USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Reading > Town of Reading Massachusetts annual report 1928 > Part 11
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A. In arithmetic the individual method of work has been introduced in the fifth and sixth grades and a new departure in marking has followed. There is no longer a mark of "A," "B," "C" or "D" but each pupil goes ahead at his own rate of speed. There is simply a ladder to climb and the report shows how far the pupil has progressed and where the majority of his group stand.
B. The reading in the fifth and sixth grades is also largely an in- dividual matter now. Last year we made a thorough testing with Monroe and Stanford reading tests and found the reading age and grade of every child. These marks were tabulated for teacher's reference and books care- fully fitted to ages and grades were placed in each fifth and sixth grade for individual reading.
In addition to this we have a large number of books loaned by the library and many of the children have library cards of their own. One hundred and twenty-one certificates have been given out to children for reading five or more books and passing in a report of the same. During
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the silent reading period, each child may have a different book. He passes in a brief report of the book he has read to the teacher. During the oral reading time the pupil reads something new to an audience whom he is ex- pected to interest. This reading may be a carefully prepared selection from some book he has just read or a bit of poetry which he personally likes. It may take the form of sight reading from an interesting book chosen by the teacher where each child takes his turn until the story is finished. Those children who do not need drill in the mechanics of reading may, during the drill period be dramatizing a story, preparing to give a lecture on something of interest to the class, gathering interesting informa- tion on some topic in history or geography to enrich those subjects.
C. The Course in Social Studies has included a regular course on Thrift based on Barnard's Teaching Outline and the bank stamps obtained from the automatic banking machine placed in our schools by the First National Bank of Reading. The bank reports to us that more savings have been deposited this year than ever before, proof enough that our thrift teaching is having results. A very thorough course of study in Thrift Edu- cation is being carried out in the Highland School, Grades V and VI, under the instruction of Miss Grace, who reports a total savings from some 300 pupils of $669.89 from November 19, 1928 to December 17, 1928. This money was saved from the pupil's allowances and earnings and deposited in Home Banks, Savings Accounts and Co-operative Banks, as well as in Bank Stamp Savings.
The following figures represent the total amounts that each school has deposited in Bank Stamp Savings during the period from September to December 31, 1928 :
School
Number of Pupils
Amt. Saved
Percent of Stamps
Chestnut Hill
37
$ 40.19
103%
Center
201
123.17
61
Prospect
169
56.45
33
Lowell
135
39.51
29
Highland
400
119.57
29
Junior High
539
54.01
10
Deposited in Bank Machine on
Saturdays and Holidays
Total
1,481
$515.90
35
Thirty-five per cent of our school pupils save regularly through Bank Stamp Savings.
In the sixth grades the individual method of study is being tried out with the new note books Directed Study in History by Schenk and Or- ton. The results so far have been most satisfactory.
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D. A complete course of study in Health has been introduced in the 5th and 6th grades. This course of study is based on the Cleveland Tentative Outline. The work is planned largely for pupil participation in socialized recitation and project work. It aims to give the pupils an idea of the importance of studying Health as a necessity to the wholesome en- joyment of life not as an end in itself.
3. These files contain test results, age-grade and personality studies, the most important use of which is to aid in simplifying pupil promotions, making them more objective and fair to the child. Each grade is listed separately. The following data is considered:
1. Name
(Alphabetical list of pupils taken from registers).
2. School or Room in which registered.
3. Date of Birth (Certified by the school census).
4. Chronological Age reckoned for April 1st.
(Cases of under-age and over-age pupils noted for further study).
5. Mental age reckoned for April 1st.
6. Intelligence Quotients.
(The most reliable I. Q's. taken from the Intelligence tests rec- ords; exceptional cases noted).
7. Educational Ages and Grades
8. Reading Grades.
9. Arithmetic Grades.
(Factors 7. 8. 9. are taken from the Stanford Achievement tests records for April. In order to estimate pupil progress each pupil's Stanford record for the previous year is also noted).
10. Teachers' Estimates (taken from report cards).
Poorest subject.
Best subject.
Honors.
Average grade in school.
11. Test Results :
Arithmetic scores in Fundamentals and Grade Work Language Scores.
Stanford Grade; Los Angeles Grade; Composition Work.
12. Personality Traits :
School History. Work Habits.
Any personal factors likely to influence school success.
Remarks on Retardation or Acceleration.
Final Promotion or Group Assigned.
4. Homogeneous Grouping. What is it? Why do we practice it ?
We have found that our pupils do a better grade of work when they study in groups of like abilities. It is also much easier for the instructor to fit the material she wishes to teach to a class of one general type or ability than to a mixed group.
