Make a reward chart
Making the chart
Type the child's name, the thing they're working on and the reward. Leave the goal or the reward empty and the chart prints a line to write it on instead, which is handy when you'd rather decide it together.
Spaces sets how many shapes there are to fill, from 5 to 30, and they're drawn as large as the page allows. With one chart per page even 30 of them come out over 2 cm across, room for a sticker or a crayon. Numbers puts a faint number in each shape so a child can count how many are left.
For brothers and sisters, type one name per line and every child gets a chart. Two or four to a page saves paper, with dashed lines to cut along; a page with a spare space gets a chart with a name line. Print at 100% on the paper chosen here.
Setting it up so it works
Pick one thing. Something a child can see themselves doing, such as getting dressed before breakfast or staying in bed all night, is easier to reward than a general aim like being good.
Match the number of spaces to the child. A young child waiting on 30 stickers for one prize may lose interest long before the end, so start with five or 10 and make the next chart longer once the first is full.
Add the sticker straight after it's earned, and say what it was for. The American Academy of Pediatrics' page on chores mentions stickers among the rewards that can go with finished jobs, and says rewarding success and encouragement work better than scolding.
For a list of jobs rather than one goal, the chore chart gives a tick box for each chore on each day, with a points column if you're counting towards something bigger.
Questions
What size stickers fit?
It depends on the number of spaces and charts per page. On one portrait chart, 10 circles come out about 34 mm across and 30 circles about 23 mm, so most round stickers fit. With two or four charts on a page the shapes shrink, so use small stickers or colour them in.
Can I print it without colour?
Yes. Black and white draws every outline in black with no tinted boxes, so it prints on any printer and can be coloured in.
Is anything I type sent anywhere?
No. The chart is drawn on this page. Your settings are kept in this browser's local storage, and a copied link carries them after the #, which browsers don't send to servers.
Can I make a chart for a whole class?
Yes. Type each name on its own line, up to 40, and choose four charts per page to save paper.
Sources
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