Type one to three goals, one per line, choose Monday to Friday, every day or times of day, and pick how to mark a goal that was met. One child’s chart has a mark for each goal in each column and a reward line. A whole-class chart gives each student one mark a day for all the goals together. Then print or save it as a PDF.
How to make a behavior chart
- Choose who it’s for. One student gets a grid of goals by day (or by part of the day) with a reward line. The whole class gets one row per student and one mark a day for the class goals taken together: a record for you to keep, not a chart to post.
- Write the goals. One per line: one to three to start, up to six. The tips below help you word them.
- Choose the columns. Monday to Friday, every day of the week (good for home), or times of day such as morning, recess and lunch.
- Choose the mark. A face or star to color, a box to check, or points from 0 to 2. For points, say what each number means in the three boxes that appear; the key prints under the chart.
- Print. Choose “Save as PDF” in the print window to send a copy home.
Write goals a child can see and do
- Say what to do, not what to stop. “Raise my hand to speak” works better than “Don’t shout out”, because it names the behavior you want to see.
- Make it something you can see. “Start work within two minutes” is easier to mark fairly than “Try hard”.
- Start small. One to three goals are plenty at first. Make one of them easy, so the chart starts with a success.
- Use the child’s words. Agree the goals together and read them out at the start of each day.
- Agree what counts. Decide together what meeting each goal looks like, practice it once, and agree what will help, such as a picture card on the desk as a quiet reminder.
An example: one student, two goals
Here’s a week for a student working on calling out and getting started. On Monday the teacher and the student agreed the two goals, practiced them, and agreed what the points mean: 2 for meeting the goal with no reminders, 1 for meeting it after a reminder, and 0 for not yet.
| Goal | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raise my hand to speak | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Start work within 2 minutes | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Points that day | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
Tuesday’s 0 stays on the chart and Wednesday starts fresh. Each day ends with a two-minute look at the chart together and praise that names the goal: “You raised your hand and waited. Thank you.” After a strong week, they kept the same goals for one more week before choosing a new one.
Keep the chart positive
A chart is a way to keep track of a practice, not a fix in itself. The U.S. Department of Education’s practice guide on behavior problems in elementary classrooms recommends teaching the behavior you want and reinforcing it when students use it, to keep the classroom climate positive, and rates that recommendation as supported by strong evidence (IES, 2008). Used that way, a behavior chart is a record of success. Advice on reward charts for families says the same things in plain terms (Welsh Government; CDC):
- Give the mark straight away, and say what the child did well.
- Don’t take marks away for bad behavior. A missed goal just stays blank, and tomorrow is a fresh start.
- Pick small rewards that can come often, and free ones such as extra play time work well.
- If the chart isn’t working, check that the child can do what you’re asking and knows exactly what it is, then change the goals or the reward, or try a different approach.
Keep the charts private. For one child, keep the chart in a folder or at the desk rather than on the wall. The whole-class chart has every student’s name and marks, so keep it on your clipboard or in your planner: the Center on PBIS lists systems that make corrections public, such as clip charts, among the things to avoid (Center on PBIS).
Faces, stars, checks or points?
Faces and stars suit younger children, who enjoy coloring them in. Check boxes are quicker for a whole class. Points from 0 to 2 suit older students and a daily total, as long as everyone knows what each number means. The key on the chart says 2 for meeting the goal with no reminders, 1 for meeting it after a reminder and 0 for not yet; change the words to fit your goals, and mark every goal over the same stretch of time, each day or each part of the day.
On the whole-class chart, each student gets one mark a day (or one for each part of the day) for all the class goals together, so it shows how the day went overall rather than each goal. To follow separate goals, make a chart for that student. For a single goal with a reward at the end, a sticker chart is simpler.
Names stay with you
The chart is made in your browser. Your choices, goals and any class list you load are kept in this browser’s storage and are never sent to us. Press Start over to clear this chart’s choices and the names on it. A class you saved in My classes stays saved until you delete it on the home page.
Questions
What is a behavior chart?
A behavior chart lists a child’s goals, with a space for each day or each part of the day. When a goal is met in that time, the child gets a mark, such as a face or star to color, a check or points, so the chart builds into a record of success. A whole-class chart has one row per student, with one mark a day for the class goals together.
Do behavior charts work?
A chart on its own doesn’t change behavior. What the U.S. Department of Education’s practice guide supports with strong evidence is the practice behind it: teaching the behavior you want and reinforcing it when students use it. A chart helps you do that when the goals are clear and reachable, marks come straight away with praise that names the goal, and marks are never taken away. If it isn’t helping, make the goal smaller, change the reward or the support, and talk with the family or colleagues, as the same guide suggests.
What rewards work with a behavior chart?
Pick small rewards that can come often; free ones, such as extra play time, work well. On one child’s chart, write the reward on the reward line so they can see what they’re working toward.
Final Takeaway
A behavior chart records a child meeting a few clear goals; it isn’t a fix on its own. Make a chart for one child, with one to three goals marked each day or each part of the day, or a whole-class record for your clipboard.
Start with one easy goal so the chart opens with a success, mark each goal met right away with specific praise, and leave a missed goal blank rather than taking a mark away. Keep charts private rather than posted.
Main Sources
- Epstein, M., Atkins, M., Cullinan, D., Kutash, K. and Weaver, R. (2008). Reducing Behavior Problems in the Elementary School Classroom (NCEE 2008-012). Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Recommendations 3 and 4.
- Welsh Government, Parenting. Give it time. Top tips for using reward charts.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (April 30, 2026). Tips for Using Praise and Rewards.
- Center on PBIS (April 2025). Supporting and Responding to Students’ Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Needs: Evidence-Based Practices for Educators (Version 2). Center on PBIS, University of Oregon. Practice 2.5.