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diff --git a/44102-0.txt b/44102-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9f4c75b --- /dev/null +++ b/44102-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6401 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44102 *** + +Transcriber's note: + +Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). + +Small capital text has been replaced with all capitals. + + * * * * * + +[Illustration: FEEDING HER BIRD + +Mabel C----, aged 12, Algona, Washington] + + + + + SCHOOL CREDIT + + FOR HOME WORK + + BY L. R. ALDERMAN + + CITY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS + PORTLAND, OREGON + FORMERLY SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC + INSTRUCTION, STATE OF OREGON + + + HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY + BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO + The Riverside Press Cambridge + + + COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY L. R. ALDERMAN + + ALL RIGHTS RESERVED + + + The Riverside Press + CAMBRIDGE. MASSACHUSETTS + U.S.A + + + + +TO THE MEMORY + +OF + +MY FATHER AND MOTHER + +Who made their boys happy partners in the work of the home and farm + + + + +PREFACE + + +It has been a surprise and a delight to me, as this book has been +in progress, to learn of the many different ways that people have +worked out these home credit plans. It has been as if I could see +into many happy schoolrooms. Letters from mothers and fathers +boasting of the accomplishments of their children, have brought +to me a little glow from the hearthsides of many homes. A father +brought his boy--or rather the boy brought his father--up to see me +and talk over what the boy was doing at home. The father boasted +of the boy's fine garden, his big pumpkins, his watermelons that +would attract the neighbors. Johnny almost burst the top button off +his vest with pride as his father praised him and patted him on the +head. After this happy meeting, the father and the son got on the +high wagon seat and rode home; and as I saw them going down the +street, I could imagine what they talked about. Such glimpses help +to make a school man's life worth while; and I have had many of +them as I have been writing this book. + +For the fact that this book exists at all, I am indebted to my wife, +who has helped me with every part of it, and to Mr. and Mrs. C. C. +Thomason, of Olympia, Washington, who believed in the book from +the first. Mrs. Thomason has also done much work on the book; she +has gathered all the illustrative material, visiting many schools +and writing many letters. She and my wife have done most of the +organizing of material, and have gone over the manuscript together. +To Miss Fanny Louise Barber, of the Washington High School, +Portland, I am grateful for her careful reading and revision of +several chapters. I owe thanks to Mrs. Sarah J. Hoagland, of Belt, +Montana, for the true and vivid stories she has sent me; and I am +thankful to all the home credit teachers, with whom we have been +corresponding, for their painstaking answers to our letters, as well +as for the valuable plans that they have originated. + + L. R. ALDERMAN. + + PORTLAND, OREGON, + _November 16, 1914_. + + + + +CONTENTS + + +PART ONE + + I. INTRODUCTION 1 + + II. MARY 7 + + III. THE SPRING VALLEY SCHOOL 11 + + IV. WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE ALGEBRA? 24 + + V. HONORING LABOR 34 + + VI. HABIT-BUILDING 39 + + VII. THAT OTHER TEACHER AND THAT TEACHER'S LABORATORY 46 + + VIII. STELLA AND SADIE 53 + + IX. A STORY AND LETTERS FROM TEACHERS 60 + + +PART TWO + + I. ILLUSTRATIVE HOME CREDIT PLANS 71 + + II. HOME CREDIT IN HIGH SCHOOLS 156 + + APPENDIX 167 + + INDEX 177 + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + + FEEDING HER BIRD _Frontispiece_ + + SPRING VALLEY SCHOOL 12 + + PICNIC LUNCHEON, SPRING VALLEY 20 + + JOE IN THE GARAGE 28 + + WORK CREDITED AT SCHOOL 36 + + EARNING HOME CREDITS 42 + + O. H. BENSON POTATO CLUB 88 + + HIGH SCHOOL BOYS IN RAILROAD SHOPS 156 + + + + +SCHOOL CREDIT FOR HOME WORK + + + + +PART ONE + + + + +I + +INTRODUCTION + + The child is a born worker; activity is the law of his nature. + + FRANCIS W. PARKER. + + +This book is simply the narrative of the working-out of an idea. +The idea first came to me from memories of my own home, where tasks +were assigned to us children and were made to seem important. With +my father, the work was always carried on in the spirit of a game, +and the game could be made as interesting as any other game; in +the meantime something was being done that was worth while. Among +many other memories there comes one of our laying a rail fence by +moonlight, after a freshet had taken the other fence away; when +the game was to get the line completed before the moon went down. +I can still see father laying rail on rail, and enjoy his glowing +enthusiasm at our accomplishment. The fence still stands. Besides +seeking to make the work interesting in itself, father had a device +to put a value on time for his boys by giving us free time after the +tasks were completed to do as we saw fit. + +The desire, after I became a teacher, to put myself in the enviable +position of my father as an inspiring influence with children, +was the motive that took my thoughts out of the schoolroom into +the homes of my pupils. Should not the school be simply a group +of people come together for improvement, with the teacher as +their best friend, ready to discuss and promote everything that +seems worth while? We found it easy to talk at school about the +things the children were concerned with out of school. One spring +my pupils carried home, from our little boxes at school, cabbage +plants and tomato plants to become members of their families for the +summer. Later we had a county school fair for the exhibition of the +children's clear jelly and fine bread and vegetables and sewing and +carpentry. The schools were trying to recognize "the whole child." + +This book is written in the hope that parents, teachers, and +children may be helped to work together more joyously and +harmoniously on the real problems of life. + +When I was teaching in the University of Oregon in the spring of +1910, I wrote and had published in the Oregon papers the following +article:-- + + We all believe that civilization is founded upon the home. The + school should be a real helper to the home. How can the school + help the home? How can it help the home establish habits in + the children of systematic performance of home duties so that + they will be efficient and joyful home helpers? One way is for + the school to take into account home industrial work and honor + it. It is my conviction, based upon careful and continuous + observation, that the school can greatly increase the interest + the child will take in home industrial work by making it a + subject of consideration at school. A teacher talked of sewing, + and the girls sewed. She talked of ironing, and they wanted to + learn to iron neatly. She talked of working with tools, and + both girls and boys made bird houses, kites, and other things + of interest. Recently a school garden was planned in a city and + one of the boys was employed to plow the land. Seventy-five + children were watching for him to come with the team. At last + he came driving around the corner. _He_ could manage a _team_. + He drove into the lot, and a hundred and fifty eyes looked + with admiration at the boy who could unhitch from the sled and + hitch to the plow; and then as he, "man-fashion,"--lines over + one shoulder and under one arm,--drove the big team around the + field, all could feel the children's admiration for the boy who + could do something worth while. And I have seen a girl who could + make good bread or set a table nicely get the real admiration of + her schoolmates. + + The school can help make better home-builders. It can help by + industrial work done in the school, but as that is already + receiving consideration by the press and in a few schools, I + shall not in this short article treat of it. + + The plan I have in mind will cost no money, will take but little + school time, and can be put into operation in every part of the + State at once. It will create a demand for expert instruction + later on. It is to give school credit for industrial work done + at home. The mother and father are to be recognized as teachers, + and the school teacher put into the position of one who cares + about the habits and tastes of the whole child. Then the teacher + and the parents will have much in common. Every home has the + equipment for industrial work and has some one who uses it with + more or less skill. + + The school has made so many demands on the home that the parents + have in some cases felt that all the time of the child must be + given to the school. But an important thing that the child needs + along with school work is established habits of home-making. + What people do depends as much upon habit as upon knowledge. + The criticism that is most often made upon industrial work + at school is that it is so different from the work done in + the home that it does not put the child into that sympathetic + relation with the home, which after all is for him and the home + the most important thing in the world. Juvenile institutions + find that they must be careful not to institutionalize the child + to such an extent that he may not be contented in a real home. + In my opinion it will be a great thing for the child to want + to help his parents do the task that needs to be done and to + want to do it in the best possible way. The reason why so many + country boys are now leading men of affairs is because early in + life they had home responsibilities thrust upon them. I am sure + that the motto "Everybody Helps" is a good one. + + But one says: "How can it be brought about? How can the school + give credit for industrial work done at home?" It may be done by + sending home printed slips asking the parents to take account of + the work that the child does at home under their instruction, + and explaining that credit will be given for this work on the + school record. These slips must be used according to the age of + the child, so that he will not be asked to do too much, for it + must be clearly recognized that children must have time for real + play. The required tasks must not be too arduous, yet they must + be real tasks. They must not be tasks that will put extra work + on parents except in the matter of instruction and observation. + They may well call for the care of animals, and should include + garden work for both boys and girls. Credit in school for home + industrial work (with the parents' consent) should count as much + as any one study in school. + + To add interest to the work, exhibitions should be given at + stated times so that all may learn from each other and the best + be the model for all. The school fairs in Yamhill, Polk, Benton, + Lane, Wasco, and Crook Counties, together with the school and + home industrial work done at Eugene, have convinced me most + thoroughly that these plans are practicable, and that school + work and home work, school play and home play, and love for + parents and respect for teachers and fellow pupils can best be + fostered by a more complete coöperation between school and home, + so that the whole child is taken into account at all times. + +After the home-credit schools of Mr. O'Reilly and Mr. Conklin were +well under way, I received many inquiries about the home credit +idea. As I was then State Superintendent, I had a pamphlet printed +by the State Office, describing the workings of the plan, and had it +distributed to Oregon teachers. Fifteen thousand copies were also +printed for Mr. Claxton, Commissioner of Education, in the summer +of 1912, and distributed by the National Bureau to superintendents +and teachers throughout the United States. Since this pamphlet has +been out of print there have been many inquiries sent me about home +credit, and I hope that this book may answer some of them. + + + + +II + +MARY + + The brain and the hand, too long divorced, and each mean and + weak without the other; use and beauty, each alone vulgar; + letters and labor, each soulless without the other, are + henceforth to be one and inseparable; and this union will lift + man to a higher level.--G. STANLEY HALL. + + +The idea of giving school credit for home work first occurred to me +when I was a high-school principal in McMinnville, Oregon, in 1901. +Often, in the few years that I had been teaching, I had felt keenly +a lack of understanding between school and home. As I was thinking +over this problem, and wondering what could be done, I chanced +to meet on the street the mother of one of my rosiest-cheeked, +strongest-looking high-school girls. I saw that the little mother +looked forlorn and tired. There was a nervous twitch of the hand +that adjusted the robes about the crippled child she was wheeling +in a baby buggy. I had frequently noticed that Mary, the daughter, +who was one of the very poorest students in her class, was on +the streets the greater part of the time after school hours. I +thought, "What value can there be in my teaching that girl quadratic +equations and the nebular hypothesis, when what she most needs to +learn is the art of helping her mother?" + +In the algebra recitation next day I asked, "How many helped with +the work before coming to school?" Hands were raised, but not +Mary's. "How many got breakfast?" Hands again, not Mary's. "I made +some bread a few days ago, bread that kept, and kept, and kept on +keeping. How many of you know how to make bread?" Some hands, not +Mary's. I then announced that the lesson for the following day would +consist as usual of ten problems in advance, but that five would +be in the book, and five out of the book. The five out of the book +for the girls would consist of helping with supper, helping with +the kitchen work after supper, preparing breakfast, helping with +the dishes and kitchen work after breakfast, and putting a bedroom +in order. Surprise and merriment gave place to enthusiasm when the +boys and girls saw that I was in downright earnest. When I asked for +a report on the algebra lesson next day all hands went up for all +the problems both in algebra and in home-helping. As I looked my +approval, all hands fell again, that is, all hands but Mary's. "What +is it, Mary?" I asked. "I worked five in advance," she replied with +sparkling eyes: "I worked all you gave us, and five ahead in the +book!" + +Since that day I have been a firm believer in giving children credit +at school for work done at home. We did not work home problems every +day that year, but at various times the children were assigned +lessons like the one mentioned, and scarcely a day passed that we +did not talk over home tasks, and listen to the boys and girls as +they told what each had achieved. The idea that washing dishes and +caring for chickens was of equal importance with algebra and general +history, and that credit and honor would frequently be given for +home work, proved a stimulus to all the children, and especially to +Mary. Her interest in all her school duties was doubled, and it is +needless to say that her mother's interest in the school was many +times increased as her heavy household cares were in part assumed by +her healthy daughter. + +A few weeks after the first home credit lesson Mary brought her +luncheon to school. At the noon hour she came to my desk, opened +her basket, and displaying a nicely made sandwich said, "I made +this bread." The bread looked good, and must have been all right, +for she ate the sandwich, and it did not seem to hurt her. She came +again wearing a pretty new shirt-waist, and told me she had made it +herself, and that it had cost just eighty-five cents. + +After Mary graduated from high school she went out into the country +to teach, and boarded with her uncle's family. Her uncle's wife was +ill for a while, and Mary showed that she knew how to cook a fine +meal, and how to set a table so that the food looked good to eat. +She made herself generally useful. Her uncle came to my office one +day and told me that Mary was the finest girl he ever saw, and that +every girl like that should go to college, and that he was going to +see that she went to college if he had to sell the farm to send her. +She went to college, but it didn't take the farm to send her. + + + + +III + +THE SPRING VALLEY SCHOOL + + An excellent result of the absence of centralization in the + United States.... The widest possible scope being allowed to + individual and local preferences, ... one part of our vast + country can profit by the experience of the other parts. + + JOHN FISKE. + + Kindly convey my blessing to that genius of a teacher in Spring + Valley, the same to stand good till judgment day. + +WM. HAWLEY SMITH. + + +Mr. A. I. O'Reilly, in the school at Spring Valley, Oregon, was +the first to give systematic, certified credit for home work. He +originated the idea of having a prize contest for credits, and +put care for health and cleanliness on the list of home duties. +Dr. Winship classifies new educational suggestions as dreams, +nightmares, and visions. The remarkable success of Mr. O'Reilly in +his home credit school should place his ideas in the "vision" list. + +Spring Valley is a rich farming district in Polk County, Oregon, +about nine miles from Salem. Mr. O'Reilly took the school in the +fall of 1909. He rented a farmhouse about half a mile away, brought +his wife and little boys out from Dakota, where he had served as +county superintendent, and went to work building up his school. +He gained great influence with the boys and girls, and was much +respected and thoroughly liked by everybody. + +He noticed that on each big, well-developed farm in the neighborhood +there was a great deal of work for the boys and girls to do, but +that they did not as a rule do it with cheerfulness and interest. +He wanted, if possible, to change their attitude of mind. So, with +the hearty approval of his board of directors, he arranged to give +school credit for home work. This was in the fall of 1911. Various +tasks that the children ought to do he put into a list, and allowed +a certain number of minutes credit for each one.[1] The three +children having earned the greatest number of credits at the close +of the nine school months were to receive three dollars each, and +the three next highest, two dollars. The money was to be allowed by +the school board, and put into the savings bank to the credit of the +prize-winners. + + [1] The details of Mr. O'Reilly's plan are given in Part Two, pages + 73-77. + +Every one of the thirty-three pupils in the school was enrolled +in this new kind of contest. The registering of the credits each +morning meant extra work for the teacher, but it brought extra +results. The prospect of a bank account for the winners incited +the children to learn for the first time something about banks and +banking. There was a "we-are-doing-something" atmosphere throughout +the school. + +[Illustration: SPRING VALLEY SCHOOL, OREGON, WHERE HOME CREDITS WERE +GIVEN, 1911-1912] + +In answer to the query of some visitors if this giving of credit for +home work did not interfere with school work, Mr. O'Reilly pointed +to the record in the county spelling contest, in which his school +had earned 100 per cent that month. + +The county superintendent, Mr. Seymour, had announced that a banner +would be given to his rural schools showing that they were standard +schools as soon as they should meet certain requirements. These +requirements were well-drained school grounds; school building +properly lighted, heated, and ventilated; schoolhouse and grounds +neat and attractive; sanitary outbuildings; walk made to building +and outbuildings; individual drinking-cups; the purchase each year +of one standard picture; thorough work on the part of teacher and +pupils; the enrollment of every pupil in the spelling contest; and +an average of 95 per cent in attendance. Spring Valley was the first +school in the county to receive the banner and become a standard +school. + +The county superintendents of Oregon were assembled at Salem in +January, 1912, for the purpose of grading teachers' examination +papers. They were much interested in what they heard of Mr. +O'Reilly's work at Spring Valley and accepted with great pleasure +the invitation of Mr. Seymour to visit the school. As that day in +Mr. O'Reilly's school is significant, I wish to quote an article +about it written by T. J. Gary, superintendent of Clackamas County. +Mr. Gary's article was printed in one of the Oregon City papers in +January, 1912. + + Last Saturday seventeen county school superintendents and the + superintendent of public instruction drove through the wind and + rain to Spring Valley, Polk County, to attend a parent-teachers' + meeting. Why? Because we had heard much of a new plan that was + being tried out by the teacher, pupils, and parents of the + school in that beautiful valley. Did we go because it was a + new plan? No. If we should try to investigate every new plan + we would be going all the time. We went because we thought we + saw a suggestion, at least, of a solution of two very important + problems: "How to bring the school and the home into closer + relation," and "How to make the boys and the girls in the + country love their home." + + We arrived at the Spring Valley School at 10.30 A.M. and + observed first a board walk from the road to the schoolhouse + door and a well-drained school-yard free from all rubbish, such + as sticks, pieces of paper, and so forth. + + Upon entering the room we observed that the directors had made + provision for the proper heating, lighting, and ventilation + of the schoolroom. On the walls were three nicely framed + pictures, the "Sistine Madonna," "The Christ," and "The Lions," + all beautiful reproductions of celebrated works of art. The + building was a modest one, much like many school buildings we + find through the country, but there was about it that which said + plainer than words can say it, "This is a well-ordered school." + + Looking to the right, we saw on a partition wall, on the floor, + and on the side wall, a variety of articles: aprons, dresses, + doilies, handbags, handkerchiefs, kites, traps, bird houses, and + various other things made by the boys and girls of the school. + At the left in the other corner of the room were loaves of + bread, pies, cakes, tarts, doughnuts, and other tempting things + prepared by the girls and boys. The writer sampled various + edibles, among them a cake baked by Master Z----, son of our + ex-superintendent, J. C. Z----. I can cheerfully say that it was + the kind of cake that makes a man want more. + + These things were all of interest to us, but the one thing we + were most curious to know about was the system the teacher had + of giving credits for home work; not school work done at home, + but all kinds of honest work a country girl or boy can find + to do. Pupils were given five minutes credit for milking a + cow, five minutes for sleeping in fresh air, five minutes for + taking a bath, and so on through the long list of common duties + incident to home life in the country. The rule of the school is + that any pupil who has earned six hundred minutes may have a + holiday, at the discretion of the teacher. If the pupil asks for + a holiday to use for some worthy cause the teacher grants it, + providing it does not interfere too much with the pupil's school + work. + + Space will not permit my giving a more detailed account of the + plan. I trust that enough has been given to show the principle + involved. The teacher was subjected to volley after volley of + questions from the superintendents, but was able to answer all + of them with alacrity. The chairman called upon the parents to + give their testimony as to the success of the movement. I cannot + write here all that was said, but will give two statements as + fair samples of all. + + One good motherly-looking country woman said: "Before this plan + was started I got up in the morning and prepared breakfast for + the family, and after breakfast saw to the preparation of the + children for school. Now, when morning comes the girls insist + upon my lying in bed so that they may get breakfast. After + breakfast they wash the dishes, sweep the kitchen, and do many + other things as well as make their own preparation for school. I + think the plan is a success. My only fear is that it will make + me lazy." + + One father said: "I have two boys--one in the high school and + Jack, here. It was as hard work to get the older boy out in the + morning as it was to do the chores, and as Jack was too young + to be compelled to do the work, I let them both sleep while I + did it. Now, when the alarm sounds, I hear Jack tumbling out of + bed, and when I get up I find the fires burning and the stock at + the barn cared for; so all I have to do is to look happy, eat my + breakfast, and go about my business. Yes, it is a great success + in our home." + + At this point Superintendent Alderman said: "Jack, stand, we + want to see you," and Jack, a bright, manly-appearing country + boy of fourteen years stood blushing, while we looked our + appreciation. + + One man told of the many things that his daughter had done, + whereupon it was suggested that she might do so much that her + health would be in danger. A pleasant smile flitted across + the face of the father as he said, "Daughter, stand and let + these men see if they think you are injuring your health." A + bright, buxom, rosy-cheeked girl--the very picture of health and + happiness--arose while we laughed and cheered. + + To the question, "Does this work interfere with the work of the + school?" the teacher pointed to the record of the school in a + spelling contest that is being conducted in this county, and + read "100 per cent for this month; 98.12 per cent for last," and + said, "No, I find that the children have taken more interest in + their work and are making more progress than before." + + When alone, after time for reflection, I thought, "One swallow + does not make a summer" and one school does not prove that this + is a good plan. In Spring Valley the conditions are ideal,--a + board of directors who do their duty, a citizenship that is + far above the average, girls and boys from well-ordered homes + of a prosperous people, a teacher who would succeed anywhere + with half a chance, a wide-awake, sympathetic county school + superintendent,--and yet I thought if this is good for the + Spring Valley School, might it not be a good thing for all our + schools? I have not reached a conclusion, but have had much food + for thought, and am more than pleased with my experience and + observation. + + What do you think about it, gentle reader? Is it a passing + fancy? A fad, if you please? Or is it a means for training boys + and girls to habits of industry and to a wholesome respect for + honest toil? Will it bring the home and the school into closer + relation? And will it cause the country boys and girls to love + their homes, to love the country with its singing birds, its + babbling brooks, its broad fields and friendly hills? + +There was not a school in the State that responded better to any +movement initiated by the State or county than the one in Spring +Valley. Every pupil was greatly interested in the boys' and girls' +industrial and agricultural contest which Oregon carried on that +year for the first time. The children raised cabbage plants at +school, protected from the cold by a tent that Mr. O'Reilly +provided. They planned to sell them to the neighbors in order to +get money for seeds, but were sadly disappointed, when they came +to school one morning, to find that a cow had broken in during the +night and destroyed almost every plant. The owner of the cow paid +them the value of the plants, but they were never quite so happy +over the fund as they would have been if the plants had been allowed +to grow. + +Six weeks before the end of the school year Mr. O'Reilly began +making Saturday trips to Salem to arrange for the fair with which +he intended to close the school. The merchants subscribed liberally +for prizes both for the children's work and for the athletic events +which Mr. O'Reilly had planned for the afternoon. A local piano +house sent out a piano for the occasion, and an amusement company +put up a merry-go-round, and stands for lemonade, ice-cream, +and all the rest that goes with a first-class picnic. The picnic +was held in the grove a short distance from the schoolhouse. Mr. +O'Reilly and the neighbors had made a platform for which the +children's work formed the background,--dresses, bird houses, fancy +work, cakes, bread, and other articles,--and had made seats of rough +lumber for the crowd. And a crowd it was, for the whole county was +interested in the Spring Valley School. This was one of the first +local fairs in connection with the county school fairs which were +held throughout the State, and the awards were also to be made to +the children who had earned the most credits in the home credit +contest. + +[Illustration: PICNIC LUNCHEON COOKED AND SERVED BY SPRING VALLEY +CHILDREN] + +We drove out from Salem in automobiles. On reaching the grove we +found it filled with teams tied everywhere, and many automobiles +standing about. Promptly at ten o'clock the school children marched +down from the schoolhouse in an industrial parade, carrying things +that they had made or raised in the garden. A pretty sight they +were, as they took their places on the reserved benches in front, +all in their best clothes, most of the girls in white dresses of +their own making. + +The Governor of Oregon was there, and made the first address. At +the close of his talk, the Spring Valley children sang in voices +as clear as the birds, "There is no Land Like Oregon," and were +most heartily cheered. After the remainder of the addresses and +songs came the most breathless part of the day, the awarding of the +school-credit prizes for the year's work. A member of the school +board read the list of winners, and took occasion to express the +appreciation that the district felt for Mr. O'Reilly's work. He +assured the audience that the people of the district considered the +plan one of the very finest that they had ever known, for it put +the children in the right attitude toward their work, and gave the +parents the feeling that they were assisting in the work of the +school. Never in the history of the community had there been such a +year. + +The judging of the industrial work was then carried on, while +the Spring Valley home-credit girls set the long tables for the +luncheon, which they had prepared without assistance from their +mothers. We all envied the three women up on the platform tasting +the cakes, and were glad when the ribbons were pinned on, for +we knew then that the dinner would begin. The blue ribbon for +cake-making by children under thirteen was awarded to a boy, Arthur +Z----. The governor and I placed this lad between us at the head of +the table, and he gave us very generous portions of the prize cake. + +This was Mr. O'Reilly's last day with the Spring Valley School. The +next year he was chosen one of the rural school supervisors in Lane +County, and he is still there making an excellent record. A recent +letter from him briefly takes up the later history of his Spring +Valley winners in the home credit contest. He says:-- + + Evangeline J---- was one of the winners. She is doing finely + in high school, and still winning prizes at fairs. She leads + her class in domestic science in the Eugene High School. She + has eighty dollars in the bank, sixty-one dollars and fifty + cents earned from prizes. You know the home credit started her + bank account with three dollars. Golda B---- is another. She + is attending the high school at Sheridan. Her standings are + fine. She very seldom has to take examinations. She has about + seventy-five dollars in the bank. Jack S---- has finished the + eighth grade, and is going to attend high school in Eugene this + year. His bank account is thirty-seven dollars and fifty cents. + Mabel S---- has finished the grades and will go to high school + in Hopewell this year. Her bank account is thirty-eight dollars. + She has a piano her father got her, and is doing well in music. + Verda R---- attends high school in Eugene this year. The other + winners are still little ones, and are attending school in + Spring Valley. + + + + +IV + +WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE ALGEBRA? + + Present interest is the grand motive power.