Kindergarten behavior chart

The five picture rules

The chart shows five picture rules: listening, hands to self, sharing, clean up, and quiet voice. Each rule has a big box with a simple drawing your child already knows from class. The boxes run Monday to Friday, so one row is one school day.

Below the boxes is a reward line for a sticker when the day goes well. The chart is a one-page PDF in letter and A4, with a color version and an ink saving black outline version. Their is a blank name line at the top. Print at 100 percent, not fit to page.

The reward boxes fit a 1.5 inch round sticker or a 1/2 inch star sticker. You can also use a stamp or a drawn star if you do not have stickers on hand.

Positive vs negative reinforcement: what each one looks like with a child is the guide that pairs with this chart.

Using it at home for school behavior

The teacher's note or a quick chat at pickup decides the sticker. If the teacher says your child listened, kept hands to self, shared, cleaned up, and used a quiet voice, then the sticker goes on at home that same afternoon. Keep it to the five rules the classroom uses, no extra chores or homework.

This makes the chart a bridge between school and home. Your child sees the same pictures and knows exactly what earned the sticker. You do not need to invent new rules or explain a different system.

For a child who struggles with one rule, you can focus on that picture for the day. Ask the teacher to give a thumbs up or a quick word about that rule at pickup. Then the sticker feels specific, not vague.

Using it in the classroom

Print one chart per child and keep it in a folder or a dry-erase pocket. At the end of the day, hand out a sticker to each child who followed the five rules. You can also use a stamp on the reward line.

For a whole-class chart, see the classroom behavior charts page. That chart works for group goals, like everyone cleans up before snack. The individual chart here is for personal daily fedback.

Kindergarten behavior chart ideas

Try one of these ideas to keep the chart fresh without changing the whole system. Pick one idea at a time and see what your child responds to.

• Swap one rule a month to match a new skill
• Add a class helper row for a special job
• Write a friend's name in the sharing row when they share
• Put a photo on the chart on Friday as a bonus
• Use a stamp instead of a sticker for a change
• Let the class pick a reward when the week is full
• Draw a small face next to the rule your child did best
• Use a different color marker each day for the sticker line

For more reward ideas, see reward chart ideas. You can also browse printable behavior charts for other designs.

What to do in a hard week

A hard week means the rules are too many or the reward is too far. Drop to 3 rules, like listening, hands to self, and quiet voice. Use the same chart but only mark the boxes for those rules.

Make the reward same-day, not at the end of the week. A sticker after school or a small treat at dinner works. Do not make a public chart with names. A private chart at home or in a folder keeps the focus on the child's own progress.

If a week is still hard, step back and use the chart only for one rule, like sharing. Once that rule is steady, add another. This is simple operant conditioning: reward the behavior you want to see more of.