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In the Highland and Junior High Schools such grouping is neces- sary because departmental work is carried out and the courses of study are being fitted to three types of pupil: Gifted, Normal and Slow. Our group- ing is not on any cut and dried basis of one or two factors only, but is done after a careful consideration of all the data on the promotion lists and numerous conferences with the teacher, principal, Guidance Director and Statistician. Often the School Nurse is called in for advice on certain cases. Neither are our groups fixed and permanent. They can be changed at a day's notice. Children change their habits of application and their attitudes toward school work. Their achievement changes too. Because of this, it is often necessary to assign a pupil to a new group better fitted to his needs. It is sometimes so difficult to place a child in any group because of conflicting factors that he is left in doubt and watched until he proves his level of accomplishment and decides his own placement.
This grouping is carried out according to the best scientific proce- dure known. The whole purpose is to place the child where he can do his best work and be happy in his class environment. It is therefore based on the soundest principles of Mental Hygiene. We try to decide whether the child will respond better in a class where there will be much competi- tion or whether he belongs in a group where much individual work is done. By the time a child reaches the fourth grade in our schools his Personality shows this factor in his placement. Our grouping is one step toward our ultimate goal of entirely individualized instruction.
5. Age-Grade Study :
Much has been said about the Under-ageness of Reading School children. The facts show that even though they are allowed to enter the first grade at five years of age, they do not enter much before five years and six months, and we are only two months below the average age for the State of Massachusetts. The figures in the table below show how favorably Reading compares with State averages in percentage of Under-ageness, Normal Age, and Over-ageness, Acceleration and Retardation. It is impor- tant to note that Reading leads all cities and towns in the State that are over 5000 population in the amount of Acceleration and has the lowest percent of Retardation. The per cent. of Acceleration for Reading was ap- proximately 48 while that of the entire State was 28; per cent. of Retarda- tion for Reading was 4.5, that of the State, 10. These figures can be in- terpreted in actual dollar and cents savings to the taxpayers of Reading.
Perhaps the biggest new undertaking is the organization of a Place- ment Bureau. This is well under way but is still so far from completion that only a statement of its aims can be given in this report. The High School knows how well the pupils who leave it to enter college carry on in these higher institutions and the record of a vast majority shows that in that part of its work our schools are functioning, well. But preparation for college is only one phase of the work for which Reading citizens are paying so much money into our school system. Not all boys and girls
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should go to college and this is not a question of I. Q's. necessarily either. What are we doing for these? In their cases is our education functioning at a high rate? If not, what must we do? To answer these questions is one aim of this bureau.
We also want to bring our employers into contact with our boys and girls who need and want work, (we trust,) to the mutual advantage of both. It is well known that one of the greatest aids in making a man or woman a good law-abiding citizen is a steady job which he likes fairly well most of the time and that there is nothing so demoralizing as loafing around with no work to dc. We hope this bureau will prove to be of great help in the future in providing the right guidance and in helping the boys and girls find congenial work for which they are well fitted.
The 4-H County clubs this year have been a Sewing Club, a. Food Club, a large Garden Club and a Poultry Club. A few of the girls did some canning but the showing at the Grange Fair was not up to the stand- ard of former years.
We now have a well-organized system of special classes reaching from the first grade to the first year of the Senior High School. This makes it possible to serve the special needs of some who do not wish to follow the regular line of work, but need training in order to live lives of usefulness in the future.
With the exception of the month of August the Habit Clinic has met once a month during the year and much help has been given to. both parents and teachers.
The large amount of work accomplished by this department this year is due in great measure to the untiring efforts and competence of Miss Verna Wadleigh, my co-worker. She has not only done much of the test -ยท ing but has thoroughly organized the statistics in the office so that they are now in shape to be of great help in making our schools serve the best interests of our pupils. In closing this report, I wish also to acknowledge my indebtedness to you, Mr. Safford, and to all the teachers whose co-opera- tion and' loyal support have made this work possible.
Respectfully submitted, IDA C. LUCAS,
Director of Research and Guidance.
REPORT OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, 1928
Mr. Adelbert L. Safford, Superintendent of Schools, Reading, Mass. Dear Sir:
Herewith I submit the report of the Health Department for the year ending December 31, 1928.
In reviewing the accomplishments of the past twelve months it is
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gratifying to note a steady growth to report progress and additions to the school health service. Notable among the new activities are the extension of the physical examinations to the Junior and Senior High Schools; the establishment of a Posture Clinic; and the beginning of an intensive and extensive program of posture corrections in our schools. All these major accomplishments have come as a result of a definite and pressing need and have done much to round out the health service which Reading provides for its school children.
Medical Department
In conformity with the plan for a physical examination for every school child, physical examinations were made of Junior High School pupils from January to May of last year. A total of 400 pupils were examined : 386 were re-examined by the school physician and 14 by their family physi- cians. A report of the examinations made by the school physician and school nurse is as follows :
Enlarged Tonsils, Adenoids, Glands, 53; Defective Teeth, 30; Heart Conditions, 14; Suspicious Chest Conditions, 0; Hernia, 0; Defective Vision, 24; Defective Hearing, S; Posture Defects, 243; Miscellaneous, 4.
