Do Picture Books About Starting Kindergarten Portray the Kindergarten Experience in Developmentally Appropriate Ways?

This study examines the illustrations and the texts of thirteen picture books for young children on the topic of preparing for and starting kindergarten to assess whether, and to what extent, they depict forty-nine criteria for developmentally appropriate kindergarten practice. Results show that the books vary in quality and coverage, but they are strongest at foregrounding developmentally appropriate learning contexts, depicting child-sized play areas, and accurately representing 5-year-old child development. There is a pressing need, however, for authors and illustrators to pay increasing attention to portraying positive child/teacher interactions, racial and ethnic diversity, family involvement, and quiet time and private spaces.     

‘Putting up your Dukes’: Statues social memory and Duke Paoa Kahanamoku

Public statues that commemorate the lives and achievements of athletes are pervasive and influential forms of social memory in Western societies. Despite this important nexus between cultural practice and history making, there is a relative void of critical studies of statuary dedicated to athletes. This article will attempt to contribute to a broader understanding in this area by considering a bronze statue of Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, the Hawaiian Olympian, swimmer and surfer, at Waikīkī, Hawaii. This prominent monument demonstrates the processes of remembering and forgetting that are integral to acts of social memory. In this case, Kahanamoku's identity as a surfer is foregrounded over his legacy as a swimmer. The distillation and use of Kahanamoku's memory in this representation is enmeshed in deeper cultural forces about Hawaii's identity. Competing meanings of the statue's symbolism indicate its role as a ‘hollow icon’, and illustrate the way that apparently static objects representing the sporting past are in fact objects of the present.     

Effect of the Menstrual Cycle on Pulse Rate and Blood Pressure before and after Exercise

Abstract

A random group of 24 college women was tested during four phases of the menstrual cycle to determine if the cycle had an effect on pulse rate and blood pressure before and after exercise. Analysis of variance data indicated that fluctuations in pulse rate and blood pressure before and after exercise could not be attributed to the menstrual cycle.     

Supporting families in the early education of children with special needs: the perspectives of Portage home visitors

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study focuses on Portage home visiting. In‐depth interviews were conducted with 12 Portage home visitors which were transcribed and analysed according to the procedures of Grounded Theory. The following three main themes were identified: the ethos of the Portage model of early intervention; the process of Portage home visiting; and the Portage home visitor as a family supporter. A proposed model of the factors that influence the Portage practice of family support is derived from the data. The discussion addresses the relationship of these findings to the management of Portage home visiting and highlights the use of qualitative methodology in researching the early education of children with special needs.     

A Case Study of ROI in Organizational Performance of Working at Home

With the growing suburban population, many employees in metro areas are facing long commutes to and from the workplace. According to the 2011 Texas Transportation Institute's Urban Mobility Report, the average commuter experiences 34 hours of delay per year and spends an extra $713 on fuel (see http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/mobility‐report‐2011.pdf ). This not only causes stress for the employee but also has a serious impact on the organization and the environment.     

Educational Under‐Achievement in Different Ethnic Groups

All children attending the maintained primary schools of an education authority in the West Midlands were tested for reading ability and listening vocabulary in the term before entry to junior schooling. Children from West Indian and Asian families are compared with indigenous children on national and local norms for these two tests. The statistics of test scores are used to measure under‐achievement in reading. Although West Indian and Asian children are significantly below the mean of local indigenous children in reading skill, it is shown that they are not under‐achieving, and that they tend to higher achievement than samples of indigenous pupils matched for the social and familial features of the ethnic minorities. Some aspects of the psychometric model which results in this finding are examined.     

Ethnic Persistence: Towards Understanding the Lived Experiences of Pacific Island Athletes in the National Rugby League

The emergence of Pacific Island (PI) ethnicities in the National Rugby League (NRL) over the past 18 years is widely acknowledged. At present, participants who have PI or Maori heritage represent 38% of the NRL's senior roster plus 37% at the National Youth Competition (NYC) level. This paper will examine the complex personal and ethnic biographies, and the process through which these athletes create their identities as a minority group within the culture of professional rugby league. In particular, the theoretical concept of ethnic persistence provides a way to understand the identity formation of PI athletes currently in the NRL. Rather than being assimilated into Western culture, the cultural discourses that are inextricably linked to ethnic PI identities are crucial to understanding the experiences of footballers in the NRL. The experiences of the footballers, characterised by a lack of understanding and acknowledgement of PI traditions, suggest that national identities, rivalries and conflict that have shaped the history of these island nations are overridden in favour of common traits, experiences and heritage.