Uncle Dan's Report Card: From Toddlers to Teenagers, Helping Our Children Build Strength of Character with Healthy Habits and Values Every Day

by Barbara C. Unell, Bob Unell

Overview

A Unique Approach to Teaching Children Timeless Values

The worth of the child cannot be measured in terms of "Per Cent" alone. The home life of the child is an important part of the whole life. The teacher's judgment will be a much better one if the home will kindly co-operate. Parents are asked to carefully consider and mark "Home Report" as indicated.
-M. E. Pearson, Superintendent, Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools, 1914

With the discovery of their Uncle Dan's school report card from 1914, in which a "Home Report" section of the card was to be completed by parents, Barbara and Robert Unell were inspired to explore the behaviors and values upon which students were "graded" in addition to the standard academic subjects.

They realized that these surprising entries, ranging from acts of kindness and truthfulness to personal habits and reading for pleasure, were as timeless and relevant today as they were almost a century ago. Uncle Dan's Report Card gives every parent and caregiver not only a reminder of the worth of these values and behaviors but also a practical means to encourage children to recognize and practice good habits. This book provides the positive, proven tools they can use with toddlers to teens to help them be successful and happy in their everyday lives, personally and academically.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101517567
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/02/2011
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Barbara C. Unell, the author of several parenting books, including 20 Teachable Virtues, has been instrumental in bringing together educators, community leaders, and parents through such ventures as the "Kindness Is Contagious...Catch It" school-based education project and the Uncle Dan's Report Card pilot program in school districts in Kansas.

Robert Unell is a former teacher, advertising agency executive, and cofounder, with Barbara, of Twins and Kansas City Parent magazines. Along with Barbara, he is a partner in the Daniel L. Brenner Family Education Center, providing programs in the area of parenting and character education.

Table of Contents

Foreword Kathleen Sebelius ix

Prologue: The Discovery of Uncle Dan's Report Card xi

Part 1 Raising the Next Great Generation 1

Back to Basics 3

1914: Raising Great Citizens 11

Part 2 The Home Report 21

Using This Book 23

The Do's and Don'ts of Using Uncle Dan's Report Card 27

Habit 1 Books Read 31

Habit 2 Letters Written 37

Habit 3 Hours Worked 45

Habit 4 Money Earned 51

Habit 5 Money Saved 57

Habit 6 Things Made 63

Habit 7 Evenings at Home 69

Habit 8 Care of Teeth 75

Habit 9 Regular Bathing 81

Habit 10 Care of Clothing 85

Habit 11 Sleeping, Windows Open 91

Habit 12 Manners 97

Habit 13 Helping Father 105

Habit 14 Helping Mother 111

Habit 15 Morning Duties 117

Habit 16 Evening Duties 123

Habit 17 Obedience and Promptness 129

Habit 18 Habits of Kindness 137

Habit 19 Truthfulness and Honesty 143

Acknowledgments 151

Index 155

Editorial Reviews

Like other parents, Barbara and Bob Unell knew about report cards, state standardized tests, PSATs, SATs, and all the other grading systems that measure their offspring against some statistical norm. What they hadn't imagined was contained in the yellowing "Home Report" sent home with Uncle Dan's 1914 grades. Instead of classroom test tallies, this page included slots for "Books Read," "Letters Written," "Hours Worked," "Money Earned," "Money Saved," "Hours Spent at Home," "Care of Teeth," "Regular Bathing," and "Manners." The Unells instantly realized that this wasn't just a piece of quaint Americana; it is a valuable guideline for parenting now, a model for raising responsible kids beyond the percentiles. Editor's recommendation.