der Gemeinschaft (wie z.B. realisiert in Yerres, Istres, und vor allem Villeneuve bei Grenoble). Derartige Neuerungen sind allerdings in Frankreich schwer generalisierbar, und auch Kontrolle der Institutionen durch die Eltern sowie Öffnung der Lehrinhalte auf die Wirklichkeit der örtlichen Gegebenheiten sind nicht leicht in die Tat umzusetzen.

     

A comparison of reading strategies in genetic dyslexics and children with right and left brain deficits

The reading levels and reading strategies of 43 children with genetic dyslexia, right-hemisphere lesions/dysfunction, and left-hemisphere lesions/dysfunction were retrospectively compared. Age and IQ were comparable. Only children who had a verbal or performance IQ over 90 were included in the study. Although the genetic dyslexics had a significantly higher Full Scale IQ than the other two groups, their reading level was significantly lower. This suggests that a disturbance of the normal processes of neuronal migration during fetal development may have profound effects on specific cognitive processes, without affecting others. In contrast, 50 percent of the boys with left-hemisphere deficits were disabled readers. One-third of the boys with right-hemisphere deficits were also poor readers. With one exception, the girls, who had comparable deficits, were good readers. A comparison was made between the groups in terms of reading strategies and patterns of errors.     

Developmentally appropriate parent training for families with young children

In an effort to explore the value and feasibility of teaching the principles behind developmentally appropriate practices to parents, 53 families with young children were studied. Parents were randomly assigned to participate or not participate in a three month-long, weekly, parent training program. Following completion of the program members of participating families were less likely to engage in conflict during a puzzle solving task than were members of nonparticipating families. Parents who participated were more likely to take a supportive leadership role and have age-appropriate expectations during a puzzle solving task than were nonparticipating parents. Children in participating families showed better social skills than children in nonparticipating families. Portions of the increase in social skills were related to reductions in family conflict and to the development of a task orientation that was more appropriately focused on process than outcome. Lower family conflict was also related to better gross motor skills in children.     

Individualised educational programmes. Part I: a literature review

This review was undertaken as part of a research project commissioned by the Scottish Executive and carried out by a team from Glasgow and Newcastle Universities between January 2000 and January 2001 when the report was published ( Banks et al., 2001 ). The research study, entitled 'Raising the Attainment of Pupils with Special Educational Needs', followed the issuing of new guidelines ( SOEID, 1998a ; SEED, 1999 ) which linked the use of individualised educational programmes (IEPs) to the wider political enterprise of raising standards through target-setting.     

The effects of the Webster-Stratton parenting program on maltreating families: fostering strengths

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effects of the Webster-Stratton parenting program on the parenting skills of maltreating mothers and on the autonomy of their children (3-8 years). METHOD: A randomized controlled trial was used. Twenty-six maltreating families were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: the 16-hour weekly intervention group, or the 4-month wait list control group. Pre- and post-intervention independent assessments included a 2-hour home visit involving videotaped mother-child interactions during two prescribed, 10-minute play activities. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, treatment mothers demonstrated significant improvement in involvement and marginally significant improvement in autonomy-support, but no improvement in structure. Treatment group children showed no significant improvement in autonomy when compared to control group children. CONCLUSIONS: This parenting program proved effective with maltreating parents. The lack of demonstrated effect on children may reflect the need for a larger and more sustained treatment dose and/or the need to include parent-child interaction opportunities in the program. At the same time, while treatment gains were limited to the parent, the high treatment adherence rate (92% attended six or more of the eight program sessions) and low attrition rate (n=1) indicate that the treatment gains may hold potential for more thorough examination.     

Gaze‐Contingent Display Changes as New Window on Analytical and Holistic Face Perception in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

The strength of holistic face perception in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was evaluated by applying the gaze‐contingent mask and window technique to a face matching and discrimination task in 6‐ to 14‐year‐old children with (n = 36) and without ASD (n = 47), and by examining fixation patterns. Behavioral results suggested a slower and less efficient face processing in the ASD sample compared with the matched control group. Comparing the moving mask and window conditions revealed a reduced holistic face processing bias in the younger age group but not in the older sample. Preferential viewing patterns revealed both similarities and differences between both participant groups.     

Questioning techniques to promote thinking

Research has shown that children as young as three and four can think on many different levels if they are encouraged to do so (Pepler & Ross, 1981; Turner & Durrett, 1975). Educators can promote young children's thinking by asking appropriate questions and by providing learning activities that require children to think beyond the recall or memorization level (What Works, 1986). Asking good questions is an art — an art that can be learned and refined with practice and with conscious effort.Jean M. Shaw and Mary Jo Puckett Cliatt are associate professors in the School of Education at the University of Mississippi in University, MS.