--ROUSSEAU. + + An objection to the introduction of new subjects is that + children are already overworked in school. There is, however, + a precaution against overwork; it is making school work + interesting to the children. To introduce new and higher + subjects into the school program is not necessarily to + increase the strain upon the child. If this measure increases + the interest and attractiveness of the work and the sense of + achievement, it will diminish weariness and the risk of hurtful + strain. + + CHARLES W. ELIOT. + + +When I was county superintendent in Yamhill County I used to talk +much of the home credit plan in local institutes. One day when I +was explaining how the plan worked, and how I had given credit in +algebra for home activities, a teacher arose in the audience and +said he was willing to go almost any length with me, but he thought +it was going too far to give credit in algebra for what was not +algebra. "Is it not dishonest?" he asked, "and will it not teach +dishonesty? Besides, if you give credit in this way for things not +algebra, _what will become of the algebra_?" This is an unsettled +problem: what _will_ become of the algebra? True, Mary got more +algebra! I put this unsettled question alongside of another. I was +arguing for the consolidation of schools in a little district near +a larger district, and had tried to show that consolidation would +be much cheaper, and would bring greater advantages, when a man +stood up and said that he agreed in general with the plan but that +it would not work in this district, "for," said he, "this district +has a cemetery deeded to it, and if the district should lose its +identity, _what would become of the cemetery_?" As these questions +are similar, I put the algebra into the cemetery. + +I believe in algebra, but in order to teach algebra I believe it is +first necessary to see to it that the child is in a constructive +frame of mind. He should be in harmony with his surroundings. When +Mary became interested in her home, she was in a mood to work +problems in advance. When her home was neglected, her algebra +problems were all in arrears. + +Even though we omitted the consideration of the health, the +morals, and the working ability of the pupils, the home credit +system would be justified as a part of the school work because +of its revitalizing effect on the regular school work. The +teacher who succeeds in touching the hidden springs of youthful +interest is doing more for humanity than the man who discovers the +much-sought-for method of bringing static electricity out of space. +A child, or a man either for that matter, is a dynamo of energy +when interested. Many people think that children in school are +overworked; in my opinion they are more often underinterested. One +little lad of about five, taking a Sunday walk with grown people, +told his father that he was very tired, that his legs fairly ached, +and that he would have to be carried or else camp right there. A +member of the party (I wish I could remember his name, for he was +a good child psychologist) said to the boy, "Why, sure, you don't +have to walk. I'll get you a horse." He cut a stick horse and a +switch. The boy mounted at a bound, whipped his steed up and down +the road, beating up the dust in circles around the crowd. By the +time he reached home he had ridden the stick horse twice as far as +the others had walked, and had not remembered that he was tired. + +My first trial of home credits convinced me that children would +do better school work because of the plan. I have letters from +many teachers through the Northwest bearing me out in my opinion. +I quote: "It stimulates to better work in school." "The teachers +notice an improvement in school work along all lines." "It has +helped to make our school, in some respects at least, as good as any +in the county, according to the county superintendent's own word. A +member of the board says the children have never made such progress +since the school was built, and all say these children have never +made so much progress before." Tardiness is reported to be much less +in home credit schools. + +A prominent Western dairyman remarked that arithmetic had always +been a hopeless subject for him. He declared that arithmetically +he was "born short." A listener inquired if he had any trouble in +keeping accounts, in figuring out the profits on each dairy cow, +or in doing other problems connected with his farm. He replied +very quickly, "No, not at all. I don't have any trouble with +anything except arithmetic." Home credits take into account the +out-of-school mathematical activities. So the boy who has measured a +cord of wood, laid out a garden plot, figured out the costs, income, +and profits of feeding a pig for a year, or solved any problem that +comes up on the farm, will be considered to have done something in +arithmetic. + +From Auburn, Washington, comes a story of the effect of giving +school credits for garage and shop work. Joe, a boy of seventeen, +who had attended high school for a year and a half, had earned only +three academic credits, and his other work was below passing. The +superintendent, Mr. Todd, called a conference with Joe's parents +and, to use his own expression, went after Joe "with hammer and +tongs." After much discussion, the superintendent finally asked the +father and mother what the boy seemed most interested in outside of +school. Exchanging a troubled glance with his wife, the father said +that as soon as Joe got out of school he rushed straight to Meade's +garage. So the superintendent went to the garage, and found that Joe +could be taken into Mr. Meade's employment for the afternoons. Again +he called Joe to his office, and said to him, "Now, see here. +You are going on with your regular subjects here in school, and in +addition you are going to do some work down in Meade's garage. Mr. +Meade is going to grade your work and send in his report to me. If +you make good there it will help out your record here. You will get +pay for your work, too. You have got it in you to make good, and I +know you will. What do you think about it?" "I think it's bully!" +exclaimed Joe. + +[Illustration: JOE IN THE GARAGE, AUBURN, WASHINGTON] + +Joe had failed in his geometry, but as soon as he took the position +at the garage his work in geometry improved. It was about Christmas +that he began working, and at the time of the report several months +later he was doing well in his mathematics. The credit he received +from the garage counted toward his marks for high-school graduation. +Mr. Meade, incidentally, was very much pleased with his part in the +transaction, and sent in his reports with religious regularity. + +Not only Joe, but some half dozen other boys in Mr. Todd's school +at Auburn are now "farmed out" in this manner, and work downtown +under regular contract. They are mostly boys who had lost interest +in school, and were at the dropping-out stage. Mr. Todd's plan is +similar to the one in use at Fitchburg, Massachusetts. + +Herbert M----, of Minnehaha, Washington, is such a busy boy at home +that he does not have time to look at a book after he leaves school. +This year, 1914, Mr. W. E. Dudley, the principal of the Minnehaha +school, began to give credit for home work and allowed the credits +obtained to be applied where most needed. The first month of school +this year Herbert's arithmetic grade was below 65 per cent; his last +month's grade in the same subject, without adding any credits, was +above 95 per cent. At first Herbert needed his extra credits applied +to his mathematics to obtain a passing grade. But for some cause his +work in arithmetic has improved wonderfully. + +If you care to get up at five o'clock and go through the day with +Herbert it may open your eyes as to what an industrious boy of +fifteen does at home. He is always up early, for before the day's +work begins he milks two cows, feeds three "skim-milk" calves and +eight head of cattle, pumps water for them, and feeds nine pigs. +He is then ready for a hearty breakfast. One morning in March, +Herbert and his father agreed that harrowing was more important +than going to school. So he worked five hours, harrowing four and a +half acres. Herbert did not lose credit at school, for his teacher +approved of his morning's work, as he knew how important it was. +He was at school before the one o'clock bell rang, had a game of +ball with the boys, and was ready for his lessons of the afternoon. +At four o'clock he hurried home, and this is what he did before he +went to bed. First, he herded six cows for over an hour, milked two +cows, fed his skim-milk calves, got in the wood, fed the chickens, +gathered the eggs, cleaned two barns, fed the eight head of cattle, +pumped water for them, fed the pigs, and turned the separator ten +minutes. + +While Herbert has had some trouble with his arithmetic he does fine +work in composition. At the children's fair at Spokane in October, +1913, he won fifteen dollars in cash for the best essay on caring +for a skim-milk calf, and a pair of scales as second prize for +an essay on how to handle a farm separator. Here are Herbert's +prizes for three years: In 1911 at the county fair at Vancouver, +Washington, he got the second award, a diploma, on his farm exhibit; +in 1912 as first prize on farm exhibit he won a trip to the fair at +Puyallup; in 1913 at the Clarke County fair he received ten dollars' +worth of garden seeds as second prize on farm exhibit, fifteen +dollars in cash for judging dairy cattle, while together with his +parents he won seventy-five dollars for the best adult farm exhibit; +and at the children's state contest, 1913, he received the first +prize, fifteen dollars, for the skim-milk calf essay. + +A boy in one of the Portland, Oregon, schools had trouble with his +spelling, getting a mark of only 4-1/2 on a scale of 10. Soon after +home credits were put into use by his teacher he came to her and +anxiously inquired if he could help out his spelling grade with a +good home record. The teacher graciously assured him that he could. +The boy brought in each week one of the very best home record slips, +and in some mysterious manner his spelling improved as his hours of +work increased. He does not need his home record to help out his +spelling grade now, for last month he received more than a passing +mark, 7-1/2 in his weak subject. The knowledge that there was help +at hand relieved his nervousness, and gave him confidence. + + + + +V + +HONORING LABOR + + She ... worketh willingly with her hands ... and eateth not the + bread of idleness. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let + her own works praise her in the gates. + + PROVERBS XXXI, 13, 27, 31. + + +We are still paying a heavy price for slave labor; for instance, the +idea that it is undignified to cook has come down through the ages +of slaveholding, and has got into some people's blood. The school by +taking into account home tasks can make them seem worth while and +thus dignify their doing. Many persons do not work because their +ideals are made at school, and their heroes are those who did not +win honor at labor, or, at least, the labor of these heroes is not +emphasized. + +In the case of Mary, the work she did at home transformed her from a +heedless girl into a sympathetic helper. She had the idea that too +many young people have, that it is more honorable to study algebra +than to wash dishes or to cook a meal. The minute that she saw +that they were considered equal she no longer held back from the +home work, and when in a constructive frame of mind she not only +did the home work but did her algebra too. There is not a normal +American boy who shrinks from a piece of work because he thinks it +is hard. On the contrary, he likes the man's job, and seeks out the +hard things and tackles them. He avoids the things he thinks are not +worth while. So it becomes a matter of the child's point of view +whether he likes his work or not. Too often it is the case that the +child never hears it suggested that there is any merit in home work +within itself. He has the idea that he goes to school to get an +education, and works at home because he has to. Many parents frankly +tell their children that they should study well at school so they +can make a living "without working." + +When we give home work its proper recognition, and the child comes +to understand that there are different degrees of efficiency and +skill in doing it, the work will take on a new color. Many are the +reports that have come in from parents in home credit districts +saying, "There is nothing left for us to do in the way of chores. +The children used to seem indifferent about the work, and did as +little as they could. Now the boys get up before we do instead of +waiting to be called, rush downstairs to make the fires, and go at +the chores, while the girls go into the kitchen and start breakfast." + +While youth is the time for play, yet children like to work too. +Since we have had the school gardens in Portland we often find +the playgrounds vacant, and the gardens near by well filled with +children at work. We often hear that children should not have +responsibilities; yet we find that the successful men of to-day are +the ones that bore burdens early. A number of successful business +men in Portland were recently talking together of their boyhood +days, and each one said that he had had to assume a great deal of +responsibility before he was twelve years old. + +The importance of "percentages," "credits," "grades," or "standings" +in the minds of school children, especially in the upper grammar +classrooms, is surprising to a stranger. Even the drawing teacher is +begged to give marks. "But there are the drawings, arranged in +the order of their merit, on the screen. They can see which are the +best!" No, they want a mark. "To raise our standings," they say. + +[Illustration: WORK CREDITED AT SCHOOL, WESTON, OREGON] + +Of course, we all feel that "marks" in school have but a temporary +purpose; that they are to furnish a motive to serve until a better +motive can be substituted. Home work may be encouraged at first by +the wish for "higher standings," or a prize, or a holiday; but many +other influences are likely to come in to keep it up. + +This is not the place to discuss the teaching without marks that +is practiced in a few modern schools. In most schools the system +of giving percentages is firmly established. The honoring of +achievement in the schools, by marks or otherwise, has always been a +great power in helping the school studies move along. But only part +of the available energy has been used. There are vast reservoirs of +power which may be put at the service of education and which as yet +have scarcely been tapped. + +I hope the giving of marks will never be the main consideration +with those who follow the home credit idea, but rather the giving of +honor. Too long have pupils' out-of-school industries been ignored +at school as though they were something to be ashamed of. Whether +we give formal credit or not, let us give honor at school for home +work. + + + + +VI + +HABIT-BUILDING + + Habit second nature? Habit is ten times nature. + + THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. + + +Habits plus ideals make character. The establishing of right habits +in youth can best be done by coöperation of parents and teachers. So +far as we take habit-building as our aim, education becomes definite +and concrete. + +At the close of his famous chapter on "Habit," William James says:-- + + Could the young but realize how soon they will become mere + walking bundles of habit, they would give more heed to their + conduct while in the plastic state. We are spinning our own + fates, good or evil, and never to be undone. Every smallest + stroke of virtue or of vice leaves its never so little scar.... + Let no youth have any anxiety about the upshot of his education, + whatever the line of it may be. If he keep faithfully busy each + hour of the working day, he may safely leave the final result + to itself. He can with perfect certainty count on waking up + some fine morning to find himself one of the competent ones + of his generation, in whatever pursuit he may have singled + out.... Young people should know this truth in advance. The + ignorance of it has probably engendered more discouragement and + faint-heartedness in youths embarking on arduous careers than + all other causes put together. + +One habit that works for success is industry. How easy it is for a +bright boy or girl to get through school without acquiring anything +like a habit of being industrious, even in learning book lessons! +If he is quick-minded, as he has only to keep up with the average +child, he needs little or no work to give him a good standing in +his class. The alert child often gains all required information by +merely listening to the other pupils. Thus we often find failures +among those bright pupils whom we expected to find successful, +because they did not learn to dig and could do only what came +easily. Most occupations demand more than an acquiring attitude of +mind. They demand vigorous exertion, and the seeing to it that the +thing is done. But how is there to be any assurance that the child +is forming habits of industry if there is not coöperation? The child +tells the parent that he has to prepare his lessons and so he gets +out of work at home; he makes the plea that he is tired out by home +tasks so that he may not be given hard work at school. So he misses +the work habit entirely. + +Politeness--a show of consideration for the rights and feelings of +others--is partly a habit. Careful watching by parent and teacher +is needed to establish this consideration as a permanent attitude +of mind. It is with much pleasure that I note that many of the +home credit cards bear the items, "Cheerfulness," "Kindness," +"Politeness," "Keeping temper," "Doing before told," "Care of +language," "Courtesy to parents," and the like. And it is with very +great pleasure that I receive letters from parents and teachers +saying that the attitude of the children in these things is becoming +a habit. + +[Illustration: ALGONA, WASHINGTON, GIRL, AGED 12, EARNING HOME +CREDITS + +Elizabeth G---- and her mother have a small blackboard in the +kitchen and here they keep a record of all the work Elizabeth does] + +Neatness and personal care are habits that mean much to any one. +Some grown people cannot help being neat. Others apparently cannot +be neat no matter how much they try. Something is always wrong. It +is a habit formed when young, perhaps before the age of twenty. In +Mr. O'Reilly's list he included sleeping with window boards in, +bathing, caring for the nails, brushing the hair, cleaning the +teeth, and going to bed by nine o'clock. Personal care has been +given a place on the Portland home credit record[2] which is now +used in some of the schools. Algona, a home credit school about +twenty miles from Seattle, uses the Portland personal care section, +including bathing, brushing teeth, sleeping with open windows, going +to bed before nine o'clock, and attending church or Sunday school. +In looking over the first home credit slips that came in, the Algona +principal found that Nettie, a girl of thirteen, had earned just 7 +per cent out of the 100 per cent given for a perfect record in the +personal division. She had earned more than the required two hundred +and ten minutes for the week in the regular work department at a +hard round of preparing meals, washing dishes, sweeping, feeding +the poultry, scrubbing, and so forth. But Nettie had slept with her +window closed, had not brushed her teeth, had not taken a bath, +nor had she been in bed at the required hour. Nettie was obviously +unhappy over the grade her card received in comparison with the +grades of her schoolmates. Before the next report day she had in +some way secured a toothbrush, that effective means of promoting +civilization, and had made sufficient improvement in her personal +care to secure 65 per cent. Her grade for the third week was 72 per +cent, and for the fourth, 93 per cent. Her fourth week's report +showed a hot bath, toothbrushing twice a day, window open every +night, and that she was in bed before nine every night but two. +What her reform will mean to the entire family it is interesting to +conjecture. + + [2] For the Portland Home Credit Record card, see p. 120 _ff._ + +"Be careful about that voice, Ella," directed a teacher. Ella arose +at her place, a thin, stooping girl of about thirteen. She read her +passage of the lesson in a voice scarcely audible to the visitor +across the room. A few minutes later the visitor was looking over +some home credit report slips. "Here is a girl who did not sleep +with her windows open," she said. The teacher took the blank, +studied it a minute, then replied, "This is the first time that +child has brought in a home credit slip. Do you recall my reminding +a little girl about her voice? That is the girl, and this card may +explain her voice quality." + +All the pupils except two in a little Washington town learned to +sleep with their windows open. Upon inquiry it was found that one +girl could not open her window, as it was made for admitting light +only, being built solidly into the wall. In the case of the other +child, the parents absolutely refused to endanger their daughter's +health by letting her breathe night air, no matter how many faddists +insisted that it was necessary! + +Some members of a church were discussing the problem of the spirit +of incipient immorality that they felt was prevalent among children +in the neighborhood. A home credit teacher showed the speakers a +number of the first report cards she had received, which disclosed +the fact that very few of the pupils under her care were ever in bed +before nine o'clock. A few months later she took occasion to display +again her pupils' home credit cards and with pride pointed out that +almost every child was going to bed early, before nine o'clock. "It +had grown to be a habit with the children to be up late," she said. +"The immorality talked of was not yet in actual existence among +the children, but through their outside evening associates was +gradually working itself in. The children had only to be reminded in +a substantial way that it was not only desirable for them physically +to retire early, but that they were to receive recognition in their +school standing for so doing, and they at once happily complied." + + + + +VII + +THAT OTHER TEACHER AND THAT TEACHER'S LABORATORY + + We are just beginning to discover that the rural school has + a fine laboratory for practical educational purposes, in the + neighborhood environment of the school. With the development of + scientific agriculture and domestic arts in many of our modern + country homes this laboratory is constantly improving. + + _Kansas State Agricultural College Bulletin, 1914._ + + +There is a general idea among teachers that parents will not +coöperate with them. This, I believe, is founded upon the assumption +that because they cannot, as a usual thing, coöperate in textbook +work they will not coöperate in other things. But both parents +and teachers want the same results accomplished. If these are to +be attained it means partnership work, the parent and that other +parent, the teacher, working together; or one might say, the +teacher, and that other teacher, the parent, working together. + +I have been surprised to find to what extent parents will coöperate +with teachers if given a chance. Mrs. Brown goes to the schoolhouse +on a bleak afternoon. She is greeted warmly by the teacher, Miss +Smith, and given an arithmetic text to follow while the class +recites. The lesson is on decimal fractions. Now, Mrs. Brown didn't +have decimal fractions during her school days, so the recitation is +quite meaningless to her. She is glad when the class is over, and +does not find time to visit school again that term. But if she is +asked to prepare a luncheon for the picnic at the close of the year, +or asked to assist in any social function at the schoolhouse, she +spends her time for the school, and is glad to do it. + +In Eugene, Oregon, several years ago I found that the women of the +city were enthusiastic in aiding the schools. Thirty-two women gave +up Monday afternoon to teaching the girls sewing, while the boys had +military drill. At a social center meeting at Hover, Washington, +the suggestion was made that it would be well if one of the mothers +would come to the school building occasionally to help the girls +with their sewing, as the eighth-grade pupils would have to take an +examination in the subject in May. So many mothers volunteered to +undertake the task that a schedule was made out whereby a sewing +period could be had every afternoon, and no mother be on duty +oftener than every two weeks. + +At Myrtle Creek, Oregon, domestic art work is carried on in this +way: the teacher gives instructions in the work that is to be done; +in cooking, for instance, recipes are given, talked over, and +written down. The girls then go home, and actually do the work, and +make a report to the teacher. They must have the signatures of their +mothers for all the work they do. This is managed with a home credit +report card. + +Mrs. E. H. Belknap, a progressive rural teacher near Jefferson, +Oregon, said in a recent letter: "We learn how a cow can be fed and +cared for, so as to produce the greatest amount of butter fat. That +is well, but we regard it of far more value for the boy to go home, +apply the knowledge learned, and produce the butter fat. He is now +worth something to the world, and able to turn his education into +dollars and cents at any time. The girl takes the book, and reads +how to make butter. She goes home, tends the milk, churns, and makes +the butter, learns how really to do the work. She has called the +attention of the entire family to the amount and quality of her +butter obtained from proper feeding and handling of the cow by the +boy." + +And yet it is said that nothing can be done in the small school in +domestic science because there is no equipment. In every home there +is ideal equipment if we mean the equipment the children are to use. +If we are preparing for life, why not use the equipment we must +use in life? Best of all, in using the home laboratory there is an +immediate purpose. None of us can get much out of an exercise when +it is done just for an exercise. There is the dinner to be cooked, +the bed to be made, the ironing to be done; somebody must do it. +And the dinner, the bed, and the ironing are to be put to the test +by some one who sees real values. There is no doubt that one of the +things schools most lack is purpose. + +It might be said that to stimulate a child to want to do things +is only half the problem. "If children do things without expert +instruction they may do them wrong, and thus get a faulty habit." +But I think more than half of the problem is solved when we create +the desire to do a thing. The greatest fault of present-day +education is that we constantly try to teach a child how to do a +thing without his desiring to do it, or even knowing the reason +for doing it. On the other hand, I once knew a country girl who +had never seen a domestic science equipment, and who lived in a +community where there was no one housekeeper especially noted; +yet with her strong desire to be a fine housekeeper she learned +something good from each neighbor, and for excellent results, and +for economy of time and material, her daily practice would put the +average domestic science teacher to disadvantage. However I am not +arguing that domestic science should not be taught at school; I +certainly believe it should. But I do claim that it is worth while, +and is absolutely necessary, first to create the desire to _do_ the +things that are to be _taught_. To do things without a purpose is +like trying to eat without an appetite. + +A pamphlet published by the Kansas State Agricultural College on +"School Credit for Home Work: The Laboratory of the Rural School," +makes these practical points:-- + + Could there possibly be a more favorable condition for teaching + Domestic Arts than in the rural school from which the girl + goes every evening to a busy home where she is needed to take + part in the actual work of housekeeping? It is here that the + girl has a chance to put into actual practice the things she + has learned at school. Here the home has the chance to realize + immediately upon the investment it is making in the education of + the girl. If sanitation, ventilation, sweeping and dusting, care + of the sick, preparation of foods, care of milk, water supply + and uses, bathing, care of health, sewing, proper clothing, + etc., are taught in our schools, and if the laboratories are + in the immediate neighborhood, and the girls and boys must go + into them to stay overnight, they should be used. Likewise, the + vegetable gardens at the homes should be made the experimental + plots for the school, after the best seeds have been selected, + best methods of preparing, fertilizing, and planting the soil, + best-known methods of cultivation and maturing the crops, have + been taught. The actual experimental work should be carried out + in the home gardens by the boys and girls. Proper records can be + kept, and the boys and girls will be anxious to get back into + school, after the out-of-doors summer experiments, to compare + reports, and renew another phase of their educational work. + + In agriculture the fields, stock, buildings, etc., about the + schoolhouse should be studied and used. These are the real + agricultural laboratory. The real problems of actual farming are + present, and the methods of work and the ways of handling the + fields and the stock are the available resources of the school + as a part of its actual laboratory. In this connection study + the dairy cows, the feeding of cattle, hogs, and horses, types + and breeds of farm horses, cattle, hogs, and sheep. In every + community there are many opportunities for type studies--such as + fields of alfalfa or wheat or corn; a dairy herd; valuable and + well-bred horses; beef cattle; hogs or sheep; a silo, or types + of farm machinery, and farm buildings. + +It is natural for a child to want to assume home responsibilities, +but there are many things that interfere unless a special effort +is made. The school itself has been a great offender in weaning +children from their homes and from natural living. This, of course, +is not strange when we consider that the school started out to make +lawyers and ministers, and not home-makers. Yet one of the great +needs of the time is to make people home-loving, and to have those +wholesome habits that come from sharing home responsibilities. +Anything is worth while that will make the child once taste the joy +of doing a useful thing well. + + + + +VIII + +STELLA AND SADIE + + Through ignorance ye did it.