Yes, Suzuikimom, very visual.

I used it with our two kindies this year. They have a 3-drawer unit I bought at Wally World with all of their materials, some of which stays all week, some is rotated.

In their 9-pocket protector, they have some cards that are in everyday like "Math" "Calendar" "Phonics" and "Reading." I then rotate science/nature, art, etc.

I foudn pictures that went with each subject, and they caught on very quickly. Just like with the chores, they flip the card when it is done. If I leave one of the 9 pockets blank, they know that just means we are having a lighter day or a "freebie" space.

At least one or two of the 9 pockets usually had one of the cards like "Play-Doh" or "Blocks" or "Pretend Play."

I am not sure how I'll modify it for next year, first grade, but I know I'll add in "History" though I realize they did that mostly this year as 90% of the time they sat in on our Family Reading. This year though they will have their own individual reading, which I'll read to them (or DH at night) since I dont' think either will be able to read the books we'll be reading alone nor would I want them to yet.

Anyway, we have very limited space too with our 6 students and this was a way to SHOW them what was expected with very little space.

I am working on a Place Value activity now that we'll put in our 9-Pocket Page Protector.

I made a Calendar Activity as well that has worked WONDERS! I think the active part of pulling and putting in cards has really benefitted my two kindies.

Oh - How well do the card holders work for a modified workbox system?  Obviously you don't get the benefit of all the materials in the box - but it works well for a very visual schedule I'm assuming???

(I am contimplating doing workboxes again with very limited space, or other methods of organization....)

OY! I see some typos in my post. Sorry!

I "then" went around ...

And the 9-pocket page protectors, I already had .. but I guess you can buy them still. They work well for a modified workbox system for my younger children as well as a Calendar activity I made.

I wanted a chore system that was reusable and didn't cost me anything.

I went digging and found some 9-pocket page protectors (like people use for sports cards).

I think went around the house with my camera photographing chore areas or tools (vacuum, swiffer, whole rooms, each of their beds, etc.).

I made cards (same size as sports cards) with the photo and chore like "Vacuum Den" or "Swiffer Kitchen Floor."

For awhile, I filled their pockets. Oh, each child has one page protector. One pocket has a card with their photo and name.

For our 3 oldest (13, 12, 9), they have to do 8 chores so their page protector is filled up. Our next 2 in age have to do 5 chores. Our youngest just shadows at this point. She is 2.

Anyway, they now choose the chores and put the cards in as they finish.

We do pay our children a weekly allowance, but they pay us (out of their allowance) when they don't complete all chores. I keep up with it each day, but keep it very simple. Either you do all the chores and therefore don't pay us for doing them for you, or you don't.

After breakfast, they all go to do chores for 20 minutes or so while I clean up the kitchen (well one of them will sweep/swiffer the floor; I wash up any dishes).

At this point, they usually have at least half of their page filled up.

Around 4 p.m. I remind them Daddy will be home soon, and that they need to complete chores.

We have been using this system about a year now and it works for multiple ages and requires no writing on my part, mostly no nagging, and it travels even (we camp a lot).

One HUGE thing I did is each day of the week (Monday-Friday), I have a kitchen helper. Monday is my oldest on down to 2nd to youngest on Friday. This person helps me prepare meals for that day, and they also get a treat: game time with Mommy in the afternoon (one-on-one).

HTH

Hi Carmen. They don't get any rewards....just get to live here:)  We do give an allowance once a month, but it's not connected to chores.  They just know that  our routine is for chores to be done after breakfast on Sat. and are supposed to be done before neighbor kids can play (a regular occurence....so I guess it is sometimes a bit of a reward:) And if we have company coming in for the weekend/other plans, we just do them on Friday instead.  Gina

Betsy, so excited you ordered it. It has been great for our family. The book that comes with it is helpful. I would do as the recommend and add each step slowly, there is no rush. Be sure you think hard about what items you want to be ticketed items and that they are activities they can only do when they have a ticket. We just added the privilege pass and that has been great. It is so much more than a chore chart. We are spending more focused time with each child and I've felt our relationship growing even closer. We also have a six and three year old. Feel free to send me a PM if you have specific questions. enjoy!

andream,

I checked out the Accountable Kids website.  It looks great, & I went ahead & ordered 2 of the clearance sets for my kids.  Do you have any helpful info on implementing it? I have an almost 3yo & 6yo (both girls).  Thanks for the recommendation/info as I think it will help me immensely in accomplishing what I've been trying to accomplish with habit training : )

Betsy

I incorperated a "Managers of their chores"  chore pack by the Maxwells with a Sue Patrick workbox twist... :)  all the chores I have in the house. MOC .  Typed out and laminated. Some I found from different websites with clipart; others I had to type up on a peice of paper and print out and laminate.  It was ok though because my sons can read so I just gave my daughter the preschool ones. :)   This was put on color cardstock and lamintated and I then put velcro on them so they could go on the slots... Yes, this was some work but I only had to do it once.

