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diff --git a/44102-8.txt b/44102-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 89ad240..0000000 --- a/44102-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6788 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's School Credit for Home Work, by Lewis Raymond Alderman - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: School Credit for Home Work - -Author: Lewis Raymond Alderman - -Release Date: November 4, 2013 [EBook #44102] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SCHOOL CREDIT FOR HOME WORK *** - - - - -Produced by Bryan Ness, Julia Neufeld and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -book was produced from scanned images of public domain -material from the Google Print project.) - - - - - -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 THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SCHOOL CREDIT FOR HOME WORK *** - -***** This file should be named 44102-8.txt or 44102-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/4/1/0/44102/ - -Produced by Bryan Ness, Julia Neufeld and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -book was produced from scanned images of public domain -material from the Google Print project.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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