Extra jobs chart: a homeschool allowance routine for grades 3 to 5

1. Together, list jobs everyone does without pay: making the bed, clearing your plate, packing your bag.
2. List 5 extra jobs with a price set by the adult, for example: sweeping the porch $1, washing the car $3, sorting the recycling for a month $2.
3. Post the chart. When an extra job is done well, the student writes the date, the job and the amount in the notebook.
4. At the end of the week, the student adds up the earnings and decides how much to keep toward a goal and how much to use now.
5. Review on the same day each week: which jobs were done? Is any price too high or too low?
6. After a month, ask: "What did you do with your money? Would you change anything?"

Safety: keep extra jobs age-appropriate: no power tools, ladders, cleaning chemicals or hot appliances, and an adult checks each new job first.

Differentiation: use a picture chart for students who need support. Students who are ready set a savings goal and work out how many weeks it will take. English learners can learn chore words with picture cards.

Quick check: ask a student to explain the difference between an everyday chore and an extra job.

Do you pay for chores, for extra jobs only, or not at all? Share what has worked in your home or class.