European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 03, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday septembers 1985 the stars and stripes Page 9 cd Star Aims of pupils language skins by Chris Este staff writer a Schaffenburg Germany standardized tests show first graders in department of defense dependents schools have poorer language skills than their counterparts in the unite states. A Schaffenburg elementary schools seeking to narrow the learning differences with a language program called the program the Only one in Dodds was a Pilot program last year principal James m. Hallcy said. This year the children s test results will be compared with results from Hanau which is being used As a control group. Halley thinks the reason for poorer language skills May be that the defense department pupils entering the first Grade Are an average of four months younger than pupils in most states. Other factors he said May be that Chil Dren living in Europe Don t have the multitude of television stations an extended family and As great an exposure to society he said Dodds schools accept Chil Dren into kindergarten if hey arc five by dec. 31, or into first Grade if they arc six by the same Date. Most schools in Lite states have an earlier cutoff Date. Parents themselves sometimes Aggra vate the situation Hallcy said. There is a group of parents who basically neglect the children. By neglect i mean ignore them. The Only kind of interaction the parents have with them is to Tell them to do something. Those kids never really develop any language skills. It s not be cause they re not smart enough it is be cause they never get to practice them. And then there s the other group of parents who talk to their kids quite a bit but they talk at them. They never say Okay what do you think about this what would you do if that happened the kids Are never required to to Bridge the Gap Between where Chil Dren arc in their language skills and where they should be a Schaffenburg has started a program from science research associates. It s a program in language development and basically teaches Lan Guage of the classroom said Virginia right a Schaffenburg s speech Lan Guage pathologist. Everything has a technical Vocab ulary and the classroom is no different she said. They need to understand things like first second next last top of the Page All kinds of concepts. When children come to school they re expected to be Able to follow directions. The first year i taught school half the children had not had kindergarten and i blithely went in and when the Ell rang i said everybody line up the half that had had kindergarten lined up and the other half just looked at me blankly because line up is an idiom. They really Don t understand a lot of our Basic English one of the reasons they re behind Wright said is the it they Haven t Learned to listen and tune in on the Wright said All and first graders about 320 pupils will go through the course. They will go an aver age of two times a week Vith children who have less need going Only once and those with a greater need going More often. Second third and fourth graders who have language problem ill also be enrolled in the program. Wright said the class would be participation oriented. The class will have to listen to instructions and follow them and the whole class moves from one exercise to the next. That Way she said every Pupil has to pay attention. If one Pupil does to say stand up and touch his nose the rest of the class has to wait until the Pupil can understand and follow the directions. Military historian visiting army unit museums by Tony Nauroth Nuernberg Borai Ansbach Germany tanks Aren t until you put people in that s the philosophy of the army s professorial chief of military history. Brig. Gen. William Stofft. Who is looking at unit museums in Europe. There Are 68 such museums in the army and one of Stofft s jobs is to act As guiding curator fur them. Stofft preaches history from a Perch on a Mustybrook although his listeners May often get the feeling they re Back in the classroom and of dread he s going to Call on me he Speaks in a firm yet gun be voice that begs for careful listening. Occasionally a shy smile winks across his face in a spurt of Good humor. Lofft explores the realm of the human Side of War where the individual Soldier meshes with his unit and the great forces of history to produce yet More history that he say must be preserved. There s no such thing As an average Soldier Stofft said. They Are individual soldiers who make up a unit and share that unit s Steffi said unit museums preserve that history and give the individual Soldier a sense of belonging. He does t believe that those who fail to learn from history arc doomed to repeat history Seldom repeats itself he said but the conditions found in history Are often the same As those found he said soldiers of the past had to worry about clothing food Quality of leadership and their families. Those things Are timeless he said. To Stoffl a museum in additional training and education tool one that should be used More than once to be effective. He compares it to watching a movie. After the first time you begin to see things you be never seen besides keeping an Eye on museums Stofft s Job includes preserving the cultural objects of military history museum pieces Etas Well As the literature. S4s photo by Tony Nauroth Brig. Gen. William Stoffl. No such thing As an average Soldier music Art and poetry recorded in both War and peace. Recording a Good solid proper history of the army. Providing staff support to commanders and placing military history at the service of the army to help with its Mission. Aiding in Leader development and education for example by preserving biographies of the army s greatest leaders. Promoting the study of military history As a legitimate Laboratory of War by which soldiers today can understand their world and keep it in perspective. For instance he said that if the superpowers could go Back to 1945 and Start Over we d probably do it the same we historians Call this kind of question " hat if history such questioning keeps the mind Active and open when decisions have to be Stofft said that from a historical perspective soviet american relations arc getting better for three reasons the so vets now have a Young stabilized leadership. The Reagan administration is seriously negotiating arms reduction. The improved slate of readiness in the West is such that it does t make sense for the soviets to do some thing foolish. Stofft also uses history to keep the army s procure ment problems Cost overruns High costs for seemingly Low Cost items in perspective. They re isolated in the great history of the army he said. The army acquires precious resources in a climate where there Are other legitimate competing interests. There is no bottomless pot of he adds that through Good management of those re sources and through a leadership that makes sure those re sources Are used correctly the system works As it should. When this does t happen Stofft said hopefully it is the exception. And when you do find it you just fix it. What you have he adds arc serious honest care Ful but he Points out that procurement like War. Is not a technological problem. It s a human problem he said. . Cautious in response to Gorbachev Santa Barbara Calif. A u s officials reacted cautiously sunday to remarks by soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev that the United slates is More concerned with How Best to Deal a deft blow at the november Summit than with truly discussing the issues that sep Arate the we Hope to leave Geneva with the u relationship on a More stable footing state department spokesman Pete Martinez said. At the same time we have no illusions. It will take time to overcome oui difficulties and we will have to be both patient and determined. Gorbachev in an interview with time Magazine predicted that the United states would take a hard line at the meeting nov. 19 and 20 in Geneva Switzerland and would expect the soviet Union to make All the concessions. That is a scenario of pressure of at tempts to drive us into a Corner to As Cribe to us As so Many times in the past every mortal sin from unleashing an arms race to aggression in the Middle East from violations of human rights to some scheming or other even in South Africa he was quoted As saying. Martinez responded we realize that our problems with the soviets Are numer Ous and deep. If Moscow is prepared to meet us Halfway on the various issues however there is no reason that the Prog Ress or. Gorbachev says he desires should not be possible. It is important to recognize that the importance we attach to the meeting can not keep us from speaking frankly about our differences with the soviets. It certainly has not kept them from speaking frankly about us. Gorbachev in his first interview with a Western news organization since Assum ing Power said of the forthcoming sum Mit it looks As if the stage is being set for a bout Between some kind of political super gladiators with the Only thought in mind being How Best to Deal a deft blow at the opponent and score an extra Point in this Reagan s most recent statement about the Summit was in an aug. 24 interview in which he said he would do my Best to present the evidence that would show and provide that this country has no intention of taking hostile action against them. And also however that we believe we have Good reason to think that they do have hostile
