Okay, so here are the basics I like from various blogs/books:

• They get a set allowance of a dollar per their age at the beginning each month no matter what. (Refer to Ducks in a Row)
• Some parents divide things up evenly into savings, spending and donation. Since I belong to a church that asks a set percentage of 10%, I'll be giving 3 ones and 10 dimes which she'll divvy up $0.40 to tithing (donation), $0.40 minimum to savings and the rest for spending.
• It's probably a good idea to have a stash of fifty ones on hand and a roll of dimes if you're teaching percentages. 
• She can do extra chores to earn more money, but she has a set list of chores she does because she's a contributing member of the family. For a list of chores, Modern Parenting, Messy Kids is a great resource. 
• I first read about allowance in "Positive Discipline A-Z." This book teaches much of what is listed above along with tons of other great ways to deal with everyday problems. It has changed my life.
  

If you're thinking about allowance, I hope this helps. We'll see how it all goes down on Wednesday.

While I have had quite a few projects since March, I wanted to highlight the ones above because the client is near and dear to my heart while now based very far away. 

The above posters and T-shirt mock-ups were created for the Voices for the Performing Arts Foundation (VPA) in Sherwood, Oregon. I created the Once on this Island (OOTI) poster first and painted the tree in illustrator and the sunset in photoshop. Then I thought, "Why not try to step away from the computer with the next poster?" So I painted the background with an actual brush and watercolor then scanned it in. It was nerve-racking because I didn't know if the VPA would like it. They loved it and I was so relieved and excited at the same time. 

While we lived in Oregon, I joined the VPA as a designer, but also as an alto in the Sherwood Chorale, one of the many choir families in the VPA. They provided two creative outlets for me to thoroughly enjoy. I miss them very much but am so glad to be able to work with them remotely. 

2 • A little while after she learned the alphabet, I would be silent and have my daughter say "A" and "I" when they were in the story. Then I taught her "the" and two-letter words like "of" and "is". One day she surprised me while reading Dick and Jane - she recognized "something" and would say it when I pointed to it.

3 • We got the Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat book app on our iPhones and she would touch each word to find out what it said then later we'd read from the actual book. 

4 • She plays Starfall on our computer and we have a starfall app on our phone. I try not to have too much screen time, but if she's going to be playing with one, at least she's learning something.

5 • Instead of focusing on sounding out the words, we focused on memorizing them. Let's face it: every rule in the English language is broken. 

6 • We read to her at night and since she no longer naps, I will read to her during "quiet time." She also likes to read on her own, which is a blessing. Before she could read, she would make up the stories, and I believe that's good practice too.

7 • I have been reading to her since she was born, she listened to all of  Jane Austen's books because I was interested in those at the time. It felt weird to read to her when I felt like she wasn't really taking anything in, but I have since learned that she was taking something in. What? I don't know, but babies can understand a lot more than we tend to give them credit for. I also read board books when I wanted to interact with her and couldn't think of something else to do. 

Will this work for you? I have no idea. Every kid is different. Why did I take the time to post this then? Because even though every kid is different, some do learn in the same way. Hopefully, this will help somebody somewhere. 

Good luck!