How to use it

1. Pick a chart type. Sticker, potty training, behavior, chore or whole class. Each loads goals you can change.
2. Choose the layout. The grid has one row per goal and a column for each day. The sticker path has numbered boxes to fill in order, with a reward box at the end.
3. Type directly on the chart. You can edit the title, name line, reward and notes.
4. Pick stars, dots, hearts, smiles or boxes for the cells. Then choose a color and a picture for the top corner.
5. Print on US Letter or A4. Laminate it and use a dry-erase marker, or put stickers straight on the paper.

Why teachers and parents use it

• The goals are yours. Change the wording or add or remove a row. The chart adjusts to fit the page.
• Switch between potty, behavior and chore charts in one click. No hunting through a stack of PDFs.
• The sticker path suits a two-year-old who can’t follow a grid yet. The grid suits a four-year-old who can.
• Teachers can load a saved class list to get one row per child. The chart turns sideways by itself when the class is big.
• Nothing is uploaded. Your chart stays in your browser and prints from there.

Which chart for which child

Under three, stick to one goal and a sticker path: ten boxes, a sticker each time and a small reward at the end. A grid with five goals across seven days is too much to take in at that age. From about three, try a short grid with three or four goals. Give a sticker each time a goal is met, and tie the reward to a number of stickers rather than a perfect week. Potty training is its own case. Use the potty preset and reward sitting down and washing hands as much as the result. Those are steps the child controls. For a preschool or kindergarten classroom, use a whole-class chart where the group works towards one shared reward. That keeps the pressure off any one child.

Making a reward chart work

Give the sticker straight after the behavior, every time. The reward needs to be something the child wants and can get soon. Pick goals the child can already manage on a good day, not something they’ve never done. Write exactly what earns a sticker on the notes line so everyone at home follows the same rule. Let the child put the sticker on. Never take a sticker away. A chart that punishes stops working the day it does. Once the behavior is steady, retire the chart with a bit of ceremony and pick a new goal. Most charts have done their job within two or three weeks.

Behavior charts in the classroom

Coloring a whole day green, yellow or red tells a child who had one bad moment at 9 am that the day is already lost. The behavior preset splits the day into time blocks, so a rough circle time can be followed by a good snack time and a smile in the box. Use it with one or two children who need the structure, rather than displaying it for the whole room. Send it home at the end of the week so the conversation at home starts with what went well.

FAQ

Is the reward chart printable free?

Yes. Every chart type, layout and color is free to make and print. No signup needed. No account either.

Can I make a potty training sticker chart?

Yes. Pick the potty training preset for rows covering sitting on the potty, going pee, going poop, washing hands and staying dry, with a star box for each day. Switch to the sticker path if you would rather count successes in a row.

Can I make a behavior chart for the classroom?

Yes. The behavior preset lists the parts of the school day down the side, from morning to home time. Each block has a smile to color. The whole class preset gives one row per child instead.

How many stickers should a reward chart have?

For a child under three, five to ten. For a three- to five-year-old, a week of goals: somewhere between fifteen and thirty-five. Start with a reward they can reach in a few days, then stretch it.

Do reward charts work?

They work for a specific, short-term goal when the sticker follows the behavior straight away and the reward comes soon. They work less well as a long-term system. Plan to retire each chart once the habit has stuck.

Will my chart still be there next week?

Yes, on the same computer and browser. It saves itself as you edit, ready to reprint each week. Nothing is uploaded.