Cards represent things that need to be done.

They are tasks and include recurring homework assignments, studying for quizzes and tests, practicing musical instruments, and many household chores that might be forgotten or lost in the mix if not tracked.

Information on the card includes: the child’s name, the subject, the task, & the day of week it is due. One’s name is useful so we know who is responsible. There is another benefit, however. As one of my favorite teachers taught me: Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language – Dale Carnegie. Seeing their name on a card gives kids ownership of the card, and the task. That’s one of the key benefits of this process. Bestowing ownership to kids of what they are expected to do get us, the parents, out from underneath the constant chasing.

Scrum For Kids primarily deals with recurring tasks. We know that there will be Math homework once per week, violins are practiced 4 times per week, the litter box is cleaned 7 times per week, etc. We keep plenty of blank cards handy too, because there are always unexpected one-off assignment and projects that need to be tracked as well.