---------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+--_School Credit for Home Work

| 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

| | | | | | | |

wood | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...

| | | | | | | |

3. Milking | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...

| | | | | | | |

or cows | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...

| | | | | | | |

5. Cleaning barn | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...

| | | | | | | |

or pigs | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...

| | | | | | | |

7. Turning separator | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...

| | | | | | | |

8. Churning | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...

| | | | | | | |

or dusting | 25 | ... | 20 | 30 | 10 | ... | 20 | 105

| | | | | | | |

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 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...

| | | | | | | |

children | 30 | 90 | 60 | ... | ... | ... | 60 | 240

16. Building fires | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...

| | | | | | | |

17. Bathing | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 10 | 10

| | | | | | | |

18. Brushing teeth | 5 | ... | ... | 5 | ... | ... | 6 | 16

| | | | | | | |

open window | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 70

| | | | | | | |

o'clock | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 70

| | | | | | | |

or Sunday School | 10 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 10

| | | | | | | |

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....... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...

chickens........... | 15 | ... | 20 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 95

errands............ | ... | 60 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 120 | 180

| | | | | | | |

A. Bathing............ | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | x | ...

B. Brushing teeth..... | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ...

open windows....... | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ...

9 o'clock.......... | x | x | x | x | ... | x | x | ...

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 | ...

| | | | | | | |

open windows | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ...

| | | | | | | |

9 o'clock | ... | x | x | x | x | x | x | ...

| | | | | | | |

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 | ...

| | | | | | | |

open windows | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |

| | | | | | | |

9 o'clock | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...

| | | | | | | |

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.