In view of my personal experiences I have often wondered_School Credit for Home Work

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

| | | | | | | |

windows | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | 7

| | | | | | | |

9 o'clock | x | x | x | x | x | x | --- | 6

| | | | | | | |

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.

------------------------+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

------------------------+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-----+--+--

.............................................

_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_