--Acts III, 17. + + +"Let the school go on just as it has. What business is it of the +school to meddle with the home work? Of course most children do +certain chores at home, but why confuse the work of the home with +the work of the school?" + +Have you heard this speech? I have heard it several times. Does +justice demand that we know what pupils do outside of school? Must +the teacher know home conditions in order to teach efficiently? I +have in mind a true story that answers these questions and shows +the injustice of teaching children when one knows little or nothing +of their home life. I am sure most teachers have had similar +experiences. + +In a certain schoolroom in a certain town I noticed one day two +girls in the same class sitting near each other. The contrast +between them was so great that I became interested in them, and +found out something of their history and circumstances. Stella, the +younger one, eleven years old, was a perfect picture of rosy health. +Her brown hair was beautiful and most becomingly arranged. Many +women would have been delighted to wear such furs as she put on at +the noon recess. Well dressed and well nourished, she had the look +of one much loved at school and at home, one to whom life was all +happiness. + +Stella is the only child of wealthy and doting parents. If we +should follow her home we should find a well-kept modern house, +and we should see that the mother who greets her at the door is +just such a mother as we should expect for such a girl. While the +evening meal is being prepared, her mother sits beside her at the +piano, and helps with her practice, and when the father comes in, +the three sing together until dinner is announced. After dinner +her mother helps her with her Least Common Multiple and Greatest +Common Divisor. They all discuss her composition and then her mother +asks her to read aloud, and reads to her. Promptly at nine o'clock +she goes to bed in just the kind of room a little girl loves. The +windows are opened to the proper width, the heat is turned off, she +is kissed good-night, and is told, "Mother loves you, and Father +will come in and kiss you when he comes home." + +In the morning at seven o'clock she is called by a very gentle +voice, and told it is time for Mother's angel to leave her dreams. +Her mother helps her dress, and brushes and braids her hair. "What +will Father's sweetheart have for breakfast this morning?" She will +have grape-fruit and a poached egg on toast. After some fitting +by the seamstress for a new dress to be added to her already full +wardrobe, she is thoroughly inspected and is ready for school. She +is given some flowers for the teacher, and is accompanied part way +by her mother. She is early at school, her teacher kisses her, pats +her cheeks, and Stella is ready for the lessons, the lessons her +mother helped her with the evening before. There she is, happy, +radiant! + +Now let us go home with the other girl. Sadie is thirteen, but she +looks much older notwithstanding her frail little figure. Did I say +home? Be the judge. A few years ago her father and her aunt ran away +together, leaving the mother with Sadie and two younger children. +The broken-spirited mother died after the desertion, and the father +and aunt returned, were married, and took possession of the house +and the three children. They now have a baby a year old. The family +live in a tumbledown house at the edge of the city. On entering the +house Sadie receives no greeting from her stepmother-aunt, who is +sitting by a dirty window reading. The child knows what work there +is to do, and goes at it sullenly. After the meal, at which she +scarcely has time to sit down, she has to do up the work, and then +is sent on an errand. When she returns it is nine o'clock and she is +hardly able to keep her eyes open. The Least Common Multiple and the +Greatest Common Divisor are like Greek to her. After she has tried +to study a few minutes, her stepmother disturbs her by throwing +her brother's stockings into her lap to be mended. When this task +is completed, and the potatoes are peeled for breakfast, she goes +upstairs. She tenderly draws the covers about her sleeping brother +and creeps into bed beside her little sister. Though she is very +weary, her starved soul is comforted as she cuddles and kisses her +sister before she drops to sleep. + +In the night she awakens, and thinking Harry is again uncovered she +slips over to his bed, like a little mother, and again adjusts the +bedclothes. The baby awakens at five o'clock, and Sadie is called +and told to make a fire and warm the milk. She then gets breakfast, +does the kitchen work, spreads up the beds, sews a button on her +brother's coat, braids her sister's hair, and is late at school. + +She came in a few minutes late the morning I visited her room. +The class was trying to make a record for punctuality, and had +tied another room for first place until this morning when Sadie's +lateness set them behind. The teacher was provoked and reproved +Sadie. The pupils showed their scorn in many ways and said she +was the cause of all but three of the tardy marks of the term. +The teacher knew that the principal would ask her why she did not +improve her tardy record. The pupils knew that their chances for a +half-holiday were spoiled as long as "that Sadie Johnson" was in the +room. + +This morning especially the teacher wished to make a good showing +because she wanted a place in a larger city and hoped that I would +recommend her. Arithmetic was the first thing on the program. The +principal had boasted of the work of his school in arithmetic. The +work went beautifully, for Stella led off with a perfect recitation. +The pride of the whole class was evident, the teacher was hopeful. +But wanting to see the work of all the pupils, I asked several +questions, and at last called upon Sadie. She didn't know, she stood +abashed, and showed absolute lack of understanding of the subject. +The principal was provoked. The teacher was plainly humiliated, +and said in a tone that was low, but loud enough for Sadie and +several of the children to hear, "The girl is not only lazy, but +feeble-minded." + +So it was the whole term. Sadie was tortured each school day, +condemned by the most powerful court in the world, her companions, +led by her teacher. And the reason was that the teacher was teaching +only the six-hour-a-day girl. One does not have to go to Turkey +to see examples of injustice and cruelty. But let us not be too +critical of the teacher. She is tender-hearted and sympathetic. She +weeps over the heroines in books, and has latent longings to be of +service in the world. In this case she did not know the conditions +that made Sadie stupid. If she had been interested in the children's +out-of-school work, and had had them tell her about it, she would +have known that the frail little unkempt girl was compelled to do +a woman's work at home besides trying to get her lessons. Then she +would have seen the tragedy in the child's appealing glance and +have understood her. Some people go through life without finding +an opportunity to do justice, such as was this teacher's. In +ministering to the soul-hunger of this little girl she might have +given the service that she had dreamed of giving. It would have been +the kind of service that is its own reward. + + + + +IX + +A STORY AND LETTERS FROM TEACHERS + +A STORY FROM NEBRASKA, BY MRS. SARAH J. HOAGLAND + + +One spring found me in Nebraska teaching a school of German and +Bohemian children, only two of whom spoke English. I boarded with a +German family who lived about a mile from the school. In our walks +to and from school I taught the children English. They and their +father were born in Nebraska, but at first none of them could speak +English so that I could understand it, although I understood some of +their German. + +The oldest boy--ten years old--lanky, with awkward gait, and fair, +straight-standing hair, had a dogged, sullen look. It was a "home" +look, especially when the father was around, but it left when he was +trying to tell about birds or other interesting things. His telling +me that he intended to work in town as soon as possible gave me a +peep into his heart as regarded home. It was not a happy home. The +father often drank, and at such times he was harsh and cruel. The +mother was meek and subdued. She never had known how to do good +housekeeping. She told me that when a girl in Germany, being large +and strong, she had had to work in the fields instead of learning +housework. + +The farm was run down; the house was bare and unhomelike. The +father's voice was often raised in upbraiding in "Low Dutch." He +often had the children rounded up for punishment for starting fires +or other mischief. The seven-year-old boy was more efficient, either +in the home or out, than the ten-year-old boy. I noticed that he had +a better head and intelligence. His efficiency was due to this, not +to any better training. + +The mother often cried over the brutality of the father to the +oldest boy. I determined to study the situation, and I found a +remedy. I learned that the father could do practically nothing in +arithmetic. He had attended school for his confirmation--a little +reading in German being the only apparent result. So I taught the +boy arithmetic, and after I had worked with him two hours every +night for several months, he could do addition better than his +father. It was wonderful to see the pride and dawning respect on +the father's face as the boy figured correctly the weight of many +wagon-loads of grain lately taken to the elevator. I knew then that +the unreasonable whipping would tend to stop. I seldom see a father +unreasonable with a boy he can be proud of at school. So the sky was +clear for a time. + +But when the press of spring work came on and the father found +he could not afford to employ help, he grew moody and was even +savage again. He drank, and at times I was afraid of him myself. +But I liked the mother. I knew she needed the board money for the +children, and I wanted to see the case of the boy to a finish. So +I stayed on. The lovely outdoor surroundings, too, made me want to +stay. The orchard was beautiful--the finest in the neighborhood. +The birds sang in a large maple at my window. This was a treat to a +flat-dweller. Since then I have ever loved the country. + +I often asked the mother what the father was saying to the oldest +boy. I knew as far as the boy was concerned I could help the matter +by influencing him. She said that the father was complaining that +the boy was worthless as a worker. For one thing, he had milked and +left the milk in the barnyard in order to play. The complaints kept +pouring in on the patient mother. The father was working early and +late to get abreast of the season's work. He forgot what sleep was, +and grew thin and haggard and more and more savage. + +I felt that only some distinct advance would have effect on either +father or boy. I asked if the boy could drive a horse. He couldn't. +He could not work a single piece of the machinery on the farm. That +is most unusual in Nebraska, for the light soil can be worked by +machinery which a boy can learn to run if he can also guide horses. +The father would not teach the boy--had no patience with him. So +the mother and I made our plans. She approached the father with the +question of getting a team and machine for the boy. It happened +to be a cornstalk cutter that was needed. The father consented, +provided the mother would teach the boy! She had done such work, +though she was not strong enough to do it this year. + +But I saw her that Saturday toiling in the hot sun, walking up and +down the rows, touching up the horses. The boy proved most apt. +I soon saw him going up and down alone, still under his mother's +eye, however. The boy seemed to grow two years in importance, +self-reliance, and ambition in that day's work! This training was +kept up out of school hours for some time, and the boy learned to +work other machinery, the last thing a corn-planter. + +As soon as the father realized what the boy was doing, he was a +transformed man. The knowledge that he had a helper seemed to clear +the atmosphere. Before this the boy had always kept out of the +father's way. Now he forsook the mother! It was "Papa and me" from +that time in his talk. This new attitude made it all the easier +for the wife, for it was a relief from what had been her greatest +trouble--having to stand between the two. + +The father's pride and confidence in his son kept on growing. In +many ways he was just a good-natured big giant, but he turned like +a bear on anything that annoyed him. + +I remember the first day the boy stayed out of school to work, how +it seemed to me a deciding day in his life. I rarely like to see +a child stay out of school, but that day I thought the industrial +training much more important than anything I could teach the boy in +those hours of school. He came regularly after the rush of work was +over. + + +A SCHOOL IN MONTANA: MRS. HOAGLAND'S FIRST LETTER TO THE AUTHOR + + Last September I heard your lecture on credit being given in + school for home work. I have tried it lately after working the + children up to grade. I started by getting acquainted with the + homes, finding out what the children did and what they could do + further. I made inquiries as to whether the children, in their + play, left things around for the mother to pick up and so on. + The spirit the work is done in counts, too, in credit given. The + work must be done pleasantly and cheerfully; the mother must be + asked for work; she is not to be hunting the child up to get him + to do the work. + + One little girl of eleven made bread from beginning to end, + never having tried it entirely before. She has an overworked + mother. In another home I found the two older children took + charge of a teething baby while the mother, an ex-teacher and + rather delicate, did the housework. The little girl, six years + old, could do dishes and otherwise help the mother. In another + home the boy has grown to be the pride of his father's heart by + forcing the father back into the chair, when he was weary, and + doing the chores himself. + + One boy, his father told me two weeks ago, was growing as + dependable as his brother five years older, and helped bring the + cows, herd cattle from one field to another before and after + school and on non-school days. There was much other work, light + in itself, but wonderfully helpful to his father, that was taken + charge of cheerfully. + + One child's father had a hired man. The boy did but little. + He is eight years old and large. While visiting there, I saw + his father bringing in coal. I told the boy he would find it + necessary to look up work if he cared for credit. His mother + visited school shortly after this; I was telling her of the idea + and she said she now understood why Bennie had started to clear + the table several times, and so on. We had a very happy laugh + over it. The boy hunts the eggs, gets in the wood and coal, + makes the mash for the chickens, and helps wash the dishes. + + Another child, aged thirteen, has to do much outside work, so + she feels good over getting credit for it. It is a kind of pay + that makes her days pleasanter. I believe each child richly + deserves the credit I have given. The results have been to make + the tie between the parents and myself stronger, and I am asked + to come back next year. I have seen a gladder, prouder light + in the parents' eyes concerning their children. It has helped + to make our school in some respects without a superior in the + county, according to the county superintendent's own word. A + member of the board says the children never have made such + progress since the school was built, and all say these children + never have made as much progress before. They are learning, as + far as I can teach them, the honor of labor and the beauty of + being useful, willing, and dependable. I have had a hard battle + to wage here for good, thorough work and application, but the + right has won. + + I enclose a report that shows the kinds of work the children are + in the habit of doing. + + I am the teacher who spoke to you about the new oats being + brought into the dryland country. It is now being introduced + into another part of Montana where my homestead is. You will + perhaps remember me. + + Very sincerely, + MRS. S. J. HOAGLAND. + + BENNIE McCOY ADDISON SHIRLEY + + _Aged 8_ _Aged 9_ + + Dries dishes Takes out ashes + Makes fire Gets eggs + Pulled up sunflower stalks Gets coal and kindling + Milks (some) Feeds horses oats (15 head) + Gets in coal and kindling Cleans out barn + Gathers eggs Milks cows sometimes + Brings in wood Drives cattle + Carries ashes out Harnesses up + Smashes big coal for stove Hunts eggs + Turns churn Waters horses + Feeds cats Dries dishes + Gets chicken feed Cooks (eggs, pancakes, coffee) + Feeds sitting hen Sets table + Helps catch calves Fries apples and bakes them + Gets clean hay for chicken nests Peels potatoes + Clears table Fries potatoes + Turns windmill[3] Feeds chickens + Slops hogs Carries slop to hogs + Kills flies Drives to town + Fixed his hand cart + + [3] Probably means turns the power on or off. + + JOHNNIE MAHONEY LOVILO MURRAY + _Aged 6_ _Aged 5_ + + Feeds pig Opens gate for calves + Hunts eggs Gets kindling + Waters horse Gets coal + Told where sow and her new pigs Takes care of baby + were when no one else could Closes chicken-house door + find them Carries wood + Minds baby Dries dishes + Hunts firewood Leads horses to plow + + MAY MAHONEY ALEEN MURRAY + _Aged 11_ _Aged 7_ + + Bakes bread Washes and dries dishes + Washes dishes Sweeps floor + Minds baby Does simple ironing + Gets coal and water Gets wood, water, and coal + Gathers eggs Closes chicken-house door + Makes cake Dresses baby + Gets cows Tends baby + Waters horses + Pumps water SUSIE MARCKINO + Sewed a doll petticoat _Aged 13_ + Sewed sleeves in waist for little + brother Cooks meals + Scrubs Washes dishes + Irons Scrubs + Cooks meals Irons + Peels potatoes Sews--made a waist and a baby + Takes out ashes dress + Dusts Gets coal + Sweeps Feeds chickens + Makes beds Goes for horse + Airs bedding Brings water + Milks cows Gets hay and feeds horses + Feeds calf Builds fires + Hays horses Turns churn + Builds fires Polishes stoves + Turns churn Cares for young chickens + Feeds chickens Dusts + Feeds sitting hens Salts horses + Sets and clears table + Washes range ROSIE MARCKINO + Polishes cutlery _Aged 6_ + Does light washing + Prepares vegetables Gets water + Did dishes with four-year-old sister + when all else were gone + A general little helper + + +A LETTER FROM MRS. E. H. BELKNAP, MARION COUNTY, OREGON + +I believe intensely in an education that teaches the boy or girl +not only how the book says to do a thing, but how, by actual +experience and practice, that thing is best worked out and brought +to perfection.... + +In this district we have used home credits for two years. First, +in order to make this a success, the teacher must believe in it, +and must be a worker. We have given credits for everything from +plowing to washing the baby for breakfast. As a result we have the +little girls dressing their own hair for school, the older ones +cooking breakfast, washing, ironing, etc. The boys plow, milk, clean +stables, cut wood, feed horses, do all kinds of work for credits; +_doing it, they have become interested in it, and before they knew +it a habit has been formed of doing things at the right time in the +right way_. It is truly wonderful what these children do. Some of +them walk three or four miles, and still earn hundreds of credits in +a week. Some of my girls milk as many as eight cows twice a day, and +the boys plow and harrow acres of ground. They do the work gladly, +too. + +Monday mornings we give out blanks to be filled out, signed by +parents, and returned the following Monday morning. We always go +over the cards carefully. _I call the names aloud, and the pupils +report quickly. If extra work has been accomplished I always try to +praise the effort. It is a happy hour when the reports are rendered._ + +At first we agreed that when any pupil earned six hundred or more +credits he should be entitled to a holiday. Thousands of credits +have been earned, but no one has asked for the holiday! Frequently, +when the pupil has been ill, or forced to miss a day, he has asked +that the credits be applied to blot out the absent marks, and this +has always been granted. + + + + +PART TWO + +I + +ILLUSTRATIVE HOME CREDIT PLANS + + +Upon the demonstration of the success of the home credit plan in +the Spring Valley School I began to hear of other Oregon schools +that had taken it up and were carrying it on successfully. During +the school year 1913-14, three hundred and twenty-five teachers in +Oregon and in Washington were giving school credit for home work, +while the scheme had been adopted by some schools in other States. + +For the aid of those who may contemplate its use, the outlines of +several plans that have been instituted are printed here, together +with excerpts of letters we have received, and cards made out by +pupils. These reports come from teachers who have used the scheme +successfully in various forms. The daily report plans are given +first, and the letters are arranged according to the frequency of +the report from the home to the school. + +It will be noted that some teachers use a card that is supposed to +last for a whole year, being returned to the teacher monthly as +school cards are often returned to the parent monthly; others have +cards that are marked daily, and last for only a week. Some teachers +use a contest plan of awards like Mr. O'Reilly's; others add credits +to the average obtained in school subjects; and others do both. The +first user of the parent-signed report, Mr. O'Reilly, used no cards, +but had the children write little notes with lists of their labors +every day for their parents to sign. A bulletin from the Kansas +Agricultural College suggests that pupils should furnish the reports +themselves over their own signatures.[4] The only record of failure +we have was in a school where monthly report cards were used, and +no definite scheme of duties was laid down,--merely so many minutes +of unspecified labor. I find that children are more interested when +their performance of particular duties is recorded. + + [4] See Appendix. + +I should never advise the wholesale adoption of any one plan, but I +would suggest that superintendents and teachers adapt plans to the +needs of their districts. Several schools have been reported where +an enthusiastic principal has put the plan into operation throughout +his school, regardless of the ideas of his teachers. I find that +teachers never feel inspiration in a work that they do not want +to undertake. Therefore, it would be my suggestion that under no +circumstances should a teacher be asked to use home credits unless +she herself desires it. + + +DAILY REPORTS + +The following is the method which Mr. A. I. O'Reilly originated at +the Spring Valley School, in 1911-12:-- + + +_Rules of the Contest_ + + 1. No pupil is obliged to enter the contest. + + 2. Any pupil entering is free to quit at any time, but if any + one quits without good cause, all credits he or she may have + earned will be forfeited. + + 3. Parent or guardian must send an itemized list (with signature + affixed) to the teacher each morning. This list must contain a + record of the work each child has done daily. + + 4. Each day the teacher will issue a credit voucher to the + pupil. This voucher will state the total number of minutes due + the pupil each day for home work. + + 5. At the close of the contest pupils will return vouchers to + the teacher, the six pupils who have earned the greatest amount + of time, per the vouchers, receiving awards. + + 6. Contest closes when term of school closes. + + 7. Once each month the names of the six pupils who are in the + lead will be published in the county papers. + + 8. Ten per cent credit will be added to final examination + results of all pupils (except eighth graders) who enter and + continue in the contest. + + 9. When a pupil has credits to the amount of one day earned, + by surrender of the credits, and by proper application to the + teacher, he or she may be granted a holiday, provided that not + more than one holiday may be granted to a pupil each month. + + 10. Forfeitures--dropping out of contest without cause, all + credits due; unexcused absence, all credits due; unexcused + tardiness, 25 per cent of all credits due; less than 90 per cent + in deportment for one month, 10 per cent of all credits due. + + 11. Awards--the three having the highest credits, $3 each; the + three having second highest, $2 each. Awards to be placed in a + savings bank to the credit of the pupils winning them. Funds for + awards furnished by the school district board out of the general + fund. + +_List of duties with minutes credit allowed for each_ + + + 1. Building fire in the morning 5 minutes + 2. Milking a cow 5 " + 3. Cleaning a cow 5 " + 4. Cleaning out the barn 10 " + 5. Splitting and carrying in wood (12 + hours' supply) 10 " + 6. Turning cream separator 10 " + 7. Cleaning a horse 10 " + 8. Gathering eggs 10 " + 9. Feeding chickens 5 " + 10. Feeding pigs 5 " + 11. Feeding horse 5 " + 12. Feeding cow 5 " + 13. Churning butter 10 " + 14. Making butter 10 " + 15. Blacking stove 5 " + 16. Making and baking bread 60 " + 17. Making biscuits 10 " + 18. Preparing breakfast for family 30 " + 19. Preparing supper for family 30 " + 20. Washing and wiping dishes (one meal) 15 " + 21. Sweeping floor 5 " + 22. Dusting furniture (rugs, etc., one + room) 5 " + 23. Scrubbing floor 20 " + 24. Making beds (must be made after + school), each bed 5 " + 25. Washing, ironing, and starching own + clothes that are worn at school + (each week) 120 " + 26. Bathing each week 30 " + 27. Arriving at school with clean hands, + face, teeth, and nails, and with hair + combed 10 " + 28. Practicing music lesson + (for 30 minutes) 10 " + 29. Retiring on or before 9 o'clock 5 " + 30. Bathing and dressing baby 10 " + 31. Sleeping with window boards in bedroom + (each night) 5 " + 32. Other work not listed, reasonable + credit + +While it is sometimes more convenient to have printed record slips, +it is not necessary. Mr. O'Reilly carried on the grading by having +each child write out his home credit work on ordinary tablet paper. +The great majority of home credit schools have used the plan in 1914 +without any printing whatever. It affords the children practice in +written expression. + +I give here two sample slips brought in by Mr. O'Reilly's pupils in +the first home credit contest in the United States. + + _Tora Mortensen_ + + Jan. 31, 1912. + + Prepared supper 30 + Washed and wiped supper dishes 15 + Made 3 beds 15 + Swept 1 floor 5 + Washed teeth 10 + Was in bed at 9 o'clock 5 + ------------ + Total 1 hr. 20 min. + + (Signed) _Mrs. Emma Savage._ + + _La Vern Holdredge_ + + April 16, 1912. + + Fed chickens 5 minutes + Gathered eggs 15 " + Split kindling 10 " + Carried in wood 15 " + Swept four floors 20 " + Fed one horse 5 " + Dried dishes 15 " + In bed before nine 5 " + + April 17, 1912. + + Washed teeth. 