The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-06-17
CREDIT HOME DUTIES
Prof. L. r. Alderman of u. of O., Pre-
sents Subject of School Credit
for Home Duties.

The following interesting article is
| from the pen CT Prof. l.. R. Alderman
| who gave an address along the same
lines while in Athena last winter.
Prof. Alderman writes the Press as
| follows:
| That civilization is founded on the
bone, all will agree. The school
should be real helper of the home.
How can the school help the home?
How can it help the home esta blish
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. 1t is my convic-
ton, based upon careful and contin-
uous 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, aud 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.
A school garden was planned in the
city and one of the bows was employed
to plow the land. Seventy-flve chill
dren were watching for him to come
with the team. At last he came driv-
ing around the corner. He could man-
age team. He drove into the 1T.
and hundred and fifty eyes looked
with admiration at the boy who could
unhitch from the sled and hitch on to
the plow. and then as be. imam fash
ion," lines over one shoulder and un-
der one arm, drove the big team around
the field. all could feel the childxen's &
admiration for the boy who could dc
something worth while. / have seer
girl who could make good bread ol
set a table nicely, get the real admir-
alton Of her schoolmates.
| The school can help make bette
home builders. 1t can help by in
dustrial work done in the school, bu
as that is already receiving consider
alton by the press and in a few schools
| l shall not in this short article trea
of it.
The plan have in mind will cost nj
money, will take but little school tins
and can be put into operation in ever,
part of the state at once. 1t will Gre
ate demand for expert instruction
later on. 1t is to give school credit
for industrial work done at home.
The mother and father are to be rec
ognised as teachers. and the school
teacher put into the position of one
who cares about the halits and tastes
of the whole child. Then the teacher
and the parents will have much in
common. Every home has the equip
ment for industrial work and has
somebody who uses it with moro or
| Less skill.
The school has made so many de-
mands 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.
and these habits can only come from
real home making. What ole does
depends as much upon habit as upon
knowledge. Ihe criticism that is most
often made upon industrial work at
school is that it is so different from
the work done at home that it does
not put the child into that sympathet-
10 relation with the home. which after
all is for him and the home the most
important thing in the world. Juve-
nile institutions find that they must
be careful not to institutionalize the
child to the extent that he may not bt
contented in real home. In my opin
ion it will be great thing for the
child to want to help bis parents to de
the task that needs to be dcne and tt
want to do it in the best possible way
The reason that SO many country boy
are now the leading men Of affairs il
because early in life they bad the re
sponsibility of home thrust upon them
am sure that the motto, every body
HELPS" is good one.
4 But one says, "How can it II
brought about? How can the schoo
give credit for industrial work done a
homer" This may be accomplished b,
printed slips asking the homes to tak'
account of the work that the chilt
does at home under the instruction o.
the home. and explaining that credi
will be given this work on the schoo
record. These slips must be prepares
for children according to age so tina
the ohild will not be asked to do to-
much, for it must be clearly recog
nised that children must have tim
for real play. The required tasks mus
not be too arduous, yet they must b
real tasks. They must not te task
that will put extra work on parent
except in the matter of instruction
and observation. They may well cal
for the care of animals, and shoul'
include garden work for both boys an,
girls. Credit In school for home in
dustrial work with the parents con
sent) should count as much as an
one study in school.
To add interest to the work, exhi
billions should be given at stated time
SO that all may learn from each othe