   If you already know what they are going to do you could just list them on a daily/ weekly list and check them off as they go... We did this and I wish I could rememver the website. You could probably google.. Chore Lists and it would come up... It was good but if they can't read a visual is better.  I do like the chore packs though.

          I hope that wasn't as clear as mud... Sorry if you can't see my vision.. :)

You could always laminate your chore chart and use a dry erase marker and have them check it off when they are done then you wouldn't have to re do it.. The one I was thinking of had a list of things going down and the days of the week going across the top.   They just had to look at the day and go down that days list and check them off.

                   Good luck in what ever you find.. If I come across the one we used I will try to post it..

                 Blessings!

I just picked up the book Managers of Their Chores (w/o the chore packs) at a used curriculum fair for a song. (They made me pay them $2 after the song....someone said it sounded like nails on a blackboard.) I might make my own chore packs, too, although I can see my 14yo and 12yo calling that "lame" or just feeling too old for that sort of thing. We'll see.

For us, charts & rewards work well for awhile, but I tend to sabotage my well-laid plans too often with a lack of consistency. I think that consistency is the key. 12yo ds has demonstrated this to us through having autism. Routine and repetition are of paramount importance to these kids, and it is really hard to get him back on track if we skip something one day. But I'll set up a chart for something like completing their morning routines by a certain time, and then two days later, the routine falls apart because somebody was up too late the night before or Mom has to take a phone call and breakfast is delayed....

If I could be more determined to make it work no matter what, I think the charts and other systems would work for us.

We love the chore pack concept around here. I made my own for less than $5 and it has been amazing. My children each have one for morning and one for evening. It's a plastic name badge holder that clips to their shirt. Their are cards inside with their chores on them, one per card. As they do the chores they slip the completed card in the back. When they get to their name they are done and hang it on a string beside the refrigerator. It has streamlined things wonderfully and requires little upkeep from me once in place ( other than reminding "chore pack time" at appropriate times).
Tara

My boys are 2.5, 5 and 7 years. We have tried different arrangements but this is what has worked for us:

1) There are some basic jobs that must be done every morning before we start school. If the boys complete these jobs by 8am, they get to start school with a fun kit (pattern blocks, making a card, etc.) Get dressed, put away clean clothes if I have stacked them on the dresser, eat breakfast and clear away mess, brush teeth. At their age, this is a lot and it is a miracle if the 5 year old does it without being asked. The 7 year old has it down pat.

2) If I ask for help on a chore they must do it (washing inside of windows, straightening, picking up shoes, etc.) 

3) They always get paid for certain chores (twenty-five cents twice per week for emptying the recycling bin, etc.)

4) In their school day sometimes I'll work with one child while the other child takes an "honor look" at a certain room. We learned that in a book called "The Honor Club" and the kids just look at the room I name and see what they can do to make it look nicer.

Thanks Gina, I like the weekly chores.  Do they do it withour reward?

My kids are 7.5 and 5 years old.

I don't do well keeping up w/rewards, etc.  I need simple.  My kids are 9 and 12 and we spend about 1 1/2 hours on Sat. morning doing all the weekly stuff...vacuuming, dusting, bathrooms, emptying sm. garbages. They do all that and I do the kitchen/entry floor. 

Daily morning stuff is just them making beds, brushing teeth, cleaning up breakfast, and dog care. I just originally made a list of these things and said they need to be done w/in one hour of waking.  If they aren't starting their school w/in one hour, they don't get to watch a short show during lunch.  Now it's automatic.

Also, part of their school list is to clean up school room, family room, and bedroom floors each day before playing.  I haven't been consistent enough with this...mainly forgetting their room floors since upstairs!

They also put their clothes away when I set them outside their door. This summer I'm going to work on more kitchen duty. Good luck:)  Gina

I highly recommend this program

http://www.accountablekids.com/