10 minutes + Swept three floors 15 " + Put up lunch 10 " + ------------ + Total 125 minutes + + (Signed) MRS. HOLDREDGE. + +Superintendent A. R. Mack, of Holton, Kansas, has issued the +following plan for daily reports and the issue of credit vouchers +monthly, in bulletin form. Notice that the pupil who is paid in +money, or in any other way, for home work receives no credit. This +card gives a very desirable emphasis to manners and personal care:-- + +_Rules_ + +1. No pupil is obliged to enter contest. + +2. Any pupil entering is free to quit at any time, but if any one +quits without good cause, all credits he or she may have earned +will be forfeited. + +3. Parent or guardian must send daily to the teacher an itemized +list with signature attached; this list must contain the record of +the work each child has done daily. + +4. At the end of each week the teacher may read the number of +credits due the pupil for that week. At the end of each month the +teacher shall issue a credit voucher to the pupil giving the total +number of credits due to the pupil up to date, for home work. + +5. The pupil in each grade making the highest number of credits each +month will receive an added credit of 10 per cent of all credits due. + +6. The school shall be divided into two divisions. The boy and the +girl in each division in each building receiving the highest number +of credits at the end of each half-year shall be awarded a suitable +medal. + +7. The boy and the girl in each division in each building receiving +the second highest number of credits shall at their own option be +awarded a medal or an additional 10 per cent of credits already due. + +8. Ten per cent credit will be added to final examination results of +all pupils who enter this contest before November 1, and continue in +it until the end of the year. Those entering school after November 1 +must enter contest before January 1, in order to receive examination +credit. + +9. Pupils entering the contest before November 1 or January 1 will +be given credit not only on final examination grades, but on +monthly examination grades. + +10. In case a pupil enters the contest after November 1 or January +1, credits for home work will apply on monthly examination grades +only. + +The following schedule has been adopted: + +Grades of 95 to 100, additional credit of half the amount between +the grade and 100. + +Grades of 90 to 95, a credit of 3 is given. + +Grades of 85 to 90, a credit of 2 is given. + +Grades of 80 to 85, a credit of 1 is given. + +Below 80, no credit. + +11. Any pupil in the first three grades earning 600 credits during a +given month may have a quarter holiday. Pupils in the fourth grade +must make 700 credits; pupils in the fifth grade must make 800 +credits; pupils in the sixth grade must make 900 credits; pupils in +the seventh and eighth grades must make 1000 credits for a quarter +holiday. + +All holidays are at the discretion of the teacher; _provided_, that +the pupil may not have more than one quarter holiday in any 20 days, +and _provided_, that the teacher thinks that it will not interfere +with school work. + +In case deportment is below 90 per cent, the holiday will be refused. + +12. Forfeitures-- + +(_a_) Dropping out of contest without cause forfeits all credits due. + +(_b_) Unexcused absence forfeits all credits due. + +(_c_) Tardiness forfeits 25 per cent of all credits due. + +(_d_) Less than 90 per cent in deportment in one month forfeits 10 +per cent of all credits due. + +(_e_) Loss of temper forfeits 5 credits. + +(_f_) Bad table manners forfeit 5 credits. + +(_g_) Impoliteness to elders forfeits 5 credits. + +(_h_) Bad language at home forfeits 5 credits. + +(_i_) Discourtesy to parents forfeits 10 credits. + +(_j_) Unnecessarily soiling clothes forfeits 5 credits. + +(_k_) Unnecessarily tearing clothes forfeits 5 credits. + +(_l_) Report cards kept home 3 days forfeits 5 per cent credits and +an additional 5 credits for each succeeding day. + +(_m_) Forgetting books forfeits 5 credits per book. + +13. Once each month the names of the six pupils who are in the lead +will be published in the Holton papers. + +14. A pupil who receives compensation for work done, whether he is +paid in money or in any other way, shall receive no school credit +for such work. + + _Credit Slip for Primary to Third Grades, inclusive_ + + Credits. + + 1. Carrying in cobs or kindling 5 + + 2. Carrying in night wood for kitchen stove 10 + + 3. Feeding and watering chickens 5 + + 4. Dusting one room 5 + + 5. Making one bed 5 + + 6. Wiping dishes 5 + + 7. Washing dishes 10 + + 8. Setting table 5 + + 9. Cleaning teeth 5 + + 10. Combing hair 5 + + 11. Properly preparing for school (washing face, + ears, neck, hands; cleaning teeth and finger + nails) 20 + + 12. Dressing without help, buttoning shoes, etc 5 + + 13. Going to bed at or before 9 P.M. 5 + + 14. Sleeping with window open each night 5 + + 15. Dressing younger child and washing its face 5 + + 16. Caring for younger children half-hour 15 + + 17. Proper use of handkerchief one day 5 + + 18. Cleaning mud or snow from feet 5 + + 19. Practicing music lesson 30 minutes 15 + + 20. Cleaning snow from porch 5 + + 21. Cleaning snow from walks inside yard, each + walk 5 + + 22. Scrubbing porch 5 + + 23. Mending stockings, per pair 5 + + 24. Filling the water bucket 5 + + 25. Returning report card on first day 10 + + 26. Returning report card on second day 5 + + 27. Polishing the shoes 10 + + 28. Getting home before 4.30 and remaining home + 30 minutes 15 + + Other work not listed, reasonable credit. + +_Credit Slip for Fourth to Eighth Grades, inclusive_ + + Credits. + + 1. Building a fire in morning 5 + + 2. Milking a cow 5 + + 3. Cleaning out a barn 10 + + 4. Splitting and carrying in wood, 12 hours' supply 15 + + 5. Bringing in kindling 5 + + 6. Bringing in coal, per bucket 5 + + 7. Filling water bucket 5 + + 8. Cleaning a horse 10 + + 9. Feeding and watering chickens 5 + + 10. Feeding pigs 5 + + 11. Feeding horse 5 + + 12. Feeding cow 5 + + 13. Blacking stove 5 + + 14. Making and baking bread 60 + + 15. Making biscuits 10 + + 16. Preparing breakfast for family 30 + + 17. Preparing supper for family 30 + + 18. Washing and wiping dishes, one meal 15 + + 19. Sweeping one room 5 + + 20. Dusting one room 5 + + 21. Making one bed 5 + + 22. Scrubbing one floor 20 + + 23. Making a cake 20 + + 24. Practicing music lesson half-hour 15 + + 25. Tending flowers in window 10 + + 26. Working in garden half-hour 15 + + 27. Cleaning snow from sidewalk 25 + + 28. Mending stockings, per pair 5 + + 29. Washing, starching and ironing own school + clothes each week 60 + + 30. Bathing (each bath) 30 + + 31. Cleaning teeth 5 + + 32. Combing hair 5 + + 33. Properly preparing for school (washing face, + ears, neck, hands; cleaning teeth and finger + nails) 20 + + 34. Retiring at or before 9 P.M 5 + + 35. Getting up at or before 7 A.M 5 + + 36. Bathing and dressing baby 10 + + 37. Sleeping with window open each night 5 + + 38. Dressing younger child, washing its face, etc. 5 + + 39. Caring for younger child, each half-hour 15 + + 40. Home study, each half-hour 10 + + 41. Making pies, 10 credits for the first and 5 + credits for each additional pie. + + 42. Ironing one hour 30 + + 43. Running washing machine one hour 30 + + 44. Bringing cow from pasture, 2 or 3 blocks 5 + + 45. Bringing cow from pasture, 8 or 9 blocks 15 + + 46. Errands down town 10 + + 47. Carrying clothes 10 + + 48. Helping prepare the meal 10 + + 49. Pumping a tank of water 60 + + 50. Harrowing 2 hours 60 + + 51. Carrying dinner 10 + + 52. Churning 20 + + 53. Dressing a chicken 25 + + 54. Returning report cards on first day 10 + + 55. Returning report cards on second day 5 + + 56. Polishing the shoes 10 + + 57. Getting home before 4.30 and remaining home + 30 minutes 15 + + Other work not listed, reasonable credit. + + +_General Rule_ + + For unlisted work credit will be given. One credit will be given + for every two minutes' work. + +Mr. N. V. Rowe, the teacher at St. John, Whitman County, Washington, +describes a novel plan:-- + + At first I used a credit card arranged after the order of a + meal ticket. The plan was to have the card hold credits enough + for one school day of 360 minutes, arranged by 5's, 10's, 15's, + 20's, 25's, and 30's. The idea is all right were it amplified + so as to include a school week. The teacher has a punch, and + punches or cancels credits as presented. I found this took + too many cards for each pupil. Some brought in as high as + 360 minutes in credits each day, and even more than that in + some cases. At present I am using a plan similar to a grocer's + manifolding or duplicating book where totals are forwarded each + day. This saves time and in some ways is better than the ticket + plan. + + The results have certainly justified the effort here. (1) It + lessens tardiness; (2) it enlists the attention of parents + quicker than anything else; (3) it stimulates to better work + in school; (4) it creates a wholesome rivalry. I have heard + the following objections to it: It requires too much time of + a teacher already very busy; and pupils get a holiday when + they ought to be at their studies. These objections are weak. + The plan certainly has a sound pedagogic principle for its + foundation. + + The children get but one holiday a month. In case a pupil is ill + or necessarily absent for a day, it is very convenient to allow + that as a holiday. This helps the attendance record wonderfully, + and is perfectly legitimate, so far as I can see. We have been + doing that way all the present year. Bear in mind, we allow such + as a holiday only when one has not been allowed already for + that particular month. In the register I mark the initial "H" + wherever a holiday is granted, and in this way I keep tab. + +At Burnt Ridge, near Alpha, Washington, in Mrs. Venona E. Toman's +school, a postal-card photograph is given as a little reward of +merit for each 1000 credits earned. Five credits are taken off +for coming to school with neck and ears not clean. One hundred and +twenty credits are given to the child who washes, starches, and +irons her school clothes for the week. Practicing music and studying +lessons get ten credits for half an hour; but hard work, like sawing +wood and making a garden, gets one credit for each two minutes. + + * * * * * + +The following is an excerpt from a letter from the Burnt Ridge +teacher:-- + + I have the children keep their own records, telling them that I + want them to learn to do their own business. Then their mothers + look over and sign their reports. Without one exception the + parents are pleased with the plan. The mothers tell me that the + children hurry to get all done they possibly can before school + time, as they want their credits to increase. One mother said + there was more trouble now between her two girls because neither + one _wanted help_ than there was before _when they wanted help_. + I require that the work be done cheerfully. One mother said she + believed her daughters sang about their work many times when + they did not feel a bit like it. I notice myself, and others + tell me that it is making a difference in the homes. I think + this one of the best features that has been added to the school + work. It teaches independence, thoughtfulness, and thrift. + + +MORNING AND EVENING RECORD, WEEKLY REPORT + +Marion County, Oregon, uses a card issued by Superintendent W. M. +Smith, which provides for a record of daily morning and evening home +tasks, and a weekly report. + +This county forms an object lesson in the correct presentation of +a subject of this kind. Superintendent Smith first picked out a +teacher that he knew had initiative and was able to carry her people +with her. He explained the matter to her in detail and kept in close +touch with her work. Her success was so pronounced that he thought +that it was not necessary to make much effort to extend the plan +into the surrounding districts; he knew it would spread of itself. +And it did; like a prairie fire, he found it leaping over districts +and catching in others, until now it is widely used in the county. +The card is the result of much experience and a few conferences with +some of Mr. Smith's best people. + +Notice that honesty of record is emphasized; also observe the +details of dairy work and the care of horses:-- + +[Illustration: + + _Home Credit Blank + + School............Dis't No................Teacher.............. + + Name Age Grade + + Object: To secure the cooperation of the Home and the School_ + + + ...Day of|Credits| Monday | Tuesday |Wednesday|Thursday | Friday |Total + ... 191..|for | | | | | | + |each. |a.m. p.m.|a.m. p.m.|a.m. p.m.|a.m. p.m.|a.m. p.m.| + +-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 1. Bath | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 2. Teeth | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | + cleaned | | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 3. No. | | | | | | | | | | | | + loaves | 15 | | | | | | | | | | | + of bread | | | | | | | | | | | | + baked | | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 4. No. of| | | | | | | | | | | | + cakes | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | + baked | | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 5. No. of| | | | | | | | | | | | + meals | 15 | | | | | | | | | | | + prepared | | | | | | | | | | | | + (alone) | | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 6. Wiped | | | | | | | | | | | | + dishes | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | + (all for | | | | | | | | | | | | + one meal)| | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 7. Washed| | | | | | | | | | | | + dishes | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | + (all for | | | | | | | | | | | | + one meal)| | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 8. Set | | | | | | | | | | | | + the table| 2 | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 9. | | | | | | | | | | | | + Gathered | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | + up dishes| | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 10. | | | | | | | | | | | | + Churning | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | + butter | | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 11. | | | | | | | | | | | | + Making | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | + butter | | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 12. No. | | | | | | | | | | | | + of rooms | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | + swept | | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 13. No. | | | | | | | | | | | | + of rooms | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | + dusted | | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 14. No. | | | | | | | | | | | | + of beds | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | + made | | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 15. | | | | | | | | | | | | + Blacking | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | + stove | | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 16. | | | | | | | | | | | | + Gathering| 2 | | | | | | | | | | | + the eggs | | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 17. | | | | | | | | | | | | + Carried | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | + in the | | | | | | | | | | | | + wood | | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 18. No. | | | | | | | | | | | | + of fires | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | + built | | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 19. Split| 3 | | | | | | | | | | | + the wood | | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 20. Fed | | | | | | | | | | | | + the | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | + chickens | | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 21. Fed | | | | | | | | | | | | + the pigs | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 22. No. | | | | | | | | | | | | + of horses| 1 | | | | | | | | | | | + fed grain| | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 23. No. | | | | | | | | | | | | + horses | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | + hayed | | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 24. No. | | | | | | | | | | | | + horses | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | + watered | | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 25. No. | | | | | | | | | | | | + horses | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | + bedded | | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 26. No. | | | | | | | | | | | | + cows | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | + milked | | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 27. No. | | | | | | | | | | | | + cows | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | + bedded | | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 28. No. | | | | | | | | | | | | + cow | | | | | | | | | | | | + stalls | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | + cleaned | | | | | | | | | | | | + |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + 29. No. | | | | | | | | | | | | + of horse | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | + stalls | | | | | | | | | | | | + cleaned | | | | | | | | | | | | + +-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----- + TOTAL + + Reasonable credit may be given for other work. When the answer is + Yes or No as in 8 and 9, etc., write 1 for yes and leave + blank for no. + + PARENT:--As one who insists upon absolute honesty being taught, my signature + below certifies that to the best of my knowledge this report is correct. + + .................PARENT. +] + + * * * * * + +Oscar. L. Dunlap, principal of the school at Salem Heights, Marion +County, gives the following explanation of the way home credits were +recognized in his school the first year:-- + + The first month we gave cash prizes; then this was abandoned and + we allowed 20 per cent to be added to each of any two subjects, + and 10 per cent to any one subject in the monthly tests. We give + twelve questions (answer any ten) and those having 20 per cent + allowance need answer only eight questions, and so on. In my + room the pupils work harder to earn the 20 per cent allowance + than they did to earn the cash prizes; for in this way every + one receives a prize. Some think this is a wrong way to give + rewards. I was myself in doubt at first; but my pupils have + actually worked harder during the past two months than during + the six months before we adopted this plan. + + +DAILY RECORDS, WEEKLY REPORTS + +In Spokane County, Washington, one hundred and thirteen teachers +have used home credits during the school year of 1913-14. +Superintendent E. G. McFarland became interested in the work that +one of his rural teachers started on home credits at the opening +of the schools in the fall of 1913. Mr. McFarland obtained what +information he could on the subject, and then worked out a plan. +This made provision for a daily record for five days, and a weekly +report. At his institute he presented the project to his teachers, +and in January some eighty-one began the work. Others soon followed. + +[Illustration: O. H. BENSON POTATO CLUB, MORAN, SPOKANE COUNTY, +WASHINGTON + +The members are receiving school credits for club work carried out +regularly. The president is "talking potatoes" to the members of the +club] + +The Spokane Chamber of Commerce sent out a story of Spokane County's +home credits to eight hundred and fifty of its correspondents in the +United States and Canada. For a while the superintendent's office +was flooded with letters of inquiry relative to the plan. This shows +the great interest taken everywhere in any movement calculated to +better the child's school and home relationship. + +At a parent-teachers' meeting in Spokane a committee was appointed +to assist the principal of one of the schools in keeping the +children off the streets. At that time it was arranged that credit +at school should be given to all children off the streets after six +o'clock, and to those who did not go to evening parties. + +Below is the Spokane County plan. + +_Bulletin for Teachers: Home Credits_ + +The following are the rules and reward offered for home work. This +work is to be done during the school week. No one is compelled to +enter this contest and the pupil may drop out at any time. + +All work must be voluntary on the part of the pupil. Parents +are requested not to sign papers for pupils if the work is not +voluntarily and cheerfully done. + +The rewards for this work are:-- + +One half-holiday each month to the child who has earned one hundred +or more home credits, and has not been absent or tardy for the +month; also + +5 per cent will be added to his final examination. The pupil who +earns one hundred or more credits each month but fails in perfect +attendance will have the 5 per cent added to his final examination. + +In addition, the board of directors may offer a prize to the pupil +in each grade who shall have the greatest amount of home credits, +and shall be neither absent nor tardy during the term, or from the +adoption of these rules. + + +_List of Home Credits_ + + Personal cleanliness 2 Retiring before 9 o'clock 1 + Cleaning teeth 1 Feeding and watering chickens 1 + Cleaning finger nails 1 Feeding and watering horses 1 + Practicing music lesson 2 Feeding and watering cows 1 + Dressing baby 1 Feeding and watering hogs 1 + Washing dishes 1 Gathering eggs 1 + Sweeping floor 1 Cleaning chicken house 1 + Making bed 1 Going for mail 1 + Preparing meal 2 Picking apples 2 + Making a cake 1 Picking potatoes 2 + Making biscuits 1 Bringing in wood for to-day 1 + Churning 2 Splitting wood for to-day 1 + Scrubbing floor 2 Bringing in water for to-day 1 + Dusting 1 Grooming horse 1 + Blacking stove 1 Milking cow 1 + Darning stockings 1 Working in field 2 + Delivering papers 2 Going for milk 1 + + E. G. MCFARLAND, + _County Superintendent of Schools._ + +The following statement is made by Superintendent McFarland as to +the effect home credits had on attendance in 1913-14:-- + + We attribute the increase in our attendance this year in the + schools of Spokane County, outside the city of Spokane, largely + to the Home Credit System and our certificates for perfect + attendance. While the enrollment was 108 less than last year, + yet our attendance was 16,712 days more. At the present rate of + 16 cents per day, the pupils earned for the county, from the + State appropriation, nearly $2700 more than last year. With the + same enrollment as last year the increase of apportionment would + have reached approximately $6000. + +The credit slip for the school week provides for a daily record of +"chores or work done" from Monday to Friday inclusive. It does not +contain a stated list of duties; the blanks are to be filled in by +the child. The list of home credits is furnished each district, +but the teacher uses her judgment in allowing credit for any +chore peculiar to her locality. On page 92 is given one of these +blanks with the work itemized. Note the evidence of cooperation +between Jessie and her mother. On the mornings when Jessie gets the +breakfast her mother dresses the baby, and _vice versa_. + +[Illustration: + + _Home Credit Work_ + + _Dist. No......._ + + _Name, Jessie Jones._ _Age 12. Grade 6th._ + + Chores or work done | Mon. | Tues. | Wed. | Thur. | Fri. + -----------------------+------+-------+------+-------+------ + Washing dishes | 1 | 1 | 1 | ... | ... + Sweeping floor | ... | ... | 1 | 1 | 1 + Making cake | 1 | ... | ... | ... | ... + Making bed | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 + Cleaning teeth | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 + Dressing baby | ... | 1 | ... | 1 | 1 + Getting breakfast | 1 | ... | 1 | ... | ... + Music lessons | ... | ... | 2 | ... | ... + Making biscuit | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1 + | | | | | + Total for week | 5 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 5 + -----------------------+------+-------+------+-------+------ + + + (Signed) MRS. MARY A. JONES, + + _Parent's Signature_. +] + + * * * * * + +Here is a letter from a little girl who earns home credits in a +grown-up way:-- + + CHENEY, WASHINGTON. + April 27, 1914. + +DEAR MRS. THOMASON: + +I am nine years old, and in the fourth grade. I think I will pass +into the fifth grade. I like to go to school. My teacher is Miss +Grier. I like her. We get Home Credits in our school. + +I haven't any pets, but I have a little sister and a little brother. +They are twins, and were born on my birthday, June 11. Their names +are Ruth and Millard. They are awfully sweet and good, and I like +them a good deal better than pets. I get credit at school for taking +care of them. + + Your little friend, + CLARA LOUISE PETERSON. + + Report of Clara Louise for week ending + May 1, 1914:-- + +[Illustration: + +_Home Credit Work_ + +_Dist. No. 18_. + +_Name, Clara Louise Peterson. Age 9. Grade 4th_. + + -------------------------------------------------------------------- + Chores or work done | Mon. | Tues.| Wed. | Thur.| Fri. + ---------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------ + Personal cleanliness | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 + | | | | | + Cleaning teeth | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 + | | | | | + Wiping dishes | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 + | | | | | + Caring for baby | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 + | | | | | + Carrying Water | .... | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 + | | | | | + Sweeping floor | .... | 2 | 3 | 1 | .... + | | | | | + Gathering eggs | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 + | | | | | + Going for mail | 1 | .... | .... | .... | .... + | | | | | + Making beds | .... | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 + | | | | | + Churning | .... | 1 | .... | 1 | .... + | | | | | + Setting table | .... | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 + | | | | | + Retiring before nine o'clock | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 + +------+------+------+------+------ + Total for week | 8 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 + | | | | | + ---------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------ + + (Signed) MRS. J. C. PETERSON, + _Parent's Signature_. +] + + * * * * * + +Superintendent McFarland has received many letters of appreciation +from teachers and parents in his county. One teacher writes:-- + + The system helps, in bringing the school and home closer + together by letting the parents see that we count the practical + duties of the house and of the farm of actual value in the + training of the child. + + One father is encouraging his three boys to earn more than the + required home credits by paying them a small sum of money for + each additional five credits. + +Another writes:-- + + The teachers have noted many cases of much improved personal + cleanliness, which in itself has been a welcome reward. Then, + you know, improved morals go hand in hand with clean bodies. We + are taking into account the fact that cleanliness on the part of + one child usually forces another to clean up on account of the + inevitable contrast. + +A parent writes:-- + + The home credit system is to my mind one of the most practical + features that has been introduced into the public-school + curriculum for some time. It teaches the children self-reliance, + and encourages them to take the initiative when heretofore they + have been indifferent or careless. Its practical help to the + parents is inestimable, as children in pursuit of "credits" + take innumerable burdens from the parents' shoulders. + +This from another parent:-- + + Regarding the home credit system of the public school, my + sentiment as the parent of two boys attending school is that + it is working fine. It makes my boys ambitious to earn as many + credits as possible, and this system as laid out leads them to + take interest in the practical duties of their home, thereby + saving parents many a step, and training the boys for useful + work. The home credit system also stimulates punctuality in + attending school as well as personal neatness, and regular + habits in going to bed at the right time. _It seems to me that + this credit system to a great extent completes the purpose of + the public school._ + +One teacher in Spokane County has solved the problem of the rural +janitor with home credits. Like thousands of other girls teaching +in country schools, she had difficulty in keeping the schoolhouse +clean. Beginning in January she offered school credit for outside +work, and she included in her list the care of the schoolhouse. She +reports that the room is kept perfectly now. The floors are swept, +the woodwork dusted, the blackboards and erasers cleaned, water and +wood supplied. This same teacher, Miss Lizzie K. Merritt, says:-- + + It is not pleasant to work without appreciation. We all know + that we make a short job of the unappreciated piece of work. We + cannot expect a child to stay with a thing as long as an older + person unless he sees a definite reward. I have found that home + credits teach observation, accuracy, and punctuality. + +The following is an excerpt from a circular sent out by Mr. Harry F. +Heath, principal of the school at Eveline, Lewis County, Washington, +at the beginning of a home credit contest, stating his plan. This +makes provision for a daily record for six days, a weekly report, +and a voucher:-- + + _Eveline Public School_ + + EVELINE, WASH., January 5, 1914. + + DEAR PATRON:-- + + Sometimes, in the rush of classes, we of the school forget + about the home life of the scholar. And many times you of the + home know but little of what is going on at school. In order to + connect more closely for the pupil the influences of both home + and school, I am planning this contest in home work for the next + four months. + + In order that the contest may be successful, we ask the sympathy + and aid of each parent. The parent is the judge of the amount of + work done by the pupil, and upon the parent we depend for the + accuracy of the reports. Have the pupil prepare his or her own + list of duties performed, ready for your signature, and make + it your duty to see that the lists are accurate at all times, + neither more nor less than the actual amount performed. All + lists should be dated, and none will be accepted unless signed + by you. + + The prizes will not be expensive, and will be given only as + tokens of award. The real awards will be realized during the + course of the contest as set forth by the rules. + +Then follows the list of credits and the rules. + +A letter from Mr. Heath dated April 21, 1914, tells the way in which +he carried on the work this year. Mr. Heath says:-- + + In answer to your request for information about our home credits + contest, I am sending some of the circulars which I used at the + beginning, and also some vouchers made by the pupils which I + use to give out weekly credits. I am also sending some sample + slips of credits brought in by some of the pupils. These slips + show credits for an entire week, which has proved to be the + most satisfactory way to have the slips kept. A notebook kept + by me of the weekly and monthly totals, as well as the holidays + granted and forfeitures assessed, is all of the record that our + system has required. + + Two progressive business men of Chehalis are furnishing + inexpensive prizes in the form of books to go to the seven + leaders in the contest at its close. Four of the prizes will + probably go to boys, but by the rules at least three are to go + to girls. I find in this community that the boys have much more + opportunity to earn credits than the girls. Hence the rule. + + The contest has run for four months and is closing this week. + It has been very well received in the community, a number of + suggestions having come in from parents in the way of additional + credits. One was a request that credits be given for daily + reading of the Bible, and the change was made. In my room, which + is the highest in our two-room school, practically all of the + scholars started, and of the thirty-four at that time in the + contest about twenty-five are still enrolled, and the percentage + would be larger if some of the beginners had not moved away. + + The contest was tried for a while in the lower grades but was + not successful there. We limited the points that might be added + to the general average to six in any one month, and most of the + live contestants got their six every month. + + I got my ideas of the contest directly from Mr. Alderman's + article, which I found in some paper. It has been on the whole + very successful, and worth while. When I try this sort of work + again, it will be on the plan of regular credits, not in contest + form. I believe the Spokane County plan as used this spring is + one that would prove very satisfactory. + +The Eveline "voucher" plan gives the pupil something to watch for. +The first paragraph of Mr. Heath's letter explains the use of these +vouchers. Below are sample vouchers, and copies of slips made out +by the pupils. The pupils rule the columns, and write out their +own records, according to a published list which shows the value +in minutes of each task. This work is good practice for the pupil +in ruling lines and making neat cards, and it saves the cost of +printing cards. + +The vouchers, which are taken home, enable each pupil to have at +home, as well as at school, a record of the total amount of his work. + +[Illustration: two hand-drawn vouchers] + + * * * * * + +[Illustration: + + _Home Credits_ + + _Alberta Lemon_ _March 30-April 4_. + + -------------------------------------------------------------------------- + | Mon. | Tues. | Wed. | Thur. | Fri. | Sat. + ---------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+------ + Slept with window open | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 + | | | | | | + Cleaned teeth | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 + | | | | | | + Swept floors | 15 | ... | 10 | 5 | 5 | 25 + | | | | | | + Wiped dishes | 5 | 5 | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | + Washed separator | ... | 15 | 15 | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | + Made beds | 10 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 5 + | | | | | | + Dusted rooms | 10 | ... | 10 | 5 | ... | 25 + | | | | | | + Got supper | 30 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | + Wiped milk pails | 5 | 5 | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | + Peeled apples | 30 | ... | ... | 30 | ... | ... + | | | | | | + Made lunches | ... | ... | 20 | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | + Washed milk pails | ... | ... | 10 | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | + Washed dishes | ... | ... | 5 | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | + Retired at 9 | ... | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | ... + | | | | | | + Mended garments | ... | 20 | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | + Studied | 10 | 30 | ... | 10 | ... | 20 + | | | | | | + Ironed garments | ... | ... | 50 | ... | 215 | 75 + | | | | | | + Helped with meal | ... | 10 | 10 | 10 | ... | ... + | | | | | | + Went errands | 5 | ... | 5 | 10 | ... | 5 + | | | | | | + Scrubbed | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 40 + | | | | | | + Took bath | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 80 + | ----- | ----- | ----- | ----- | ----- | ----- + | 135 | 110 | 165 | 100 | 245 | 290 + | 110 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | 165 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | 100 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | 245 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | 290 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | --- | | | | | + |1045 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + ---------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+------ + + MRS. A. C. LEMON. +] + + * * * * * + +[Illustration: _Home Credits_ + + _Rosa C._ + + ---------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 + ---------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + Made fires | ... | ... | 5 | 5 | 10 | ... + | | | | | | + Preparing meals | 60 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 60 | 60 + | | | | | | + Set table | 10 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 10 + | | | | | | + Washed dishes | 5 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 + | | | | | | + Wiped dishes | 5 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 + | | | | | | + Washed milk pails | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 + | | | | | | + Carried in water | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 20 + | | | | | | + Turning separator | 10 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 + | | | | | | + Washing separator | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 30 + | | | | | | + Fed pets | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 + | | | | | | + Ironing clothes | ... | 35 | ... | 100 | ... | 400 + | | | | | | + Making beds | 15 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 + | | | | | | + Cleaned my teeth | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 + | | | | | | + Slept with window open | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 + | | | | | | + Retired before nine | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 + | | | | | | + Washed baby | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | ... | 5 + | | | | | | + Dressed baby | 5 | ... | 5 | ... | 5 | 5 + | | | | | | + Sweeping floors | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 30 + +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + Total | 185 | 195 | 165 | 270 | 215 | 655 + ---------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + Total ... 