An encouraging sign was the comparatively small number of enlarged tonsils and defective teeth. Undoubtedly the work that has been done along these lines for the past several years accounts for this. As in the elementary schools the largest number of defects was in the postural group.
The detection of hearing defects by the usual school method presents a problem as it is practically impossible to get a quiet place in any of the school buildings in which to give the test. For this reason, as well as to insure a more accurate check, an audiometer machine is recommended.
Beginning in the fall physical examinations; were made of the in- coming classes and the two classes at the Opportunity School. In Decem- ber this work was started in the High School. Up to the present time ap- proximately half the pupils of the High School have been examined and already the findings have justified the expenditure of time that this work required.
The weighing and measuring in the schools is now being done on the following basis: by the Physical Education teachers in the Senior and Junior High Schools and in the Highland School; by the school nurse in the other schools. The children at the Highland School and elementary schools are weighed and measured three times during the year. The others are weighed and measured less frequently. In addition, the underweights, tuberculosis contacts, and camp children are weighed once a month.
A fairly regular schedule of school visiting has been maintained by the school nurse throughout the school year. On these visits inspections of children have been made, sanitary conditions investigated in the school buildings, health talks have been given, and individual conferences have been held with pupils and teachers.
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The extent to which the work has developed makes it impossible for one person to cover adequately all phases. In addition, many parts of the, work are not developed as they should be and with the present staff there, seems little prospect for further expansion. This is an unfortunate situa- tion as there are several branches of the health work that should receive attention. The Household Art Course as now given in the Junior High School is incomplete and should have a course in home nursing added to it,, also more time and attention is needed for nutritional work. Today the problem of overweight is being stressed on account of the detrimental effect of cverweight on health. Reading has many children who are seriously. overweight and work along this line would seem justifiable as a part of the school health program.
Clinic Services
Through the co-operation of the State Department of Health and local private organizations, the Reading schools have the advantages of several clinics, all of which, with the exception of the Posture Clinic, have been in operation for varying lengths of time.
Schick Clinic.
The activities of the department in diphtheria prevention began April 2nd and continued until May 11th, with a total of seven clinic days; a total of 710 children in attendance at the clinic, and an average attendance of 101.
While the clinics are well patronized, many parents are not availing themselves of these opportunities for the protection of their children. Parents should also bear constantly in mind the prevalence of susceptibility to diphtheria and the greater fatality of the disease in children of pre- school age as compared with the school group. For this reason the need of reaching pre-school children is imperative. The school clinics have always been open to the pre-school children yet it hardly seems within the scope of the school health work to handle this group as a whole. Such functions should properly come under the direction of the Board of Health.
Examination Clinic
A small examination clinic was held April 24th for the purpose of schicking those pupils who had previously been examined at the State Ex- amination Clinic. At the same time, twenty-three tuberculosis contacts were examined. This arrangement proved much more satisfactory from the stand- point of conservation of time than having such cases examined at North Reading Sanatorium. At the time of writing this report arrangements are being made for ancther clinic at which tuberculosis contacts not under the auspices of private physicians may be examined. There are at the present time forty-five known tuberculosis contact cases in our schools.
Pre-School Clinic
Due to the small percentage of defects corrected during the sum- mer of 1927. examination clinics for children who were to enter school in
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September were not held at the various schools as they had been before, but examinations were conducted at the Pre-School Clinic during the months of June, July, August and September. The value of the pre-school examina- tions cannot be over-emphasized. Studies by Dr. Baker of New York show that proper and adequate physical examinations made in early life are es- sential and that if these are properly followed up and suitable treatment obtained the child's health will be more thoroughly protected. Certainly if children could enter school free from remedial defects and in as fit a physical condition as possible a reduction in the loss of time through illness and in waste of money from retardation could undoubtedly be effected. The Pre-School Clinic is rendering a valuable service to the school health program in this particular but naturally does not reach all the children.
Dental Clinic
The Dental Clinic, in completing its seventh year, continues to ren- der a valuable service to the health work of the school. A report of the work at the clinic for the school year ending June 30, 1928 is as follows :
304 examinations; 268 Prophylaxes; 1269 fillings; 299 extractions; 107 treatments. One thousand one hundred and six visits were made to the clinic by 304 individual children. Eighty-seven new cases were enrolled and 262 completed cases were discharged.
The need for the clinic has far exceeded its capacity. The dental committee has attempted to meet this situation by setting an age limit for new cases, but even this is inadequate in solving the problem.
