How to Use a Behavior Chart
Target specific behaviors., Make the process clear and reasonable., Prioritize visibility and immediacy., Choose rewards your child values., Keep it positive.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Target specific behaviors.
Especially when you’re just starting out with trying a behavior chart, it is advisable to narrow your focus to a single problem behavior, or at most a couple of related ones.
Trying to adjust too many behaviors at once — and keep track of the progress — is likely to become too confusing and overwhelming for everyone involved.The younger the child, the more helpful it is to focus on one thing at a time.
Otherwise, they will most likely end up confused and disinterested.
So, if your kindergartener has trouble sharing, saying “thank you,” and brushing their teeth before bed, choose one of these behaviors — dental habits, for instance — to track on the chart.
Also, the more specific, the better.
Go with “say thank you to people,” not “be nicer to people.” -
Step 2: Make the process clear and reasonable.
When it comes to behavior charts, simpler is almost always better.
Make the chart itself clear — a grid on a big sheet of paper, some clear labels, and some colorful stickers to indicate successes — and the process of earning stickers equally simple.Don’t get bogged down in negotiations over what counts as sticker-worthy, or offering half-stickers for “sort-of” good behavior.
Explain exactly what will earn a sticker.
Explain the rules in a way that everyone can understand: “Every time you help set the table for dinner, you get a sticker.
Once you have seven stickers, we will spend an hour at the playground together.” , Most kids seem to follow the old axiom, “out of sight, out of mind.” Put the chart somewhere prominent — on the fridge, near the door, etc. — and don’t delay in adding stickers for good behavior.
You want your child to clearly associate the good behavior with being one step closer to their reward.If you’re away from home when the positive behavior occurs, make a note — mental or actual, as necessary — and immediately apply a sticker to the chart when you get back. , For the reward system to work, the reward has to be worth the effort.
Most smaller kids will likely see a five-cent lollipop as more valuable than a quarter, for instance.
Talk to your child about the types of rewards that seem fair, reasonable, and properly motivating.Of course, you have to make the final judgment on what constitutes a good reward.
An occasional ice cream cone might work, but frequent rewards of junk food may simply be trading one bad habit for another.
For younger kids, small, more frequently achievable rewards are best.
Older kids are more able to comprehend working for a longer period of time to earn a bigger reward. , Behavior charts are based on positive reinforcement — good behavior is rewarded, while bad behavior earns nothing towards the goal.
Don’t take stickers away for misbehavior, or keep track of demerits toward a punishment; the behavior chart should be a positive experience all around.If you child engages in behaviors that must be addressed more assertively — perhaps by way of specified punishments — do so separately from the chart process.
Focusing on positive rewards for positive behaviors is more likely to build your child’s self-esteem, while emphasizing punishment for negative behaviors can have the opposite effect. -
Step 3: Prioritize visibility and immediacy.
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Step 4: Choose rewards your child values.
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Step 5: Keep it positive.
Detailed Guide
Especially when you’re just starting out with trying a behavior chart, it is advisable to narrow your focus to a single problem behavior, or at most a couple of related ones.
Trying to adjust too many behaviors at once — and keep track of the progress — is likely to become too confusing and overwhelming for everyone involved.The younger the child, the more helpful it is to focus on one thing at a time.
Otherwise, they will most likely end up confused and disinterested.
So, if your kindergartener has trouble sharing, saying “thank you,” and brushing their teeth before bed, choose one of these behaviors — dental habits, for instance — to track on the chart.
Also, the more specific, the better.
Go with “say thank you to people,” not “be nicer to people.”
When it comes to behavior charts, simpler is almost always better.
Make the chart itself clear — a grid on a big sheet of paper, some clear labels, and some colorful stickers to indicate successes — and the process of earning stickers equally simple.Don’t get bogged down in negotiations over what counts as sticker-worthy, or offering half-stickers for “sort-of” good behavior.
Explain exactly what will earn a sticker.
Explain the rules in a way that everyone can understand: “Every time you help set the table for dinner, you get a sticker.
Once you have seven stickers, we will spend an hour at the playground together.” , Most kids seem to follow the old axiom, “out of sight, out of mind.” Put the chart somewhere prominent — on the fridge, near the door, etc. — and don’t delay in adding stickers for good behavior.
You want your child to clearly associate the good behavior with being one step closer to their reward.If you’re away from home when the positive behavior occurs, make a note — mental or actual, as necessary — and immediately apply a sticker to the chart when you get back. , For the reward system to work, the reward has to be worth the effort.
Most smaller kids will likely see a five-cent lollipop as more valuable than a quarter, for instance.
Talk to your child about the types of rewards that seem fair, reasonable, and properly motivating.Of course, you have to make the final judgment on what constitutes a good reward.
An occasional ice cream cone might work, but frequent rewards of junk food may simply be trading one bad habit for another.
For younger kids, small, more frequently achievable rewards are best.
Older kids are more able to comprehend working for a longer period of time to earn a bigger reward. , Behavior charts are based on positive reinforcement — good behavior is rewarded, while bad behavior earns nothing towards the goal.
Don’t take stickers away for misbehavior, or keep track of demerits toward a punishment; the behavior chart should be a positive experience all around.If you child engages in behaviors that must be addressed more assertively — perhaps by way of specified punishments — do so separately from the chart process.
Focusing on positive rewards for positive behaviors is more likely to build your child’s self-esteem, while emphasizing punishment for negative behaviors can have the opposite effect.
About the Author
Cheryl Jimenez
Enthusiastic about teaching crafts techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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