1685 + CHAS. F. CONRADI. +] + +The Cowlitz County, Washington, plan is a daily record for seven +days and a weekly report. The rules governing the work are printed +on the back of the credit card:-- + +[Illustration: + + _Work of Home Record_ + + _Lavita Fowler_ [_age 12_]. + + _For week ending March 13, 1914._ + + ----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------- + | Sun.| Mon |Tues.| Wed.|Thur.| Fri.| Sat.| + +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ + | Min.| Min.| Min | Min.| Min.| Min.| Min.| Total + ----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------- + 1. Work in garden | ... | ... | ... | 30 | ... | 60 | ... | 90 + | | | | | | | | + 2. Splitting and | | | | | | | | + carrying in | | | | | | | | + wood | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 3. Milking | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 4. Care of horses | | | | | | | | + or cows | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 5. Cleaning barn | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 6. Care of poultry | | | | | | | | + or pigs | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 7. Turning separator | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 8. Churning | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 9. Sweeping or | | | | | | | | + or dusting | 25 | ... | 20 | 30 | 10 | ... | 20 | 105 + | | | | | | | | + 10. Washing or | | | | | | | | + ironing | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 11. Preparing meals | ... | 30 | 60 | ... | ... | ... | 40 | 130 + | | | | | | | | + 12. Washing dishes | 60 | 55 | 45 | 20 | 30 | 45 | 90 | 345 + | | | | | | | | + 13. Bedroom work | ... | ... | 30 | 20 | ... | ... | ... | 50 + | | | | | | | | + 14. Sewing | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 15. Caring for little | | | | | | | | + children | 30 | 90 | 60 | ... | ... | ... | 60 | 240 + + 16. Building fires | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 17. Bathing | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 10 | 10 + | | | | | | | | + 18. Brushing teeth | 5 | ... | ... | 5 | ... | ... | 6 | 16 + | | | | | | | | + 19. Sleeping with | | | | | | | | + open window | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 70 + | | | | | | | | + 20. To bed by 9 | | | | | | | | + o'clock | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 70 + | | | | | | | | + 21. Attending Church | | | | | | | | + or Sunday School | 10 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 10 + | | | | | | | | + Getting sister ready | | | | | | | | + for school | ... | 15 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 20 | ... | 75 + | | | | | | | | + Washing floors | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 40 | 40 + | | | | | | | | + | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 160 + +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + Total | 35 | 35 | 30 | 40 | 35 | 40 | 76 | 451 + ----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + + + I certify that the above is a correct record. + + MRS. FOWLER, + _Signature of Parent or Guardian._ +] + + * * * * * + +_Rules governing Credit for Home Work_ + +To PARENTS OR GUARDIANS:-- + + The scheme of giving credit at school for work done at home by + the pupils can be made successful only through your coöperation, + and faithful report of the work done. + + Every Friday afternoon a Home Work Record Slip will be given + each pupil. Beginning with Sunday all time spent by the pupils + in home work should be entered in the proper place. + + Each Monday morning a slip filled in during the previous week + should be returned to the teacher. This slip must be signed by + the parent or guardian. + + Extra work may be listed in the blank spaces. + + To secure credit at school for his work, the pupil should + average eight hours a week, thirty-two hours a month, at real, + honest, helpful labor that relieves the fathers and mothers of + that amount of work. If this is done, the teacher will add three + credits to the average gained by the pupil at the school during + the month in his studies. Additional credits will be given for + more than thirty-two hours a month at the rate of one credit for + every ten hours' work. + + Please coöperate with your teacher in this plan for making work + more worth while to the boy and girl. + + LUCIA JENKINS, + _County Superintendent of Schools_. + +In the District 61 School, near Bellingham, Washington, taught by +Mrs. Lou Albee Maynard, there is used a system of having the home +credit accounts kept by pupils; the children call it the Ruth and +Grace System. + +Here is a plan that solves the problem, if it is a problem, of +putting extra work on the teacher through home credits. Not only is +the teacher entirely relieved of the bookkeeping which the system +requires, but the pupils are engaged in practical bookkeeping while +they keep the records. Checks are made out in regular bank-check +form, and receipts are given. + +The Ruth and Grace System is thus described in a neat account +written by Emma Ames, a pupil in the sixth grade:-- + + Ruth and Grace were girls who wanted to learn bookkeeping. In + order to give them a chance we took up the credit system. + + At the end of each week the girls give us a slip of paper ruled + and ready to be made out. The mothers sign it. Each thing which + we do counts so much. At the end of the week these slips are + handed back to the girls, and we receive another. We also get a + check telling how many credits we received the week before. + + When we make five thousand credits we then receive a composition + book. Smaller things are also given for fewer credits. + + The girls keep in their ledgers each person's work. So if any + mistake is made they will have something to refer to. + + We call the system the Ruth and Grace System. + + The prize list is as follows:-- + + Washing dishes...................... 10 credits. + Wiping dishes....................... 5 " + Sweeping............................ 5 " + Making beds......................... 5 " + Baking bread........................ 15 " + Dusting............................. 5 " + Scrubbing........................... 25 " + Practicing music.................... 10 " + Brushing teeth...................... 5 " + Clean finger nails.................. 5 " + Splitting kindling.................. 10 " + Splitting wood...................... 10 " + Carrying water...................... 10 " + Milking cow......................... 15 " + Feeding pigs........................ 5 " + Feeding chickens.................... 5 " + Feeding and bedding cows............ 25 " + Slashing one hour................... 25 " + Getting a meal...................... 15 " + Taking charge of house.............. 50 " + Charge for father one day........... 50 " + Building fires...................... 10 " + Sewing.............................. 15 " + Making an apron..................... 15 " + Carrying wood....................... 10 " + Washing............................. 25 " + Ironing............................. 25 " + +The following letter from Mrs. Maynard explains the system further:-- + + I have been requested to report on our plan for giving credit + for home work as we have tried it. One of my pupils has written + a report of our system which explains our methods nicely. This + has been only a trial, but I am so pleased with results that I + intend to use it whenever there are older pupils who can do the + bookkeeping, for it represents a great deal of work, and unless + the school is a very small one the system would add too much to + the already busy teacher's work. + + The girls who are represented by our firm carried on the work on + a strictly business basis. They bought the work of the pupils as + represented by the weekly reports. This work was then sold to + me at a gain of 20 per cent. The girls have worked out a simple + system of double entry in six weeks. We, as a school, have + spent an interesting and profitable time, keeping track of our + work, and of their mistakes, and the various ups and downs of a + business. + + We are planning a better schedule of wages, a bank in which + to deposit our checks, and a store where the credits may be + exchanged for little articles which represent the rewards; but + this is all in the making, and may have to wait for another + year, as our school term closes soon. + + This is a school whose average attendance is about sixteen. + The people are progressive, and see that we have all modern + appliances: gymnasium, school garden, bubbling fountain, + sanitary toilets, and a good heating system are some of the good + things our country school enjoys. + +Some original features are included in a plan in operation in +Algona, King County, Washington. The Algona plan of grading is this: +The actual number of minutes employed in doing the daily chores +is registered. Thirty minutes is allowed for church attendance. +Twenty-five per cent is given weekly for each of the personal care +items, bathing, brushing teeth, sleeping with open windows, and +going to bed before nine o'clock. Half an hour's work must be done +each day, else the pupil forfeits the work done that day. If at the +end of a month the pupil has made an average of 85 per cent on +personal care, and has 85 per cent on home work, his grade average +for the month is raised 10 per cent. For instance, if a boy should +have the required 85 per cent in the home credit department, and +should have an average of 80 per cent in his school subjects, his +final grade for the month would be 88 per cent. + +Algona uses a book system of keeping the pupils' weekly home credit +grades. The principal records the final grades for each week, after +collecting the cards from his three assistants. He expects to +substitute the card system for the book another year, using the same +plan of record. Below is given the plan for keeping the records, +together with the work of one boy for a month:-- + + _Leon Noel's Record in Book_ + + -------------+---------------+---------------+--------------- + Week ending | Minutes | Personal care | Leon Noel + -------------+---------------+---------------+--------------- + February 2 | 210 | 100 | + | | | + 9 | 210 | 100 | + | | | + 16 | 210 | 97 | + | | | + 23 | 210 | 97 | + -------------+---------------+---------------+--------------- + + _Home Work Record of_ + + _Leon Noel._ + + _For week ending February 21, 1914._ + + ------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + |Sun. |Mon. |Tues.|Wed. |Thur.|Fri. |Sat. |Total + ------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+Min. + |Min. |Min. |Min. |Min. |Min. |Min. |Min. | + ------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + 1. Working in garden.. | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + 2. Splitting kindlings | 15 | ... | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 65 + 3. Bringing in fuel... | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 35 + 4. Milking cow........ | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + 5. Care of horse...... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + 6. Preparing meals.... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + 7. Washing dishes..... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + 8. Sweeping........... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + 9. Dusting............ | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + 10. Bedroom work....... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + 11. Washing............ | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + 12. Ironing............ | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + 13. Care of baby....... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + 14. Care of | | | | | | | | + chickens........... | 15 | ... | 20 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 95 + 15. Running | | | | | | | | + errands............ | ... | 60 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 120 | 180 + | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | + A. Bathing............ | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | x | ... + B. Brushing teeth..... | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ... + C. Sleeping with | | | | | | | | + open windows....... | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ... + D. Going to bed before | | | | | | | | + 9 o'clock.......... | x | x | x | x | ... | x | x | ... + E. Attending | | | | | | | | + Church or | | | | | | | | + Sunday | | | | | | | | + School............. | 30 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 30 + +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + Total........... | 65 | 65 | 35 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 150 | 405 + ------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + + I certify that the above is a correct record. + + (Signed) MRS. C. D. FRENCH, + _Signature of Parent or Guardian._ + +A comparison of Leon Noel's home credit record on his slip with the +record in the principal's book shows that while he has 405 credits +on the former he is credited with only the required 210 on the +record. C. C. Calavan, the principal, expects to allow a holiday, +or grant additional credit on school work another year, for credits +above the half-hour a day. The children of the school at first +insisted on making an hour's work the minimum for a day's credit, +but Mr. Calavan decided to start conservatively. It will be noticed +that Leon Noel lost three points in each of the last two weeks of +February. This was because he was not in bed before nine every +evening. Mr. Calavan says he is going to change his plan along this +line next year, granting three or four evenings a month when a child +may be in bed a little later than nine without forfeiting credits. +He believes that a happy, wholesome evening, spent in play with +companions, has a very valuable place in the child's development. + +Sunday-school and church attendance has become popular in Algona +since school credit has been given for it. The little daughter in a +non-church-going family had never attended any church services until +it was brought out that the other children at school were getting +credit for such attendance. The parents dressed the little girl for +Sunday school, and sent her off, determined that their child should +not be left out in the home credit game. + +A boy's record was perfect, except that he did not have a church +attendance recorded. On inquiry the principal found that Albert's +family was of the Seventh Day Adventist faith, and that the boy +was at church as regularly as Saturday came. He was at once given +credit. The children of the Catholic faith are given credit for +attending the catechism class that meets in the schoolhouse Tuesday +afternoons. + +"The people took hold," said Mr. Calavan. "The Parent-Teachers' +Association is enthusiastic over the plan, and is doing all possible +to help. Two decided results that home credits have brought about +are that we have a much neater, better-kept class of pupils, and our +boys are off the streets. Several persons have remarked to me that +the school was doing something with the boys, surely, for they all +seemed to be busy after school." + + * * * * * + +The system introduced in Portland, Oregon, schools, is the daily +record and weekly report plan. The following suggestions were sent +out early in 1914 by the Portland office:-- + + _Suggestions for using the "Home Record Slip"_ + + The regular monthly report card should contain two extra + columns, one entitled "Home Work" and one "Personal Care," and + in these columns the pupil should be marked on the scale of 100. + + One hundred per cent in the "Home Work" column would be secured + by a daily record of not less than one half-hour of approved + work for seven days each week. + + One hundred per cent in the "Personal Care" column would be + secured by daily practice of numbers A, B, C, and D for seven + days of the week, and for attendance upon some religious + service. Twenty per cent could be allowed for each number and + twenty per cent for attendance at church or Sunday school. + + The matter of bathing should not be interpreted to refer + strictly to tub baths, since in large families daily tub baths + are sometimes impracticable, and inability to make a good + showing on the card would have a tendency to discourage. + + Different plans of reward for a given number of minutes devoted + to work during a week are outlined in the pamphlet, "School + Industrial Credit for Home Industrial Work." These, however, + may be modified or enlarged to suit. All time, including the + half-hour a day and the amount allowed for all other operations, + should be counted toward a specified total necessary to earn the + reward. + +These rules are printed on the back of each home credit record +card:-- + + _Rules governing Credit for Home Work_ + + Every Friday afternoon a home work record slip will be given to + each pupil. Beginning with Sunday, all time spent by the pupil + in home work should be entered in the proper space. + + Each Monday morning a slip filled during the previous week + should be returned to the teacher. The slip must be signed by + the parent or guardian as an assurance that a correct record has + been kept. + + Any work not listed but of value to the parents may be counted, + and the nature of the work specified in the blank spaces. + + At the close of the school month, when the report of school + work is made out, in the column "Home Work," the pupil will be + marked on the scale of 100 for actual work of not less than one + half-hour each day, and in the column "Personal Care" on the + scale of 100 for numbers A, B, C, and D, and for attendance at + church or Sunday school. + + In addition to credit on the report card, reward may be given at + the option of the principal for a specified amount of time spent + in useful work at home. + + For purpose of reward credit of five minutes a day will be + allowed for each operation listed as A, B, C, and D, and twenty + minutes for attendance at church or Sunday school. + +The Portland home work record slips are printed by the city office, +and furnished to teachers who wish to use them. On pages 115, 117, +and 119 are given home credit records of Portland children, showing +the class of home work they are doing. A swift review of a child's +record gives the teacher a pretty accurate estimate of his home +environment. + +Elsie G., whose card is shown, has kept weekly records of her work +for more than a year. She and some of the other girls make it a +practice to help Miss Wright, their teacher, enroll the records for +the class. The method of crediting is extremely simple, but it seems +to work. The pupils return the filled-out slips the first of every +week; at the end of each month the girls count the slips, and for +every pupil who has brought in four slips they register one credit +in the book. Miss Wright looks over the cards as they come in, and +often makes comment on the work, to the individual, or to the class +as a whole. + +[Illustration: + + _Home Work Record of_ + +_Elsie G----._ + +_For week ending December 19, 1913._ + +-------------------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + | Sun. | Mon.|Tues.|Wed. |Thur.|Fri. | Sat.| + +------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+Total + | Min. |Min. |Min. |Min. |Min. |Min. |Min. | +-------------------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + 1. Work in garden | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 2. Splitting kindlings | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 3. Bringing in fuel | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 4. Milking cow | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 5. Care of horse | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 6. Preparing meals | ... | 25 | 15 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 135 + | 1 | 1+| 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | | + 7. Washing dishes | 20 | 25 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 20 | ... | 200 + | | | | | | | | + 8. Sweeping | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 9. Dusting | 15 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 15 | 30 + | | | | | | | | +10. Bedroom work | ... | ... | 10 | 10 | 15 | 10 | 20 | 65 + | | | | | | | | +11. Washing | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | +12. Ironing | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | +13. Care of baby | 30 | 60 | 45 | 60 | 60 | 45 | 60 | 350 + | | | | | | | | +A. Bathing | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ... + | | | | | | | | +B. Brushing teeth | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ... + | | | | | | | | +C. Sleeping with | | | | | | | | + open windows | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ... + | | | | | | | | +D. Going to bed before | | | | | | | | + 9 o'clock | ... | x | x | x | x | x | x | ... + | | | | | | | | +E. Attending | | | | | | | | + Church or | | | | | | | | + Sunday | | | | | | | | + School | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + +------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + Total | | | | | | | | 790 +-------------------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + + I certify that the above is a correct record. + + MRS. G. H. G----, + _Signature of Parent or Guardian._ +] + + * * * * * + +Miss Wright began this home credit work by taking sixteen of the +printed slips and laying them on her desk. The boys left the room to +go to manual training, and the girls then gathered around her desk +and discovered the slips. "What are these?" they inquired, and they +each wanted one to take home. There were just enough for the girls, +but when the boys found out about it they clamored for slips, too. + +Miss Wright now leaves a pile of the blanks on her desk every +Friday, and most of the pupils take them. They used to ask to have +the credit applied to raise their standings on their lowest studies +(they are allowed, for instance, to increase a mark of seven in +grammar to a mark of eight for one month), but now they seldom ask +for the increase. They do their home work and record it with no +other incentive than the satisfaction of having a record and the +honor and approval of their parents, teacher, and schoolmates. + +The ten-year-old boy whose card is shown here goes on week-ends to +the country, and brings in his record afterward with great pride to +show the other fellows that he has cared for horses. + +[Illustration: + + _Home Work Record of_ + + _Henry F. P----._ + + _For week ending , 19..._ + + -----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + |Sun. |Mon. |Tues.|Wed. |Thur.|Fri. |Sat. | + +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + |Min. |Min. |Min. |Min. |Min. |Min. |Min. |Total + -----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + 1. Work in garden | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 10 | 10 + | | | | | | | | + 2. Splitting kindlings| 10 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 85 + | | | | | | | | + 3. Bringing in fuel | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 60 + | | | | | | | | + 4. Milking cow | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 5. Care of horses | 20 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 10 | 30 + | | | | | | | | + 6. Preparing meals | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 7. Washing dishes | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 8. Sweeping | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 9. Dusting | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 10. Bedroom work | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 11. Washing | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 12. Ironing | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 13. Care of baby | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + Feeding chickens | 10 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 70 + | | | | | | | | + Feeding rabbits | 10 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 85 + | | | | | | | | + A. Bathing | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ... + | | | | | | | | + B. Brushing teeth | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ... + | | | | | | | | + C. Sleeping with | | | | | | | | + open windows | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | + | | | | | | | | + D. Going to bed before | | | | | | | | + 9 o'clock | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + E. Attending | | | | | | | | + Church or | | | | | | | | + Sunday | | | | | | | | + School | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + Total | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 340 + -----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + + I certify that the above is a correct record. + + FLORA H. P---- + _Signature of Parent or Guardian._ +] + + * * * * * + +We find many instances, like the following, where boys who at first +had nothing to do, seemingly, but to get in the fuel, have begun to +assist their mothers with the dishwashing, dusting, and cooking. +Not only does this work run up their list of credits at school, +but it causes them to appreciate what mother has to do, gets them +acquainted with their homes, and keeps them off the streets. + +And it has other uses for a boy. Henry Turner Bailey says:-- + + Away from home, as a lonely art student and young teacher in + strange and home-sickening boarding houses, maybe I wasn't + thankful to be able to sweep and dust, to wash and iron and + cook, upon occasion, to sew on buttons, to darn, and to mend. + But perhaps my keenest satisfaction came from my ability to make + a bed. The boarding-house madonnas are not, as a rule, highly + skilled in that gentle art. + + In view of my personal experiences I have often wondered + why the advocates of Domestic Science are not more strongly + co-educational. What is sauce for the goose seems to me worthy + to be sauce for the gander,--certainly during the gosling stage. + Every boy should know how to sew, just as every girl should + know how to whittle. Every boy should know how to cook, just + as every girl should know how to swim. Skill in the elemental + arts is a form of what Henderson calls human wealth. All should + participate.[5] + + [5] _School Arts Magazine_, May, 1914. + +[Illustration: + + _Home Work Record of_ + + _Harold R_----. + + _For week ending December 20, 1913._ + + -----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + |Sun. |Mon. |Tues.|Wed. |Thur.|Fri. |Sat. | + |Min. |Min. |Min. |Min. |Min. |Min. |Min. |Total + ---- ------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + 1. Work in garden | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 2. Splitting kindlings| ... | 5 | 10 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 15 | 60 + | | | | | | | | + 3. Bringing in fuel | 5 | 10 | 25 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 25 | 95 + | | | | | | | | + 4. Milking cow | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 5. Care of horse | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 6. Preparing meals | ... | ... | ... | 15 | ... | ... | 15 | 30 + | | | | | | | | + 7. Washing dishes | 10 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 10 | 60 | ... + | | | | | | | | + 8. Sweeping | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 10 | 10 + | | | | | | | | + 9. Dusting | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 10 | 10 + | | | | | | | | + 10. Bedroom work | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 10 | 10 + | | | | | | | | + 11. Washing | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 12. Ironing | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + 13. Care of baby | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | + A. Bathing | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | | | | + B. Brushing teeth | x | ... | x | x | x | x | x | 30 + | | | | | | | | + C. Sleeping with open | | | | | | | | + windows | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | 7 + | | | | | | | | + D. Going to bed before | | | | | | | | + 9 o'clock | x | x | x | x | x | x | --- | 6 + | | | | | | | | + E. Attending Church or | | | | | | | | + Sunday School | x | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1 + +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + Total | 23 | 17 | 52 | 57 | 37 | 82 | 101 | 810 + -----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + + I certify that the above is a correct record. + + MRS. F. M. R.