The clinic has undertaken this past year two new functions, which I feel are decidedly worthwhile. Examinations of the teeth of pupils in the Lowell Street and Union Street schools were made by the school dentist. This type of examination is valuable, as, in the majority of dental distur- bances, only the dentist with the aid of his instruments, can detect the minute changes in the teeth which constitute the beginning of deterioration and decay. While it is not feasible with the limited amount of time the dentist lias for clinic work to make such examinations in every grade, it is desirable to have such service in the first, third, and sixth grades.
In addition, the clinic has organized a Pre-School Dental Clinic. The work in this connection included the supervision of dietary and physical con- ditions as well as actual dental supervision and repair work.
Posture Clinic
The most important of the new projects developed during the year was the Posture Clinic with it correlating corrective work in the schools. The clinic was established and is financed by the Reading Good Health Com- mittee and is open to all children of school age. The Committee was most fortunate in securing as the Director of the clinic Dr. W. R. MacAusland of Boston, a man who is nationally known for his work along the orthopedic lines. Already much has been accomplished as evidenced by the following report : Number of Clinics held, 5: Visits to Clinic, SS: Cases Enrolled, 50; Discharged Cases, 2.
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As a result of the clinic sixteen children are today wearing some sort of corrective appliances: forty-two are receiving individual posture correc- tion in the form of exercises: three have had X-rays and five have been operated upon. Of the five operative cases, four children who had infantile paralysis deformities were operated upon by Dr. MacAusland on December 14th at the Winchester Hospital.
Physical Education
The physical education department has undoubtedly shown the great- est expansion and development of any single school health agency during the past year. Corrective work started in the High School last year, was ex- tended to the Junior High School, and regular classes of corrective gymnas- tics are now being held under the direction of Mrs. Tyacke and Mr. Althoff. The School Committee is to be congratulated upon securing Miss Lancaster to fill Miss Nelson's place at the High School and also in the arrangement of the program whereby she supervises the physical education work in the grades and has charge of the corrective work throughout the schools. Miss Lancaster, because of her previous training and experience, is especially fitted for work of this type and the high order of work that she is doing deserves the commendation of the health department.
The physical education teachers have assisted greatly in the detec- tion of postural defects by being present at the time during which physi- cal examinations of pupils have been made. The health instruction in the lower grades has continued along the same general lines as in previous years. The work in the fifth and sixth grades has been re-organized and a new course of study in the main similar to the Cleveland Course of Study in Health has been adopted. The program of health instruction in the Junior High School is similar to that described in last year's report.
Other Activities
Applicants for the health camp were carefully selected during the month of April and were examined at North Reading Sanatorium. This en- tailed taking the children to the Sanatorium and securing the correction of any physical defects as no child was sent to camp who was not free to gain. Sufficient fund's were raised by the Reading Good Health Committee to send ten children to camp. It is regretable that we have no open-air room as many of these children would continue the improvement made at camp much more effectively under the regime of the open-air class than under the regular school program. This department rendered valuable assistance in the sale of Christmas seals; in the handling of children's tickets for the movie for the purpose of raising money to send children to the health camp; and in arranging the Christmas party given to some of the school children by the Reading Good Health Committee.
Conclusion
If a fair advance has been made during the year in the school health work, such progress has not been made through the efforts of this d'epart-
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ment alone. The best results in any health work are attained only through the co-operation and whole-hearted interest of every one in the school and in the community. Our work has been made easier by the support given to our efforts by the local unofficial agencies, by the teachers, and by the parents. The substantial backing by such organizations at the Reading Good Health Committee, the Red Cross, and the Tuberculosis Committee, and the co-operation of the Department of Welfare and the Reading Visit- ing Nurse Association have contributed in no small way to the growth and success of the work. The Reading Chronicle has given us much valuable space.
At this time I wish to express my appreciation to each and all who have contributed to the work of the health department.
Respectfully submitted,
MABEL M. BROWN, R. N. School Nurse.
REPORT OF THE POSTURE WORK IN ALL SCHOOLS AND PHYSI- CAL EDUCATION WORK FOR GIRLS IN THE SENIOR H. S.
The physical education work for the girls of the High School has been continued along the lines of previous years. The work is divided into sports, class work in the gymnasium, and posture training in special cor- rective classes.
An effort was made to revive an interest in field hockey. By an ami- able understanding with Coach Aldred, on two days a week the girls used part of the foctball field for practice. As it has too rough a surface for finished playing, and was not marked, no hockey games could be played on it. The team was invited to play several practice games away from home with Stoneham, Winchester and Swampscott. Considering the handicaps under which they practised, they made an excellent showing. Hockey is a particularly good game for high school girls because it gives a comparatively large number a chance to participate and because the various playing posi- tions offer opportunities for different types of players-the slow, the fast, the athletic, and the less rugged. At the end of the season the school en- tered the Greater Boston All-school tryouts for the honorary hockey team. Four players survived the first cut, one player was invited to the final try- out. With a proper playing field the High School would show great en- thusiasm for this fine sport.
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