----, + _Signature of Parent or Guardian_. +] + + * * * * * + +A Portland woman, who is much interested in the schools, says:-- + + In looking over some of the cards I find that the child soon + learns to do his "chores" in less time each week, that he may + have more time for other work or play, and yet fill out his + record card. This is a great help to the parents. + + I know one boy who cannot be induced to go out to an evening + affair because he wants to get to bed before nine o'clock so + that his record card will be perfect. How soon could we dismiss + the Juvenile Court if we could get all children to feel like + that! It is worth while to try. + +In Polk County, Oregon, the system has been introduced into rural +schools with marked success. The plan here comprises a daily record, +and monthly reports. Below are excerpts from an article written for +the _Oregon Teachers' Monthly_, by Mr. R. G. Dykstra, who used home +credits in his rural school at Suver, Polk County, in 1912-13. I +should like to direct especial attention to his testimony on the +tardiness record of the district; also to his plan of allowing +credit for a long walk to school. + + With the following exceptions I carried out the work as started + in the Spring Valley School last year: I required the pupils to + get eight hundred minutes' credit before taking the holiday + instead of six hundred; the number of minutes' credit for + milking cows was increased from five to fifteen for each cow and + a reasonable amount of credit was allowed for all work not named + in the list of chores; children living over a mile and a half + from school were allowed credit for the distance they had to + walk in proportion to the others, and 5 per cent instead of 10 + was added to the end of the year on their final school averages + for the carrying on of the work. Only two prizes were offered + by the District, three dollars and two dollars respectively. + Children seldom took advantage of the holiday given for eight + hundred minutes' credit unless it was used for sickness or + unavoidable absence, as they were encouraged in the knowledge + that a day lost was a day's work lost as well. Tardiness on the + part of any pupil doing the work meant a loss of so many credits + already accumulated. + + It would be impossible to enumerate the many things this work + has done for this community, but the following facts may prove + interesting to the reader. During the year of 1911-12, without + home credit work, this school had a record of 95 per cent in + attendance and 59 tardies. For the year 1912-13 just closed, + the record is 98 per cent in attendance and 8 tardies. Part + of the home credits given have been for proper care of body, + sleeping with windows open, care of teeth, hair, etc., and the + result of these requirements has been the showing of a healthier + appearance on the part of nearly all the pupils. The parents + of the district claim that the children are doing more work at + home than they ever did before, and the people feel that their + children are getting an education that will be of value to them + and that the money is being well spent in this kind of work. + +The card issued by County Superintendent Seymour is here reproduced +filled out by a pupil. It shows daily records for two weeks on each +side of the card. The five school days only are counted. + +[Illustration: + + _Home Credit Card_ + + _North Dallas School, Polk County, Oregon._ + + _Blanks to be filled in each day. Parents sign before returning + it to teacher. Blanks to be returned each month and a + new one secured._ + + _Edwin B----._ _February, 1, 1914._ + _Pupil's name._ _Month._ + + M. T. W. T. F. Total M. T. W. T. F. Total + Building fire 5 + Milking each cow + daily 5 + Cleaning barn, each + animal 5 25 25 25 25 25 125 25 45 45 45 45 205 + Carrying wood 10 20 20 20 20 20 100 20 20 20 20 20 100 + Splitting wood 10 + Turning separator 10 + Cleaning separator 5 + Churning butter 50 30 30 60 + Working butter 10 + Cleaning horse 15 + Feeding chickens 5 10 10 10 10 10 50 10 10 10 10 10 50 + Feeding pigs 10 20 20 20 20 20 100 20 20 20 20 20 100 + Feeding horse 5 15 15 15 45 15 15 20 15 15 80 + Feeding cows 5 25 25 25 75 25 25 15 15 15 95 + Blacking stove 15 + Making bread 10 + Getting breakfast 50 + Getting supper 45 + Washing dishes 20 + Sweeping floor, each + room 5 15 + Cleaning house, each + room 20 + Scrubbing floor, each + room 50 + Making beds, each 5 + Washing clothes 60 + Ironing clothes 60 + Bathing 30 + Arrive at school clean 5 5 5 5 5 5 25 5 5 5 5 5 25 + Music lesson + Bed at 9 p.m. 10 10 10 10 10 50 10 10 10 10 10 50 + Gathering eggs 5 5 5 5 5 5 25 5 5 5 5 5 25 + Cleaning teeth 5 5 5 5 5 5 25 5 5 5 5 5 25 + Cleaning finger nails 5 5 5 5 5 5 25 5 5 5 5 5 25 + Sleeping with window + open 5 5 5 5 5 5 25 5 5 5 5 5 25 + Making pies 10 + Cleaning and filling + lamps 5 + Errands 5 10 10 5 5 + Reading book home 5 + Distance school, over + half-mile 5 5 5 5 5 5 25 5 5 5 5 5 25 + + Total 198 138 198 128 113 755 153 173 173 163 163 825 + + + Teacher and pupils to go over list and agree on time for each thing. + Distance from school more than one-half mile to be given credit for. + Any work not listed that is creditable teacher will give credit for. + + Mr. and Mrs. W. H. B----, + Signature of Parents. +] + + * * * * * + +The card given on pages 122 and 123 came from Miss Veva Burns, the +teacher at North Dallas, with the following letter, dated April 26, +1914:-- + + I am pleased to explain the home credit system as we use it. I + am sending some of the cards filled out by the pupils. We secure + these cards from Mr. Seymour, the county school superintendent, + and are allowed to use them as we think best.... + + We have a two-room school, and have divided it into two + divisions, the smaller pupils having five thousand credits as + their aim, while the larger ones work for ten thousand. Of + course the number to be obtained would vary with the opportunity + the children would have to earn credits. On the average, it + takes our pupils about three months to earn the required number. + When they have secured the number, some prize, such as a book, + is given, and they are allowed to start again. Then, at the end + of school, the one who has earned the most is given a special + prize. Also, Mr. Seymour allows us to give ten points on each + child's lowest grade, at the close of school, if he has kept up + his home credit work during the school year. Some teachers give + a holiday as a reward instead of a prize. + + The cards are taken home by the pupils and filled out each + evening. If the pupils are too small to attend to the cards, + some member of the family looks after them. We see to it that + the system is thoroughly understood by each family. As each card + is filled out, it is returned to us. + + We have a school of over sixty pupils, and all but four are + working on the credit system. We did not urge any one to take it + up, but allowed them to decide for themselves. + +This letter is from Miss Miriam H. Rarey, who has taught near +Dallas, in 1914:-- + + Work done on Saturdays and Sundays does not count with the + exception of bathing. Pupils, as a rule, when they bathe at + all, bathe on Saturday. So I told them they could take thirty + minutes' credit for that, and put it down in Friday's space, + in the hope that it would induce them to bathe at least once a + week. It worked pretty well with some of the pupils, but others + would rather do without the credits than do anything so unusual. + When a pupil gets five thousand credits (every minute counts + one credit) he gets his grade on his poorest study raised 5 per + cent, or if he does not need that, he gets a holiday without + being marked absent. The pupils have all worked pretty hard for + credits, and only a few have asked for holidays. The people in + the district have all been pleased with the results of home + credit and I think it is a good thing. I have seventeen pupils, + and they are all using home credits. + +The Idaho plan as sent out by the State Superintendent, Miss Grace +M. Shepherd, in a bulletin to teachers is as follows: Miss Shepherd +issued two mimeographed sheets, one of rules, and one a list of +credits. The blank has a place for a daily record and a report for +several weeks. + + _Rules governing Home Work_ + + 1. No pupil is obliged to enter the contest. + + 2. Parent must sign statement of work done by pupil. + + 3. Contest closes when school term closes. + + 4. Unexcused absence forfeits all credits. Unexcused tardiness + forfeits 25 per cent of credits per month. Less than 90 per cent + deportment, 20 per cent of all credits forfeited. + + 5. Suggested awards: + + Names of the six highest at the close of school will be + published in a county paper. + + Three highest at the close of school to be offered prize by the + School Board or some citizen. + + Five per cent credit to be added to final examination results of + all pupils who enter and continue in the contest. + + _Urge the hearty coöperation of the parents_. + +[Illustration: + + _Record of Home Credit Work_ + + _Month beginning_ ........................ _Ending_................ + ..................... _School_ ...................... _County_ + + Pupils or parents will fill in the following blanks each day and return + to the teacher each month signed by the parent_. + + ------------------------+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-- + |M.|T.|W.|T.|F.|M.|T.|W.|T.|F.|M.|T.|W.|T.|F. + ------------------------+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-- + Rising morning without | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + being called 10m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Building fire in | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + morning 10m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Milking 10m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Cleaning barn 10m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Cleaning each horse 5m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Feeding pigs 5m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Feeding horses 5m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Feeding chickens 5m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Feeding cows 5m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Bringing fuel for | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + the day 10m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Getting breakfast 30m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Washing and wiping | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + dishes 15m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Sweeping floor 5m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Scrubbing floor 15m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Making beds 5m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Making and baking | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + bread 45m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Dusting a room 10m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Caring for younger | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + children full time | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Washing and ironing | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + school clothes 60m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Bathing 20m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Cleaning teeth and | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + finger nails 10m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Bed at 9:00 p.m. 5m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Sleeping with | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + window open 10m. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + Total | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + ------------------------+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-----+--+-- + + ............................................. + + _Signature of parent._ +] + + * * * * * + +In Charleston, Washington, Superintendent H. W. Elliott, of the city +schools, put into successful operation, in 1913-14, a plan with +several special features, to which I am glad to call attention. The +plan comprises daily markings by the tally system, monthly reports, +cash prizes to those showing the largest number of home credits, and +some reward to every pupil with credits above a certain specified +number. For the purpose of raising a fund to meet the cash prizes, +his school gave a play; and an autumn fair, in October, was arranged +for the distribution of the prizes for both school and home work. +The credit card is different from any other; it seems to be the most +simple of all the monthly systems. + +[Illustration: + +_How to Keep the Credits in the Home_ + +_For every duty the child has done put down | after the name of the +duty the child has performed. Example:_ + + _Cutting wood_ ||||| ||||| ||||| | + _Taking bath ||||| ||||| || This is to indicate the number of times._ + + ALL THAT ARE 5 CREDITS ALL THAT ARE 10 CREDITS + + Canning jar of fruit........... Music practice (30 min.).......... + Making and baking cake......... Milking cow....................... + Making and baking pie.......... Crocheting (hour)................. + Sweeping room.................. Cleaning basement................. + Making bed..................... Making apron...................... + Setting table.................. Keeping front yard clean.......... + Dusting furniture.............. Keeping back yard clean........... + Making handkerchief............ Keeping sidewalk clean............ + Making any other thing......... Keeping alley clean............... + Keeping room ventilated........ Keeping steps and porch clean..... + Splitting kindling............. Politeness to seniors............. + Cutting wood................... Table etiquette................... + Bringing in fuel............... + Blacking stove................. ALL THAT ARE 15 CREDITS + Scrubbing room................. + Running errands................ Up first and building fire........ + Taking care of birds........... Sprinkling lawn (1 h.)............ + Washing teeth.................. Clerking in store (1 h.).......... + Taking bath.................... Driving team (1 h.)............... + In bed by nine................. Helping with freight (1 h.)....... + Up by seven.................... Making and baking bread........... + Helping others dress........... Attending Sunday school........... + Brushing clothes (self)........ Attending Church service.......... + Polishing shoes (self)......... + Feeding cow or other animal.... ALL THAT ARE 30 CREDITS + Gathering eggs................. + At school with clean Washing clothes (2 h.)............ + Hands...................... Ironing clothes (2 h.)............ + Face....................... Taking care of baby (2 h.)........ + Teeth...................... Preparing meal (family)........... + Nails...................... Cleaning barn..................... + Hair combed................ Cleaning henhouse................. + Carrying papers................... + + ALL THAT ARE 40 CREDITS + + Making dress (self)............... + Cutting half rick of wood......... + Spading up 400 sq. ft. garden..... + Total........................ + + Send in report on or before the 10th of each month. +] + + * * * * * + +Mr. Elliott sent out a mimeographed sheet explaining the rules to be +observed in the contest, giving a list of the credits, and also a +list of the articles to be exhibited at the fair. The rules, and the +list of articles are given here. + + +_Rules_ + +All boys and girls now in one of the eight grades of the Charleston +public schools, District No. 34, may enter in one of the four +classes; D, first grade; C, 2d and 3d; B, 4th and 5th; A, 6th, +7th, and 8th. Home credits for each month must be reported to the +school for record on or before the 10th of each month. Records to be +confidential. We hope that every home will enter into this, and that +the _parent will be very careful and conscientious in the marking_. +Credits to be kept by parents. + +_A List of Articles to be exhibited_ + +For School Fair Exhibit--To be determined by Judges + +_Household Economics_-- + +1. Domestic Science: Best loaf of bread, cake, pie, dozen cookies, +dozen doughnuts. + +2. Domestic Art: Best made plain dress, plain apron, shirt-waist, +sofa pillow, handkerchief, patchwork pillow, darning or repairing +specimen. + +3. Canning: Peas, peaches, apples, pears, cherries, string beans. + +_Agriculture_-- + +Best 5 ears of corn, 5 potatoes, 5 selected apples, 5 carrots, 5 +onions, 5 turnips, squash, pumpkin, raised by pupil. + +_Horticulture_-- + +Nasturtiums, pansies, sweet peas, each 10 sprays; asters, dahlias, +chrysanthemums, each 5 sprays--raised by pupil. Best 5 roses cared +for by pupil. + +_Poultry_-- + +Best cockerel, or pullet, or cockerel and pullet reared from a +setting of 15 eggs. + +_Manual Training_-- + +Best mechanical drawing, joined work, tabouret, small piece of +furniture, large piece of furniture, basket, bookbinding, etc. + +_School Work_-- + +What teachers see fit to make it--drawing, etc. + +_Music_-- + +Best played selection on piano, violin, cornet, or other instrument: +or orchestra or band: solo singing or chorus. In band or orchestra +work pupils may be judged collectively or singly. Same judgment for +all chorus work. + +Something more may be added later. + + Yours for a good fair, + + THE TEACHERS. + H. W. ELLIOTT, + City Superintendent. + +Mr. Elliott writes: "I believe there is nothing that will link the +home and school more closely than the system of credits. There is +one danger, however, of cultivating dishonesty on the part of the +over-anxious one. This we watch, but this tendency is sometimes +noticeable. Occasionally we find a youngster attending Sunday school +or church fifteen or twenty times a month." + +Examples of the scheme of a weekly record with monthly report are +plans in operation in Jackson County, and in Weston, Umatilla +County, Oregon. The rules and schedule following were published by +Mr. J. Percy Wells, county superintendent of Jackson County. + + _Rules governing Home Credit Work_ + + 1. No pupil shall be required to enter the home credit contest, + and any pupil shall be free to quit the contest at any time, but + if any one quits without good cause, all credits earned shall be + forfeited. + + 2. Once each month the parent or guardian shall send to + the teacher, with signature affixed, an itemized statement + containing a record of the work each child has done during the + preceding month. The child may make out the list, but the parent + or guardian must sign the same. + + 3. At the end of each school month the teacher shall enter + on the pupil's report card the total number of credits for + home work during the month, as certified to by the parent or + guardian. + + 4. Any pupil who has earned at least two hundred credits for + home work during any school month shall be entitled to have 10 + per cent added to his grade in any subject, or distributed among + several subjects, and 1 per cent additional for each twenty + additional credits up to four hundred credits. + + 5. All pupils who shall have earned four hundred credits or more + during any month shall be entitled to a half-holiday, and shall + have their names entered on a roll of honor. + + 6. Forfeitures--Dropping out of contest without cause, all + credits earned; unexcused absence, all credits due; unexcused + tardiness, 25 per cent off all credits due; less than 90 per + cent in deportment for any month, 10 per cent off all credits + due. + + These rules may be modified by teachers to suit local + conditions. If the half-holiday system of awards is not + satisfactory, some other system may be substituted. + + _To parents and guardians_: + + In this plan for giving school credit for home work it is not + the intention of the school to intrude upon the domain of the + home, but to coöperate with the home in the interest of the boys + and girls. Here is a splendid chance for the school and the home + to come closer together, and we believe both will be improved + thereby. + +[Illustration: + +_Home Credit Schedule, School District No. 2 Jackson County, Oregon_ + + _Name of Pupil, Goldie Trefren. Age, 11. Grade, 4th. + Month ending March 23, 1914_ + + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + |Credits| 1st| 2d | 3d | 4th| Total + | |week|week|week|week| + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Building fire | [6]1 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 27 + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Milking cow | 1 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 8 | 53 + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Splitting and carrying | | | | | | + in wood (12 hours' supply) | 2 | | | | | + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Turning cream separator | 2 | | | | | + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Grooming horse | 2 | | | | | + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Gathering eggs | 1 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 22 + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Feeding chickens, pigs, horse, or cow | 1 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 47 + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Churning or making butter | 3 | | | | | + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Blacking stove | 3 | | | | | + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Making and baking bread | 10 | | | | | + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Making biscuits | 2 | | | | | + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Preparing meal for family | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Washing and wiping dishes | 4 | | | | | + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Sweeping floor, each room | 1 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 50 + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Dusting furniture, each room | 1 | 4 | | 5 | 2 | 11 + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Scrubbing floor, each room | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Making bed (after school) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Washing, starching, and ironing own | | | | | | + clothes, worn to school each week | 30 | | | | | + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Bathing, each bath | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 16 + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Arriving at school with clean hands, | | | | | | + face, teeth, nails, and hair combed | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 20 + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Practicing music at least 30 minutes | 2 | | | | | + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Retiring on or before 9 o'clock | 1 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7| 28 + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Bathing and dressing baby | 2 | | | | | + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Sleeping with windows open or with | | | | | | + window-boards | 2 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Work not listed, per hour | 6 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 23 + ----------------------------------------+-------+----+----+----+----+------- + Total 364 + + L. S. TREFREN, + _Parent or Guardian_ + + [6] A task counting 1 done each day, gives seven credits for the + week. ] + + * * * * * + +The following letter, dated April 20, 1914, is from Mrs. Bertha +McKinney, of a district near Ashland, Jackson County. + + Pupils of the first, second, and third grades, who have earned + two hundred credits in a month have a half-holiday. Those of the + fourth, fifth, and sixth grades must have earned three hundred + credits to entitle them to the half-holiday, and of the seventh, + eighth, and ninth grades, four hundred credits. When all have + the required number of credits, all have the half-holiday. I + have twenty pupils, and all are doing the home credit work. I + keep the record of the credits earned in a notebook, and place + the number earned by each pupil on the monthly report card. I + think the plan a good one, though in a few cases the parents are + not careful enough with their part; that is, they sign the blank + form, then the child can put down any number he pleases. I have + had only one such case. + +Superintendent Joel O. Davis, of Weston, tells of the manner in +which his school began to use home credits:-- + + The opportunity came in October of last year, when an unexpected + influx of pupils made it necessary for us to engage an extra + teacher and adopt a departmental plan for the fifth to eighth + grades inclusive. This made it necessary for those grades to + prepare two lessons at home, thus making the required home + reading a burden. I at once offered these students the choice of + reading the required books, and writing the reviews, or making + the points by home work, under the conditions as shown by the + accompanying card. Nearly every child accepted the home work + plan, and went to work enthusiastically. + +On the opposite page is one of the Weston credit cards, filled out +by a pupil, Crete Allen:-- + + _Home Work Record, Weston Public School_ + + Credits will be given for the performance of the following named + duties when this card is returned, at the end of the month, + properly signed by the parent or guardian. + + These credits will be accepted in place of the home reading + heretofore required, at the rate of 100 points for each book. + + The parent must check the work each day as performed. + + Any evasion or falsification of the record will forfeit all + claim to credit. + + To obtain credit each duty must be performed by the child + unaided by others, and must be well and satisfactorily done. + + No credit will be given for work that is paid for by the parent + or others. + + Parents are requested to see that the above conditions are + complied with and to encourage thoroughness and truthfulness by + using care in recording so as to give no unearned credits. + + Make one mark, and only one, for each duty each day.[7] + + [7] All the marking is done by tallies, thus: ||||| ||||| ||||| |||| + The reproduction on page 137 permits only the use of + figures, to indicate the total tally marks. + +[Illustration: + + -------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + | 1st | 2d | 3d | 4th |Total + | week| week| week| week| + -------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + 1. Carrying wood | 1 | ... | ... | 1 | 2 + | | | | | + 2. Feeding horse | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... + | | | | | + 3. Feeding cow | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 56 + | | | | | + 4. Feeding pigs | 5 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 36 + | | | | | + 5. Feeding chickens | ... | ... | 1 | 3 | 4 + | | | | | + 6. Milking cow | 42 | 56 | 43 | 50 | 160 + | | | | | + 7. Cleaning stable | 7 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 22 + | | | | | + 8. Washing dishes | 1 | ... | ... | ... | 1 + | | | | | + 9. Drying dishes | 2 | 1 | ... | ... | 3 + | | | | | + 10. Making bed | ... | 2 | ... | 2 | 4 + | | | | | + 11. Sweeping room | 3 | ... | ... | 5 | 8 + | | | | | + 12. Setting table | 8 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 19 + | | | | | + 13. Clearing table | 1 | 1 | ... | 1 | 3 + | | | | | + 14. Tidiness | 7 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 25 + | | | | | + 15. Brushing teeth | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 13 + | | | | | + 16. Cleaning nails | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 14 + +-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + Total | ... | ... | ... | ... | 370 + -------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + + No. 14 includes general tidiness, hanging hat and coat, putting + away clothes, shoes, stockings, etc., and will be given + more credit than any other one duty. Parents should use care + in marking this number, as the aim is to inculcate habits of + neatness and thoughtful consideration of others. This end + can easily be defeated by careless or unfair marking. + + I hereby certify that the above record is true and correct. + + MRS. J. E. ALLEN (_Parent or Guardian._)] + + * * * * * + +At the close of a later letter Mr. Davis wrote:-- + + From my experience with this experiment I feel that the plan + is worth all it costs and more, that it should be extended to + include all the grades, that modifications to meet the needs of + different communities can easily be made, and that the pupils + and patrons of any district will appreciate and support some + such plan if it is carried out faithfully. I kept a ledger + account with every child, and at the end of the month posted a + bulletin exhibiting the condition of each pupil's account. The + interest was shown by the manner in which they gathered about + the board and compared their credits. Some of the comments upon + some lazy boy's or girl's lack of effort were rather caustic, + but served as effective spurs to the delinquent. + +In Pend Oreille County, Washington, six weeks is the unit of +time for credit records. Miss Hester C. Soules, the County +Superintendent, has issued the following circular:-- + +THE HOME WE WORK TOGETHER THE SCHOOL SCHOOL CREDIT FOR HOME WORK + +In order that the school and home may unite forces, that the school +may help in establishing habits of home-making, and that our boys +and girls may be taught that their parents are their best friends +and need their help, the following system of credits has been +devised for use in the schools of Pend Oreille County. + +_Certificate of Promotion with Distinction_ + +Any pupil who has completed the work of his grade in a satisfactory +manner is entitled to PROMOTION WITH CREDIT to the next higher +grade, provided he obtains 300 points for Home Work. He is entitled +to PROMOTION WITH HONOR if he earns 500 points. + +Six weeks' faithful and regular performance of the home duties +listed below will entitle the pupil to credit as indicated. + + Points + + 1. Sawing, splitting, and carrying in wood and + kindling 25 + 2. Building fires or tending furnace 20 + 3. Caring for horse or cow and doing other barn + chores 15 + 4. Caring for poultry and gathering eggs 10 + 5. Working in the school or home garden, or on the + farm 20 + 6. Delivering milk or carrying water 20 + 7. Running errands cheerfully 10 + 8. Doing without being told 20 + 9. Mowing the lawn 20 + 10. Feeding pigs 10 + 11. Making a bird-house and feeding the birds 20 + 12. Making useful piece of woodwork for the home 25 + 13. Cleaning barn 20 + 14. Churning 15 + 15. Turning Cream Separator 10 + 16. Retiring at nine o'clock or before 10 + 17. Bathing at least twice each week 15 + 18. Sleeping in fresh air 15 + 19. Getting up in the morning without being called 10 + 20. Preparing one meal alone daily for the family 25 + 21. Blacking stove 10 + 22. Helping with the breakfast, and with the dishes + after breakfast 15 + 23. Preparing smaller children for school 10 + 24. Not being tardy 10 + 25. Cleaning teeth daily 20 + 26. Making own graduating dress--Eighth Grade 30 + 27. Writing weekly letter to some absent relative--Grandmother + preferred 20 + 28. Reading and reporting on one approved + library book 20 + 29. Reading aloud fifteen minutes or longer each + night to some member or members of the family + circle 20 + 30. Practicing music lesson thirty minutes daily 25 + 31. Building fence, 10 rods 20 + Fence may be built at intervals during any one period of six weeks. + 32. Clearing 1/4 Acre of land 30 + Land may be cleared any time during the school year and at + different times provided the 1/4 A. is completed before school closes. + 33. Care of younger children 20 + 34. Raising one fourth acre of vegetables 20 + 35. Taking sole care of plants and flowers 15 + 36. Sweeping floor and dusting furniture 10 + 37. Making beds 10 + 38. Mopping and caring for kitchen 10 + 39. Scouring and cleaning bath tub and lavatory 15 + 40. Helping with the washing 20 + 41. Sprinkling and ironing clothes 25 + 42. Making and baking bread, biscuits or cake. Exhibit 25 + 43. Setting table and serving 15 + 44. Helping cook supper and helping do the dishes after + supper 20 + 45. Doing own mending 20 + 46. Learning to knit or crochet 15 + 47. Raising six varieties of flowers 15 + 48. Making piece of hand-work for the home 25 + ---- + Total 840 + + _Certificate of Promotion with Distinction_ + + ---- having completed the work of + the ---- Grade in the Pend Oreille County Schools, in + a satisfactory manner, and having earned ---- points + in our Home and Outside Industrial Work Plan, is + hereby promoted to the ---- Grade with ---- + ---- and is commended for Industry, Fidelity to + Home and Cheerful Helpfulness. + + Given at Newport, Washington, this ---- day of + ----, 191 . + + --------------------- ----------------- + _Superintendent_. _Teacher_. + +The city of Los Angeles, California, uses a plan of marking home +work on the report card and giving no other incentive. Notice that +a certain number of minutes daily for ten weeks is the unit, and +that the number of minutes varies according to the age of the child. +Observe the emphasis on care of yards and streets, also on care of +little brothers and sisters. + + +_Report of Committee on Home Credits, Los Angeles Schools_ + +The Committee on Home Credits makes these recommendations:-- + + 1. That the "Home Credits" be not used as a substitute for other + work, and also that they be not applied to increase the grade of + other subjects except as any work well done necessarily improves + all work of the child. + + 2. That the words "Home Credit" be written on the new cards + just published, and that in the future these words be printed as + a regular part of the card, with space for inserting the number + of credits. + + 3. That in the several grades the following constitute one + credit:-- + + (_a_) First and second grades, 10 minutes of daily work for 10 + weeks. + + (_b_) Third and fourth grades, 15 minutes of daily work for 10 + weeks. + + (_c_) Fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, 20 minutes of + daily work for 10 weeks, and that multiples of such work in + 10, 15, 20 minutes be allowed so that a child may earn several + credits each ten weeks. + +4. That the following subjects be selected for the initial trial of +the plan:-- + + 1. Taking care of the baby. + 2. Bathing baby. + 3. Washing or wiping dishes. + 4. Washing or ironing clothes. + 5. Washing windows. + 6. Scrubbing floor. + 7. Sweeping floor. + 8. Setting table. + 9. Dusting and putting room in order. + 10. Sweeping or cleaning yard. + 11. Sweeping sidewalk. + 12. Cleaning street in front of home. + 13. Care of garbage can. + 14. Getting meals. + 15. Making beds. + 16. Mending clothes. + 17. Making new or making over old clothes for family. + 18. Working in shop or store. + 19. Working in and caring for garden. + 20. Running errands, going to market, store, etc. + 21. Driving delivery wagon. + 22. Selling papers. + 23. Taking little brothers and sisters to school, + clean and on time. + 24. Clean hands, faces, clothes. + 25. Clean heads. + 26. Raising poultry or rabbits. + 27. Any other outside work peculiar to particular + district if approved by Supervising Superintendent. + +WEEKLY RECORDS, THREE OR MORE MONTHS' REPORTS + +Mr. F. W. Simmonds, superintendent of city schools, Lewiston, Idaho, +has instituted a plan for daily and weekly records with a report for +three months, which he writes is "working out most successfully." +The statement of his particular scheme which he gives in his home +credit record folder is accompanied by an excellent presentation of +the nature and scope of the home credit plan in general:-- + + _A Plan for School and Home Coöperation_ + + One of the vital problems of school administration to-day is + that of securing closer coöperation between school and home + life. When the child learns that _education is living and + working the best way_ he has made considerable progress on the + educational road. Our school curriculum should encourage this + wholesome attitude toward the everyday tasks. + + Children must have time for real play and plenty of it, but + let us not forget that real work is also a part of the child's + rightful heritage, and that when rightly directed, children + like to work--they are eager to take part in some of the + real activities of life. However, they must not be permitted + to attempt too much--a reasonable amount of _work well done + regularly_ and suited to the child's age and ability is what is + desired. + + _Filling out this card is optional with the parent_, no grade + on the quality of the work done by the child is asked for, + merely the approximate time regularly devoted to that task. + Note the time; one half-hour, one hour, two hours, etc., in the + proper column on this card. Your filling out and signing this + card will assure us that the work was well done, regularly and + satisfactorily. + + The work may include any one or more of the multitude of home + tasks, or any work done regularly, as sewing, ironing, washing + dishes, preparing meals, baking, cutting kindling, gardening, + milking, caring for poultry, feeding stock, making beds, music + lessons, tending furnace, etc. + + Some tasks occur daily (others weekly, as regular Saturday + chores, music lessons and the like). Nothing less than a + _half-hour_ is to be recognized, though two or more tasks may be + grouped to make a half-hour daily or weekly. The average child + will be anxious to figure his home service in the large; but + a reasonably conservative "statement of account" will have a + greater disciplinary value, and will make for efficiency. + + The _unit_ of home credit will be _one half-hour's daily work + throughout the month_. Time spent on regular weekly tasks + will be adjusted by the teacher to this basis. If the work in + quantity, quality and regularity is deemed worthy, the teacher + will credit the pupil with the number of home credits earned, + which will be added to the pupil's standing at the end of the + semester in determining promotion. Each _unit_ of credit in home + work will have the effect of raising a monthly grade in some + subject one step as from _poor_ to _fair_, or _fair_ to _good_, + etc. By means of home credits, a pupil has an opportunity to + raise his promotion standing to "Promoted with Honor," or + "Promoted with Highest Honors" as the case may be, if he should + lack a point or two, and have earned enough home credits to + offset this. + +In the Borough of the Bronx in New York City, Mr. Frederick J. +Reilly began to give school credit for home work in the fall of +1914. He issues two cards of different colors, one for the girls and +one for the boys. The cards are alike except for the words "he" and +"she." Notice that the cards are well planned for use in city homes. +At present they are used by the children of seventh and eighth +grades. Mr. Reilly says, "The important thing is not the amount +of credit the child receives in school, but rather the amount of +influence this may have upon the training of the child at home." + +[Illustration: + + PUBLIC SCHOOL 33, THE BRONX FREDERICK J. REILLY, Principal + + _Home Record of_.......... _Class_........ _Term, 19_........ + =========================================================================== + This record card is part of an effort to bring the home and the school + closer together; pupils will receive credit in school for the things they + do at home. + + Parents are invited to answer any or all of these questions as they see + fit, leaving blank any that they prefer not to answer. There is nothing + compulsory about this: children will not lose in class standing if the + parents do not choose to fill out this card. _Please return the card + in the envelop, sealed_. + =========================================================================== + Answer I to V, Yes or No |1st Mo.|2d Mo.|3d Mo.|4th Mo. + ---------------------------------------------+-------+------+------+------- + I. Does he get ready for school on time, | | | | + without constant urging? | | | | + ---------------------------------------------+-------+------+------+------- + II. Is he careful about having his hair, | | | | + neck, hands, shoes, etc., _clean_? | | | | + ---------------------------------------------+-------+------+------+------- + III. Does he keep his books, clothes, etc., | | | | + in the places assigned for them? | | | | + ---------------------------------------------+-------+------+------+------- + IV. Does he prepare his school work at a | | | | + regular time and without constant | | | | + urging? | | | | + ---------------------------------------------+-------+------+------+------- + V. Does he go to bed regularly at a | | | | + reasonable hour? | | | | + =========================================================================== + Answer VI to X more fully + ------------------------------------+-------------------------------------- + VI. Is he willing and helpful in |1st Mo. + little household duties? What +-------------------------------------- + does he do regularly for which |2d " + he deserves credit? +-------------------------------------- + |3d " + +-------------------------------------- + |4th " + ------------------------------------+-------------------------------------- + VII. Does he attend faithfully to |1st Mo. + any extra lessons, as music, +-------------------------------------- + dancing, gymnasium, religious |2d " + instruction, etc.? If so, what? +-------------------------------------- + |3d " + +-------------------------------------- + |4th Mo + ------------------------------------+-------------------------------------- + VIII. Has he any hobby at which he |1st Mo. + spends a considerable part of his +-------------------------------------- + time, as music, drawing, |2d " + photography, electricity, gardening,+-------------------------------------- + collecting, etc.? |3d " + +-------------------------------------- + |4th " + ------------------------------------+-------------------------------------- + IX. Does he read much? |1st Mo. + What does he read? +-------------------------------------- + |2d " + +-------------------------------------- + |3d " + +-------------------------------------- + |4th " + ------------------------------------+-------------------------------------- + X. Does he do anything else, not |1st Mo. + already mentioned, for which he +-------------------------------------- + deserves credits? |2d " + +-------------------------------------- + |3d " + +-------------------------------------- + |4th " + ------------------------------------+-------------------------------------- + SIGNATURE OF PARENT: + + 1st Mo......................... 3d Mo......................... + + 2d Mo......................... 4th Mo......................... +] + + * * * * * + +Superintendent E. B. Conklin, of Ontario, Malheur County, in 1912, +was the next in Oregon after Mr. O'Reilly to send a letter to +parents, and to arrange for giving credits on home work. On page +149 are the inside pages of the folder that Mr. Conklin devised; +it was the first of the printed home credit report cards. Notice +the entries of manners, of "doing before told," and of "kindness to +animals." + + * * * * * + +Mr. E. G. Bailey, superintendent of Ontario, 1913-14, writes that +they have been using home credits continuously there, and that the +system has proved to be a wonderful help. "It gets parents and +teachers together as nothing else can, and gives the superintendent +a show. The home work is to the teacher what the school work is to +the parent. The teacher is enabled to get an insight into the home +life of the pupil, which in turn enables her the better to deal +with whatever situation may arise. In the main the parents make an +effort to let the teacher know what the pupils are doing at home. +We have very few failures from parents not doing their duty in +this matter; where they fail, we refuse to send any report home. +Since adopting the system our attendance has been better, and the +punctuality has been better; in fact, things have been greatly +improved in every respect." + +[Illustration: + + ------------------------------------------------------------------- + E--Excellent. G--Good. + -------------------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + Sewing and mending.................. |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Bread-making........................ |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + General cooking..................... |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Setting and serving table........... |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Washing and wiping dishes........... |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Washing and ironing................. |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Sweeping and making beds............ |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Mopping and care of kitchen......... |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Care of younger children............ |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Making fires........................ |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Getting water, coal, kindling, etc.. |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Feeding stock or poultry............ |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Milking cows........................ |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Barn or yard work................... |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Garden or field work................ |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Errands............................. |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + ------------------------------------------------------------------- + F--Fair. P--Poor. + -------------------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- + + Cheerfulness, kindness.............. |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Order and care of clothes........... |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Cleanliness, bathing, etc........... |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Table manners....................... |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Politeness.......................... |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Keeping temper...................... |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Doing before told................... |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Care of language.................... |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + At home--off streets................ |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Courteous to parents................ |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Kindness to animals................. |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Care of playthings.................. |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Home study.......................... |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + | | | | | + Ambition to succeed................. |.....|.....|.....|.....|..... + -------------------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- +] + + * * * * * + +Early in December, 1913, a large meeting in the interest of social +center work was held in Roslyn, Washington. At this meeting the +city superintendent, Linden McCullough, explained the school credit +for home work idea. He advised that a vote be taken as to whether +the schools of that town should adopt the plan. The vote showed +that parents, teachers, and pupils were enthusiastic over the idea +and eager to try it. The Woman's Club of the city volunteered to +assist in every possible way. The following from letters from Mr. +McCullough gives the result of the trial:-- + + Seventy-five per cent of our seven hundred and fifty pupils are + taking advantage of the scheme. Our truant officer says that + every parent he has talked with has praised the plan, for the + reason that all the children do their chores with more spirit. + Our police officers have noticed a falling-off in the number of + children on the streets; so much so that juvenile court cases + are much fewer in number. The teachers notice an improvement in + school work along all lines. + + One boy in the fourth grade who was disagreeably indifferent + about his personal care now takes baths regularly, and always + brushes his hair, and keeps his clothing clean and neat. Roslyn + has a large number of foreign people. Teachers in the first + three grades say that parents of foreign children do not grasp + the idea very well, but that older brothers and sisters explain + its workings, and attend to keeping tab on the reports of the + little children. + +On the next two pages is a copy of the Roslyn folder. Notice the +entries of mending, cleaning yard, putting away playthings, work +done for wages, work "in father's place of business," home study +(school work), and reading good books. + +[Illustration: + + _Home Credit Report Card, Roslyn Public Schools_ + + _Name of Pupil_ ...... _Teacher_ ....... _Grade_ ... + + ----------------------------------+-----+------+-----+------+----- + |First|Second|Third|Fourth|Fifth + |month|month |month|month |month + ----------------------------------+-----+------+-----+------+----- + | | | | | + Caring for cows.................. |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Caring for chickens.............. |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Caring for horses................ |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Caring for hogs.................. |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Cleaning barn or yard............ |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Washing dishes................... |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Sweeping......................... |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Washing and ironing.............. |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Running errands.................. |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Caring for baby.................. |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Washing face and hands........... |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Combing hair..................... |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Cleaning teeth................... |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Going to bed at.................. |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Arising at....................... |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Sewing........................... |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Making beds...................... |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Peddling milk or papers.......... |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Scrubbing........................ |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Knitting......................... |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Mending.......................... |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Cleaning house................... |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Cleaning yard.................... |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Putting away playthings.......... |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Baking........................... |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Carrying kindling................ |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Carrying coal.................... |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Making fires..................... |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Splitting wood................... |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Washing windows.................. |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Work done for wages.............. |.....|......|.....|......|..... + | | | | | + Work, father's place of business. |.....|......|.....|......|...... + | | | | | + Caring for flowers............... |.....|......|.....|......|...... + | | | | | + Shoveling snow................... |.....|......|.....|......|...... + | | | | | + Home study, school work.......... |.....|......|.....|......|...... + | | | | | + Reading good books............... |.....|......|.....|......|...... + | | | | | + Cooking.......................... |.....|......|.....|......|...... + | | | | | + Gardening........................ |.....|......|.....|......|...... + | | | | | + Practicing music lesson.......... |.....|......|.....|......|...... + | | | | | + Odd jobs......................... |.....|......|.....|......|...... + ----------------------------------+-----+------+-----+------+------ +] + + * * * * * + +In Wilbur, Washington, a scheme providing for a credit report for +the semester is in successful operation. Here Superintendent E. O. +McCormick carries on the plan by means of two report cards, the one +sent from the school to the home, the other from the home to the +school, every six weeks. The home card is reproduced below. + +[Illustration: + + _Report Card from the Home to the School_ + + _For_............................ + _Name._ + + ......................................... + _Parent or Guardian._ + + _First Semester_ + -----------------------+-----------------+----------------+---------------- + Period | 1 | 2 | 3 + -----------------------+--------+--------+-------+--------+-------+-------- + Subjects |Average |Quality |Average|Quality |Average|Quality + |Time |of work,|Time |of work,|Time |of work, + Answer yes or no |Spent |Good, |Spent |Good, |Spent |Good, + |Daily |Fair, |Daily |Fair, |Daily |Fair, + | |Poor. | |Poor. | |Poor. + -----------------------+--------+--------+-------+--------+-------+-------- + Sleeping with open | | | | | | + window | .... | .... | .... | .... | .... | .... + | | | | | | + Keeping temper | .... | .... | .... | .... | .... | .... + | | | | | | + Washing teeth | .... | .... | .... | .... | .... | .... + | | | | | | + Time in recreation | .... | .... | .... | .... | .... | .... + | | | | | | + Off streets | .... | .... | .... | .... | .... | .... + -----------------------+--------+--------+-------+--------+-------+-------- + + + This report sent to the teacher when the report card is returned to the + school will help raise the standing of your child in its school work. + + E. O. MCCORMICK, _Supt_. + + The following subjects are of a suggestive nature; you may use as many + as may be applicable to your child. Others not listed may be used. Write + in the blank spaces on the front of this card those subjects under your + observation. + + Sawing wood. + Washing dishes. + Care of house. + Care of cows. + Making beds. + Sweeping. + Ironing. + + In bed by nine (yes or no). + Building fire in mornings. + Care of chickens. + Churning. + Making bread, biscuits, etc. + Preparing meals for family. + Blacking the stove. + + Any work or interest in home as shown by the child should be noted on + the front of the card, under the list of subjects. + + * * * * * + +Mrs. Elizabeth Sterling, of Clarke County, Washington, was one of +the first county superintendents to get out a card suitable for +use throughout her schools. She strongly urged the teachers of her +county to try the plan, and in 1914 eighty-five teachers were +operating it. This card provides a record for the whole school year, +with a general average for the nine months. To secure credit the +pupil is required to average eight hours per week, or thirty-two +hours per month, at "real honest, helpful labor that relieves the +father and mother of that amount of work." This done, the teacher +is to add three credits to the average gained by the pupil at the +school during the month of his or her studies. Additional credits +are to be given for more than thirty-two hours per month at the rate +of one credit for every ten hours' work. The parent or guardian is +cautioned to keep track of the number of hours that the boy or girl +actually spends per week at any of the kinds of work named on the +credit report card, or any other real work that is not there listed. +The printed list comprises:-- + + Milking. + Churning. + Turning separator. + Caring for horses. + Caring for cows. + Caring for pigs. + Caring for poultry. + Cleaning barn. + Splitting wood. + Carrying in wood. + Gardening. + Cooking. + + Baking. + Washing. + Ironing. + Sweeping. + Dusting. + Sewing. + Running errands. + Making beds. + Washing dishes. + Building fires. + Caring for little children. + + + + +II + +HOME CREDIT IN HIGH SCHOOLS + + +Several high schools have sent us reports of their plans for giving +credit for work outside of school. Some of these schools use plans +that differ considerably from those of the elementary schools where +the movement began; they lay emphasis on improvement in work, +and to this end they require that all the work be supervised by +the teachers of home economics, agriculture, commerce, or manual +training. Other high schools try to encourage the habit of industry, +no matter what the kind of work, and offer credit for such tasks as +running errands, delivering groceries, or carrying a paper route. In +my opinion both ideas are good; there is no end to the possibilities +of developing skill in home work under the instruction of one who +really knows how to do it, and there is also great value in the +encouragement of faithful industry in routine tasks. + +[Illustration: AUBURN, WASHINGTON, HIGH SCHOOL BOYS IN RAILROAD SHOPS + +This is good school equipment. It cost $200,000] + +Descriptions of parts of the work of a few high schools are given +here. + +In the High School of Santa Monica, California, two credits for +home work are allowed out of the total of sixteen required for +graduation, and pupils with a certain average standing who earn +eighteen credits, two of them for home work, may graduate _cum +laude_. + +Below is given a list of tasks for which school credit will be +allowed:-- + + _One-half credit per year_:-- + + Regular music lessons, instrumental or vocal, under + a competent instructor. + + Making own clothes for school. + + Doing family darning and mending. + + Preparing one meal a day for a year. + + Carrying paper route. + + _One-half credit for half-time for a year, or for full time for + summer vacation_:-- + + Clerking in store, bank, or office. + + Cement work, or work in any local trades or industries. + + Regular work on a farm. + + _One-half credit_:-- + + Raising one-fourth acre of potatoes, melons, onions, + strawberries, or similar products. + + Employment in a dressmaking or millinery establishment + for summer vacation. + + _One-fourth credit per year each_:-- + + Sleeping for one year in the open air. + + Retiring at 10 P.M. five days per week for one year. + + Taking a cold bath every morning five times per + week on an average for one year. + + Walking three miles per day for a year. + +Credit will be given for the following according to the amount of +work:-- + + Public speaking or reciting. Reading aloud to family or to + invalids. + + Horticulture. Gardening. Poultry-raising. Bee-culture. + + Taking care of cows or other animals. General dairy work. + + Sewing for the family. Doing the family laundry. House-cleaning, + bed-making, dish-washing, or any other useful work about the + house. + + Getting younger children ready for school every day. Caring for + a baby. + + Nursing the sick. + + Making a canoe or boat. Taking full care of an automobile. + Perfecting any mechanical contrivance for saving labor about the + home. + + Recognizing and describing twenty different native birds, trees + or flowers. + + Summer vacation travel with written description. + + Playing golf or tennis. Sea-bathing and swimming. + + Keeping a systematic savings bank account, with regular weekly + or monthly deposits. + + Keeping a set of books for father or some merchant. Doing + correspondence for father or other business man. + + Running errands. Delivering groceries. + + Singing in church choir. Teaching in Sunday school. + + Carpentry work. Cabinet-making, furniture construction. + + Working as forest ranger. + +[Illustration: + + SANTA MONICA HIGH SCHOOL + + Date ........................ 191.... + + I hereby declare my intention of earning ...... credits for home or outside + work by doing ............................................................. + ........................................................................... + + Signature of Pupil ..................................... + + I approve of the above and agree to observe and certify to the quantity and + quality of work performed. + + Signature of Parent .................................... + + I hereby certify that ........................ has faithfully performed the + above work, spending on the average ...... minutes per day for ....... days + and is in my judgment entitled to ...... credits. + + Signature of Parent or Employer .................................. + + Credits granted ............... Prin....................................... +] + + * * * * * + +In the High School at St. Cloud, Minnesota, great attention is paid +to vacation work as well as to work done during the school year. At +the beginning of the fall term the following questionnaire is sent +to high school pupils, and to elementary pupils above the fourth +grade: + +_Vacation Report--Grades Five to Twelve_ + + School. + + NOTE--Teachers are requested to have pupils fill out this blank + carefully. It is very important. Explain each question. Caution children + not to over- or under-estimate. + + 1. Name ............. Age ............. Grade or Class ................ + + 2. Did you help at home during the summer vacation? .................... + + 3. Did you take music lessons? ..... Travel? ..... Attend Summer School? + + 4. Did you do any work along the line of agriculture, horticulture, + gardening, bee-culture or poultry-raising? If so, what? ............. + ........ Estimate carefully the net profit ................... $..... + + 5. Did you have a flower garden? .............. Name six or more of the + leading flowers that you raised. .................................... + ..................................................................... + ..................................................................... + + 6. Name wild flowers, birds, or trees you have observed this summer. + Flowers ............................................................. + Birds ............................................................... + Trees ............................................................... + + 7. What pieces of hand-work, if any, did you do during vacation? + Wearing apparel ..................................................... + Household art ....................................................... + Wood ......................... Iron.................................. + Cement .............. Give estimated value of such hand-work $....... + + 8. What electrical contrivance or other home accessory did you + make to save your mother work? ...................................... + + 9. Which of the following home tasks did you do this summer? + Prepare one meal alone daily? ...... Bake the bread? ................ + Bake a cake? ....................... Make the beds? ................. + Do the washing? .................... Do the ironing? ................ + + 10. Are you sleeping in the open air or with open window? ............... + + 11. Can you swim 300 feet or more? ..... Did you learn this summer? ..... + + 12. Were you employed elsewhere than at home? ........................... + + 13. State kind of work done ............ Employer ....................... + + 14. Number of weeks employed ........... Amount earned per week. $....... + + 15. Total amount of cash earned during vacation. $....... + + 16. Fair estimate of the value of your home work. $....... + + 17. Total cash value of your summer work (items 15 and 16). $....... + + 18. Have you a savings bank account? ... Amount of your deposit. $....... + Principals ascertain amount of deposit for lower grades. $....... + +The financial results of this vacation work are summarized as +follows:-- + + _Total_ _Deposit_ + _Cash_ _Home Work_ _Earnings_ _in Bank_ + + High School $6,393.01 $1744.45 $8137.44 $2793.36 + Total for city 16,422.00 3666.15 9559.25 3144.92 + + Highest individual earnings -- High School $260.00 + " " " -- Grades 200.00 + Average " " -- High School 76.00 + Highest " deposit -- " " 300.00 + " " " -- Grades 500.00 + +Pupils may graduate with honor from the St. Cloud High School by +attaining certain standings and by offering two credits for home or +continuation work. One of the sixteen credits required for regular +graduation may be a credit for home or continuation work. + +The list of credits is divided into two parts, outside work and home +work. Among the many outside activities mentioned in the St. Cloud +list, we find:-- + + Literary society work, or rhetoricals, debate, public speaking, + or expressive reading, one-fourth unit per year. + + Granite or paving-block cutting, or work in any of the local + trades, shops, factories, or industries, one-fourth unit for + each summer vacation. + + Steady work on a farm, followed by a satisfactory essay on some + agricultural subject, one-fourth unit for three months. + + Raising one-fourth of an acre of onions, tomatoes, strawberries, + or celery, one acre of potatoes, two acres of pop corn, five + acres of corn or alfalfa, one-fourth unit. + + Running a split road drag or doing other forms of road-building + for three months, one-fourth unit. + + Judging, with a degree of accuracy, the different types of + horses, cattle, and hogs, one-fourth unit. + + "See Minnesota First" trip under approved instructor, with + essay, one-fourth unit. + +Among the home tasks are mentioned:-- + + Shingling or painting the house or barn. + + Making a canoe or boat. + + Swimming 300 feet at one continuous performance. + + Cooking meat and eggs three ways and making three kinds of cake. + Exhibit. + + Doing the laundry work weekly for three months. + + Recognizing and describing twenty different native birds, trees, + and flowers. + +The Ames, Iowa, High School course outlines out-of-school work in +three departments: agriculture, manual training, and home economics. +I quote from the home economics prospectus:-- + + Unless the work is ... made to connect with the work in the home + it loses much of its vitality. Our aim is to relate the home and + the school and permit each to contribute its share in making the + work vital, really worth while. The girl ... may carry into the + home some new ways of working, and there will be an exchange of + ideas between mother and daughter as to hows and whys ... that + will result beneficially to both. As the girl carries these + ideas and discoveries back into the school we shall be able to + know better the needs of home and social life, and hence so plan + our work that it may "carry over" into her out-of-school life. + +A total of two credits to apply on graduation may be earned in home +economics at the Ames High School. Three hundred points equal one +credit. + +Two hundred points each are offered for cookery, general housework +and sewing. + + Cooking is to be done for the family at home, and whenever + possible a sample brought to the school for examination, + together with the recipes giving itemized cost, and a signed + statement that the entire work was done by the girl herself. A + list of things to be cooked is given: ten dishes are required, + the other five are to be chosen from the list. The list for the + first year follows; dishes required are marked with a star and + receive seven points credit, the others receive six points. + + Some fresh vegetable cooked and served in a white + sauce. + + Potatoes in some form. + + Tapioca. + + Rice. + + Macaroni. + + Muffins. + + *Baking powder biscuit. + + *Plain cake, with or without frosting. + + *Drop cookies. + + *Rolled cookies. + + *Pastry. + + *Gelatin with soft custard. + + Cottage cheese. + + Scalloped dish. + + Custard, or some kind of custard pudding (bread, rice, + tapioca). + + Steamed brown bread. + + *Prune whip. } + + Marguerites. } One of these required; either may be chosen. + + Fondant candies. + + Salad with cooked or French dressing. + + *Sandwiches--three kinds of filling. + + *Bread. + + *Baked beans. + + General housework includes making girl's own bed each day; daily + and weekly care of bedroom, helping with general housework + one-half hour each day and one hour on Saturdays (sweeping, + dusting, ironing, washing dishes, washing windows, etc.). The + total credit for this is 12-1/2 points for one month. + + In the course in sewing, the home work is brought to school + for examination and grading. The list for second year sewing + follows:-- + + One-third credit--100 points, open to girls who are taking, or + who have completed second year sewing. + + Princess slip 50 points. + House dress 75 + Shirt waist 50 + Woolen skirt 75 + Made-over dress 75 + Nice dress 100 + +The High School at North Yakima, Washington, gives credit for work +in music under approved teachers; for practice-teaching (coaching) +by normal students in the grades; and for work in agriculture. + +The summer work in agriculture is planned before the close of the +school in the spring. + +Each pupil informs the instructor in agriculture as to the kind of +work he intends to do. The instructor visits each pupil several +times during the summer, discussing methods of work, results, etc., +with him and his employer, and designating pamphlets, bulletins, +and magazine articles for him to read. In 1914, fifty-four pupils +applied for credit for work in agriculture. + + _Rules for Summer Agricultural Work in North Yakima, Washington_ + + 1. Students may earn one credit in agriculture toward graduation + by work completed outside of school during the vacation period. + + 2. At least 250 hours of work must be completed before any + credit will be given. + + 3. Complete records and systematic reports kept by the + applicant, giving all information required, and signed by the + parent or employer, shall be filed with the instructor in + agriculture every two weeks. + + 4. Applicants shall secure such information as a result of + reading, study, and questioning experienced workers, as may be + necessary to convince the instructor in charge that the work has + been of sufficient educational value to justify the granting of + a credit. + + 5. Pupils wishing to receive credit for this work shall make + application for the privilege before beginning the work. Lists + of reference books, kinds and character of notebooks, shall be + designated by the instructor in agriculture. + + 6. An examination covering the work may be given by the school + authorities. + + 7. Work may be done along the following lines: + + _a._ Vegetable gardening work; keeping results of work done in + complete form. + + _b._ Feeding of stock, poultry, etc.; keeping records of foods + used, amounts and results obtained. + + _c._ Thinning, picking, packing, marketing, cultivation and + irrigation of fruits, etc. + + _d._ Eradication of blight, other orchard diseases and pests; + complete records of attempts to reduce damage done by these + causes. + + _e._ Growing of cereal, grass, or forage crops. + + _f._ Keeping records of dairy animals; milk testing records for + monthly periods. + + _g._ Care of bees, handling of honey, etc.; complete records. + + + + +APPENDIX + +KANSAS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE BULLETIN + + +Mr. John C. Werner, of the college extension division of the Kansas +State Agricultural College, wrote in 1914 a very valuable bulletin +entitled "School Credit for Home Work," the essential features of +which are given.[8] Notice that he recommends that pupils furnish +the reports themselves over their own signatures, as putting them on +their honor is considered valuable, and in justice due them. + + [8] For other quotations from this bulletin, see pages 46, 50, and + 51. + +In a letter Mr. Werner says: "My idea of giving credit is to use the +old laboratory method of requiring the student to do a reasonable +amount of work in a reasonable length of time. This allows for many +of the variable factors that enter into the problem; I think it is +better than to give so many points of credit for each piece of work +done." + + In the first six grades of the elementary school, where so much + depends upon using the child's knowledge which he has gained + from actual experiences about home, and the environment with + which he comes in contact which is really a part of himself, + we have the best basis for his further education. In these + grades it will be raising and not lowering our standards when + we give credit for home work and add it to the school credits + for passing grades. All of the subjects of these grades should + be so closely affiliated with the home life of the child as to + warrant our doing this. It is so important that the child be + engaged in the actual doing of things that the perfect grade of + 100 per cent should be divided into two divisions: (1) A maximum + of 90 per cent for school work. (2) A maximum of 10 per cent for + home work when proper records and reports are kept. + + In the seventh and eighth grades and in the high school, work + corresponding to the age and ability of the pupils should + be introduced and made part of the laboratory work, giving + two fifths of a unit of credit. Here written reports of the + operations performed should be worked out by the pupils and + presented as class work. Classes should visit the dairy barns, + feeding pens, gardens, corn or grass fields, orchards, etc. + Pupils should carry on considerable individual home work, which + should continue throughout the summer as well as winter season. + This credit should be counted in agriculture, domestic arts and + manual-training courses. + + The various contests among the boys and girls, that are + conducted in all parts of the state, certainly should be + counted worthy of school credit. These contests are directly or + indirectly under the auspices of the Agricultural College, and + numerous bulletins are sent to the contestants. Many children + actually receive in these contests almost the equal of a year's + course in school. + + +_Suggestive List of Subjects for Credit for Home Work_ + + 1. _Agriculture_ + + Milking cows. + Feeding horses. + Cleaning cow barns. + Cleaning horse barns. + Feeding cows. + Feeding sheep. + Feeding beef cattle. + Feeding hogs. + Feeding poultry. + Watering stock. + Churning. + Turning separator. + Tending fires. + Running errands. + Digging potatoes. + Hitching and unhitching horses. + Beating rugs. + Hauling feed. + Pumping water. + Cutting wood. + Carrying in fuel. + Getting the cows. + Gathering eggs. + Tending to the poultry house. + Tending pig pen. + Bedding of stock. + Preparing kindling. + Miscellaneous. + + 2. _Domestic Arts_ + + Preparing meals. + Making biscuits. + Baking bread. + Baking cake. + Baking pie. + Washing clothes. + Ironing clothes. + Caring for baby. + Overseeing home while mother is away. + Scrubbing floor. + Washing dishes. + Wiping dishes. + Making beds. + Sweeping the house. + Dusting rugs. + Airing bedclothes. + Ventilating bedroom. + Dressing the baby. + Canning fruit. + Caring for milk. + Sewing. + Dusting furniture. + Care of self. + Making dress. + Making apron. + Care of teeth. + Setting the table. + Care of sick. + Miscellaneous. + + 3. _Manual Training_ + + Making farm gate. + Making peck crate. + Making chair. + Making clothes rack. + Making pencil sharpener. + Making T-square. + Making towel roller. + Making ruler. + Making picture frame, halved + together joints, end and center. + Making mortise and tenon joint. + Making bookrack. + Miscellaneous. + Making ax handle. + Making hayrack. + Making ironing board. + Making cutting board. + Making tool rack. + Making staffboard liner. + Making vine rack. + Making sandpaper blocks. + Making mail box. + Open mortise and tenon joint (end). + Making halving joint, or angle + splice joint. + Making feed hopper. + Making whippletree. + Making wood rack. + Making bench hook. + Making coat hanger. + Making nail box. + Making table. + Making flower-pot stand. + Making key board. + Making pen tray. + Making mortise and tenon joint + (center). + Making dovetail joint. + Making panel door. + Making work bench. + + 4. _Home Contests_ + + Corn acre contest. + Poultry and pig contest. + Sewing contest. + Potato plot contest. + Tomato contest. + Canning contest. + Garden contest. + Bread-baking contest. + Miscellaneous. + +_Plan for Allowing Credit_ + +It is absolutely essential in taking up this work that the teacher +make a careful survey in her neighborhood of the kinds of home work +that the pupils have opportunity to do. The pupils should be put +on their honor in reporting their work, and the teacher must work +out the amount of credit time the various items are to receive, and +from the pupils' reports grade the work. A large number of items +should be included and given their relative weight. Quality as well +as quantity must be judged by the teacher. This supplies a working +basis for coöperation between home and school. + +Besides the credits earned in the particular subjects of +agriculture, domestic arts and manual training, where 216 hours will +add two fifths of a unit, other work may be given some additional +credit up to say 10 per cent, as physiology and geography. It is +also possible that subjects such as English and arithmetic may be +so correlated as to be at least partially considered in connection +with the agriculture, domestic arts, and manual training by the +composition required and the problems furnished. + +It is not expected that any boy or girl will enter all of the +contests. Contests which require 216 hours' work should be given two +fifths of a unit credit in the subject to which it belongs. If the +child in the contest is below the seventh grade, the work should add +to his entire school grade up to 10 per cent. The fairness of this +plan will appeal to the boys and girls, for the girl or boy who has +third, fourth or fifth place in the contest deserves credit as well +as the one who wins first place. + +It is the object in the credit for home work both to recognize +and give credit because of the educational value to the child of +such work which he does with his hands, and it is also hoped to +develop the child into a better worker, so that the work performed +will be constantly of a higher order as the child grows older. In +other words, we have a constantly changing variable as the child +grows older as to the time necessary to do certain work, and the +proficiency with which the work is done. Speed in doing things is +not the only consideration, and yet all work should be done with +reasonable dispatch. + +In inaugurating this work it seems that the ordinary laboratory +method for giving credit is quite as well adapted to home laboratory +work as it is to school laboratory work. If the perfect grade, 100 +per cent in the elementary school in grades 1 to 6, inclusive, be +divided into two parts, i.e., a maximum of 90 per cent for school +work and a maximum of 10 per cent for home work for all pupils who +desire to do the home work, then one tenth of the number of hours +in the school year may be taken as the basis for credit. Counting +the double period, as should be done, 216 hours or 6 hours per week +would be the required time for the nine-months' term of school to +receive full credit. The pupil would, therefore, need to work at +home six hours per week. This work should be scattered throughout +the week as evenly as possible, with the opportunity of doing not +to exceed three hours' work in any one day, as, for example, on +Saturday. As in the laboratory system, the pupils, regardless of +the overtime put in, could only receive full credit for any year. +Pupils who do not have the chance for home work will not be affected +in their work, as the usual method of grading will apply to them. +Conditions must determine the time necessary for any given piece of +work. For example, if one boy feeds a team of horses in ten minutes, +another in fifteen minutes, another in five minutes, and another in +thirty minutes, under similar conditions, perhaps one boy is working +too rapidly and another too slowly. From such reports it seems that +twelve to fifteen minutes should be allowed for feeding a team of +horses. + +The best and most profitable division of time for the home work +would be about thirty minutes, both morning and evening, each day. +During these work periods different things should be done, and +during the year it is to be hoped that a large variety of different +kinds of work may be included. If the home is in sympathy with the +child's work it can help very materially in setting tasks for the +child that are of the most profitable nature. + + +_Reports to Teachers_ + +The pupils should furnish the reports themselves over their own +signatures for the home work. Putting them on their own honor is +valuable and in justice is due them. Since results must be produced +in most kinds of work, the teacher can judge quite accurately as to +the value of work. + +[Illustration: + +_Illustrative Report Card_ + + _Weekly report home work._ _Date_.................... + _Elementary school_. + + _Pupil_................... + + ----------------+---------------+-------------------------------------------- + | | Time spent each day. + | +------+-------+-------+-------+-------+----- + Work. |Remarks. | | | | | | + | | M. | T. | W. | T. | F. | S. + ----------------+---------------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+----- + Feeding horses. |1 team, twice | | | | | | + |each day | 20 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 20 + ----------------+---------------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+----- + Cut wood |1/2 cord, stove| | | | | | + |length | | | | | | 150 + ................|...............|......|.......|.......|.......|.......|..... + | | | | | | | + ................|...............|......|.......|.......|.......|.......|..... + | | | | | | | + ................|...............|......|.......|.......|.......|.......|..... + ----------------+---------------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+----- +] + + * * * * * + +Credit for seventh and eighth grades and high school grades should +be allowed for efficient home work when properly reported as +laboratory requirement in agriculture, domestic arts and manual +training. In these grades all careful, systematic work during the +summer season, as well as the regular school year, such as corn +acre, garden, potato plot, tomato, poultry, pig, canning, sewing, +cooking, and butter-making contests, should be used for laboratory +credit. Of course accurate records of the work must be made at +the time the work is performed. Schools that have an agricultural +teacher during the entire year will directly supervise this work. In +other schools the reports will be used as part of the next year's +regular class work. Suitable report blanks should be used by the +pupils and kept in laboratory notebook form. + +The pupils of seventh, eighth and high-school grades who do 216 +hours of acceptable home work should be given two fifths of a unit +of credit in the subjects of agriculture, domestic arts, or manual +training. Here again the pupil should do some different kinds of +work and make the experience somewhat varied. In the home laboratory +the teacher will determine a standard amount of work of any kind to +be performed in a given time. + + + + +CALIFORNIA REPORT ON OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES + + +At the January, 1914, meeting of the California Teachers' +Association the following report on credit for work done outside of +the school was submitted by Mr. Hugh J. Baldwin:-- + + + _Credit for Work Done Outside of School_ + + Fulfilling the wishes of this organization, your committee + sent communications to the heads of departments of large + manufacturing and commercial interests, to managers of railroads + and educational institutions, requesting information on lines + of work upon which you wished a report. Not only were the + circulars answered promptly, but, in many cases, the answers + were remarkable. Some of them suggested in definite language how + outside activities might be made harmoniously supplemental to + our regular school work, better articulated therewith than had + been planned. + + * * * * * + + Many strong reasons were given; one of the most potent was that + the innovation would change the present attitude of the average + person towards labor--in other words, to dignify the labor + of the land, to honor and respect the woman who can prepare + nourishing food in the kitchen or the man who can contribute to + the world's wealth from his garden. + + Another strong thought from this compilation of opinions + resulted in the contrast between the systems of American and + German polytechnic or manual training education. The German + schools secure the coöperation of the factories and shops and + stores where there is particular industrial training given, all + without cost to state or municipality for the tuition. On the + other hand, in the United States, the only manual training that + has been attempted by the school authorities has been at greater + expense to the people. + + In communities where there is no special educational industrial + training the subject of this committee work is very important. + "Outside Activities," or credit on school reports for work + done by school children at home, has now a place in the course + of study of San Diego County. The plan has passed from the + experimental stage, having been given a thorough tryout in all + the schools. From all parts of the county reports have come + full of enthusiasm telling of the excellent working of the + plan. To be sure there are a few adverse reports. We find that + communities largely Mexican in complexion evince little interest + in the plan. + + + + +INDEX + + + Agriculture, 19, 131, 156, 162, 164, 165, 168. + + Alderman, Superintendent, 17. + + Algebra, 8, 9, 24, 25, 34, 35. + + Algona, Wash., 42, 107, 110. + + Ames, Iowa, 162-64. + + Arithmetic, 27, 30, 31, 47, 58, 61. + + Ashland, Ore., 135. + + Auburn, Wash., 28, 29. + + + Bailey, E. G., 148. + + Baldwin, Hugh J., 174. + + Banks and banking, 13. + + Banner, school, 13, 14. + + Bathing, 41, 42, 51, 107, 125. + + Belknap, Mrs. E. H., letters, 48, 49, 69, 70. + + Bellingham, Wash., 104. + + Benton County, Ore., 6. + + Blanks, home credit. _See_ Cards. + + Bread-making, 8, 10, 65. + + Bulletin for teachers, Spokane County, Ore., 89, 90. + + Burns, Miss Veva, 124. + + Burnt Ridge, Wash., 84, 85. + + + Cake-making, 22, 92. + + Calavan, C. C., 110, 111. + + California Report on Outside Activities, 174, 175. + + Canning, 130. + + Cards, home record, 71-172. + + Care of language, 41. + + Certificate of Promotion with Distinction, 138-41. + + Charleston, Wash., 128, 130. + + Cheerfulness, 41. + + Cheney, Wash., 92. + + Chores, 17, 36, 120, 121, 151. + + Church attendance, 110, 111, 132. + + Clackamas County, Ore., 14, 32, 154. + + Claxton, Mr., Commissioner of Education, 6. + + Cleaning yard, 151. + + Cleanliness, 11. + + Commerce, 156. + + Conklin, Superintendent E. B., 6, 148. + + Consolidation of schools, 25. + + Contests, rules of, 73-80, 83, 103, 104, 113, 114, 126, 130-33; + for summer agricultural work, 165, 166. _See_ Prizes. + + Cooking, 8, 10, 34, 48, 118, 163. + + Coöperation, of parents and teachers, 39, 46-48; + plan for school and home, 143-45. + + Courtesy to parents, 41. + + Cowlitz County, Wash., 102. + + Credit for home work, system of, author's article on, 3-6; + the case of Mary, 7-10; + in O'Reilly's school, 11-23; + revitalizing effect of, 25-33; + honors labor, 34-38; + illustrative cards of, 71-155; + in high schools, 156-66. + + Credits, prizes for, 11-13, 19-22, 32, 37, 88, 90, 97, 124, 128. + + Credit-vouchers. _See_ Vouchers. + + Crook County, Ore., 6. + + + Daily reports, 73-172. + + Dallas, Ore., 125. + + Davis, Superintendent Joel O., 135, 136. + + Dish-washing, 9, 34, 118. + + "Doing before told," 41, 148. + + Domestic arts, 48, 51, 130, 169. + + Domestic science, 22, 49, 50, 130. + + Drawing, 36, 37. + + Dudley, W. E., 30. + + Dunlap, Oscar L., 88. + + Dykstra, R. G., 120. + + + Elliott, Superintendent H. W., 128, 130, 131. + + Eugene, Ore., High School, 47. + + Eveline, Wash., 96. + + + Fairs, school, 19-22, 128, 130. + + Farm labors, 28, 30-32, 52. + + Feeding the poultry, 42. + + Fitchburg, Mass., 30. + + Forfeitures, 79, 80. + + + Garage work, 28, 29. + + Gary, T. J., article by, on O'Reilly's school, 14-18. + + General housework, 163, 164. + + Geometry, 29. + + Grades, 36. + + + Habit-building, 39-45. + + Harrowing, 31. + + Health, care for, home duty, 11. + + Heath, Harry F., 96-98. + + High schools, home credit in, 156-66. + + History, 9. + + Hoagland, Mrs. Sarah J., story by, 60-65; + letter from, 65-68. + + Holidays, 16, 37, 70, 84, 90, 121, 124, 125, 135. + + Holton, Kansas, 77. + + Home contests, 169. _See_ Contests. + + Home credit plans, illustrative, 71-175. _See_ Plans, Rules. + + Home economics, 130, 156, 162, 163. + + Home study, 151. + + Home work, newspaper article on, by author, 3-6; + inception of idea, 7; + Spring Valley School, 11-23. _See_ Plans. + + Hopewell High School, 23. + + Horticulture, 131. + + Housekeeping, 51. + + Hover, Wash., 47. + + + Idaho plan, 125. + + Illustrative home credit plans, 71-175. + + Immorality among children, 44. + + Industrial work, 4, 5, 21. + + Industry, 40. + + Interest in work, 26. + + + Jackson County, Ore., 132, 134, 135. + + James, William, quoted on habit, 39. + + Jefferson, Ore., 48. + + Jenkins, Lucia, 104. + + + Kansas State Agricultural College, 50; + Bulletin, 72, 167-73. + + Keeping temper, 41. + + Kindness, 41; + to animals, 148. + + King County, Wash., 107. + + + Labor, honoring, 34-38. + + "Laboratory of the Rural School, The," 51, 52. + + Lane County, Ore., 6, 22. + + Letters, from teachers and school officials: Mrs. Hoagland, 65-67, + 69, 70; + N. V. Rowe, 83, 84; + Mrs. Toman, 85; + O. L. Dunlap, 88; + McFarland, 91; + Miss Merritt, 96; + H. F. Heath, 96-98; + Miss Jenkins, 103, 104; + Mrs. Maynard, 106, 107; + Miss Burns, 124, 125; + Miss Rarey, 125; + Mrs. McKinney, 135; + J. O. Davis, 135-38; + Linden McCullough, 150, 151; + J. C. Werner, 167; + other teachers, 94; + from parents, 94, 95; + from pupils, 92, 93, 105; + from a Portland woman, 120. + + Lewis County, Wash., 96. + + Lewiston, Idaho, 143. + + Los Angeles, Cal., 141-43. + + + Mack, A. R., 77. + + Making garden, 85. + + Malheur County, Ontario, 148. + + Manners, 148. + + Manual training, 131, 156, 162, 169. + + Marion County, Ore., a letter from, 69, 70; + card system of, 86, 88. + + Marks, 37. + + Mary, the story of, 7-10. + + Mathematics, 29. _See_ Algebra, Arithmetic, Geometry. + + Maynard, Mrs. Lou Albee, 104, 106. + + McCormick, Superintendent E. O., 153. + + McCullough, Linden, 150. + + McFarland, E. G., 88, 91, 94. + + McKinney, Mrs. Bertha, 135. + + McMinnville, Ore., 7. + + Mending, 151. + + Merritt, Miss Lizzie K., 95. + + Military drill, 47. + + Milking, 30. + + Minnehaha, Wash., 30. + + Montana, a school in, 65-68. + + Music, 131, 164. + + Myrtle Creek, Ore., 48. + + + Neatness, 41. + + Nebraska, a story from, 60-65. + + New York City, 145. + + North Dallas School, Polk County, Ore., 122, 124. + + North Yakima, Wash., 164-66. + + + Ontario, 148. + + Oregon, University of, 3; + teachers in, 6; + Mr. O'Reilly's school at Spring Valley, 6, 11-23; + home credit schools in, 71. + + Oregon City, 14. + + _Oregon Teachers' Monthly_, 120. + + O'Reilly, A. J., home credit school of, 6, 11-23, 41; + his method of daily reports, 72-77. + + + Parents, and teachers, coöperation between, 39, 46-48, 120; + letters from, 94, 95. + + Pend Oreille County, Wash., 138. + + Percentages, 36. + + Personal care, 41, 42, 108, 112, 113. + + Plan for school and home coöperation, 143-145. + + Plans, illustrative home credit: Spring Valley School, 73-77; + Holton, Kan., 77-83; + St. John, Wash., 83, 84; + Burnt Ridge, Wash., 84, 85; + Salem Heights, Wash., 88; + Spokane Co., 89, 90; + Eveline, Wash., 96-101; + Cowlitz Co., Wash., 102-04; + District 61 School, Wash., 104-07; + Algona, Wash., 107-12; + Portland, Ore., 112-20; + Polk Co., Ore., 120; + Suver, Ore., 120-23; + North Dallas, Ore., 124, 125; + near Dallas, Ore., 125; + Idaho, 125-27; + Charleston, Wash., 128-32; + Jackson Co., Ore., 132-35; + Weston, Ore., 132, 135-38; + Pend Oreille Co., Wash., 138-41; + Los Angeles, Cal., 141-43; + Lewiston, Idaho, 143-45; + the Bronx, New York City, 145-47; + Mr. Conklin's, 148; + Ontario, 148-50; + Roslyn, Wash., 150-53; + Wilbur, Wash., 153, 154; + Clarke Co., Wash., 154, 155; + Santa Monica, Cal., 157-59; + St. Cloud, Minnesota, 160-62; + Ames, Iowa, 162-64; + North Yakima, Wash., 164-66; + Mr. Werner's, 167-73. + + Politeness, 41. + + Polk County, Ore., 6, 11, 120, 122. + + Portland, Ore., 32, 36, 112-14. + + Portland home credit record, 42. + + Practice-teaching, 164. + + Practicing music, 85. + + Prizes, for credits in home work, 11-13, 19-22, 32, 37, 88, 90, + 97, 124, 128. + + Purpose, lacking in schools, 49. + + Putting away playthings, 151. + + + Rarey, Miss Miriam H., 125. + + Reading good books, 151. + + Record cards, 71-172. + + Reilly, Frederick J., 145. + + Report of committee on home credits, Los Angeles, 141-43. + + Reports, daily, 73-172. + + Responsibilities, 36, 52. + + Roslyn, Wash., 150. + + Rowe, N. V., 83. + + Rules of contests, 73-80, 83, 103, 104, 113, 114, 126, 130-33; + for summer agricultural work, 165, 166. + + Running errands, 156. + + + Sadie and Stella, 53-59. + + St. Cloud, Minnesota, 160-62. + + St. John, Wash., 83. + + Salem, Ore., 11, 14, 19, 20. + + Salem Heights, Ore., 88. + + Santa Monica, Cal., 157-59. + + Sawing wood, 85. + + School and home coöperation, 143-45. + + "School Credit for Home Work," 167. + + Schoolhouse janitor, 95. + + Schools, consolidation of, 25. + + Scrubbing, 42. + + Sewing, 3, 47, 51, 163. + + Seymour, Superintendent, 13, 14, 122, 124. + + Shepherd, Miss Grace M., 125. + + Sheridan High School, 22. + + Shopwork, 28. + + Simmonds, F. W., 143. + + Sleeping with window open, 44. + + Slips, home credit. _See_ Cards. + + Smith, W. M., 86. + + Soules, Miss Hester C., 138. + + Spelling, 32, 33; + contest, 13, 14, 18. + + Spokane, Wash., 32, 89, 91. + + Spokane Chamber of Commerce, 89. + + Spokane County, Wash., 88, 89, 91, 95. + + Spring Valley, Ore., Mr. O'Reilly's school at, 6, 11-23, 72-77. + + Standings, 36. + + Stella and Sadie, 53-59. + + Sterling, Mrs. Elizabeth, 154. + + Suggestions for using "Home Record Slip," 112, 113. + + Sunday school attendance, 110, 132. + + Suver, Polk County, Ore., school at, 120. + + Sweeping, 42. + + + Tardiness, 27, 57, 84, 121. + + Teachers, and parents, coöperation between, 39, 46-48; + a story from, 60-65; + letters from, _see_ Letters. + + Tidiness, 137. + + Todd, Mr., 28-30. + + Toman, Mrs. Verona E., 84, 85. + + Toothbrushing, 41-43, 107. + + + Umatilla County, Ore., 132. + + + Vacation report, 160, 161. + + Vancouver, Wash., 32. + + Voice, care of, 43. + + Vouchers, 77, 96-99. + + + Walking, credit for, 120, 121. + + Wasco County, Ore., 6. + + Washing dishes, 9, 42. + + Washington, home credit schools in, 71. + + Weekly reports, 86, 88. + + Wells, J. Percy, 132. + + Werner, John C., 167. + + Weston, Ore., 132, 135, 136. + + Weston Public School, 136. + + Whitman County, Wash., 83. + + Wilbur, Wash., 153. + + Winship, Dr., 11. + + Work, done for wages, 151; + in father's place of business, 151. _See_ Labor. + + + Yamhill County, Ore., 6, 24. + + * * * * * + +Transcriber's note: + +Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. +Irregularities and inconsistencies in the text have been retained as +printed. + +The illustrations have been moved so that they do not break up +paragraphs. + +Mismatched quotes are not fixed if it's not sufficiently clear where +the missing quote should be placed. + +The cover for the eBook version of this book was created by the +transcriber and is placed in the public domain. + +Rather than |||||, tally marks in the book are four upright bars with +the fifth bar crossing the other four diagonally. See footnote 7, and +pages 130 and 181. + +In addition to obvious errors, the following changes have been made: + + 1. Page 118: the word "a" was added in the phrase: "a lonely art + student" + + 2. Page 133: transposed words "be will" were corrected to "will + be" in the phrase: "will be improved" + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of School Credit for Home Work, by +Lewis Raymond Alderman + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44102 *** |