Classroom reward systems, charts and ideas

Whole-room rewards first

Start with a class points chart. Give the room a point for a good choice made by anyone. Mark it once, then move on. When the chart is full, the room picks a reward from the list below. This keeps the focus on the group, not on one child.

Whole-room beats table-versus-table for most rooms. Table points can turn into a quiet competition where the same table wins every day. A room-wide chart means every child helped fill it, even the ones who are never the problem. It is the fairest classroom reward system for a mixed group.

Print the class points chart and the reward menu from the downloads page. Keep the chart on the board and the menu on the fridge. A point is a point, and the reward is the same for everyone.

There is a longer guide on this: Classroom reward ideas that cost nothing.

• Class points chart with 20 boxes
• Reward menu with 12 choices
• Markers or stickers for the chart
• A magnet to hold the chart on the board

A classroom reward jar

A classroom reward jar is a jar of marbles or pom poms on your desk. One goes in for a good choice by anyone. When the jar is full, the class gets the reward they picked. This works as a class reward jar for a classroom that needs a visual countdown.

The one rule is to never take a marble out. No taking away for a bad choice. Taking one out feels like a punishment to the whole room, and it makes the jar a threat instead of a promise. If you need a jar that stays on the board, use a magnetic jar with a dry-erase line for the fill level.

A reward jar for classroom use can be as simple as a clear jar from home. Set a target of 30 or 50 marbles, and mark the jar with a line. For a smaller class, use a jar of 20. The class reward jar is a strong system for a room that needs a shared goal.

Individual sticker charts in a classroom

Individual sticker charts work when they track effort against the child's own last week. Use the 10 and 20 square charts in a folder. A child gets a sticker for trying hard, not for being the best. The sticker goes on at the end of the day, so the child can see the progress.

For preschool sticker charts, use a session not a day. A session is a morning or an afternoon. Give the same sticker to every child that session if they all made a good choice. This avoids the problem of one child feeling left out. A preschool reward chart should be about effort, not winning.

Keep the individual charts in a folder, not on the wall. A wall chart makes it easy to compare children, and that is not fair. The folder lets each child see their own progress. For a full set of sticker charts, see the sticker chart page.

Classroom reward ideas

These classroom reward ideas cost nothing and work for a whole room. Pick one when the class points chart is full or the reward jar is full. Write the choices on the board and let the class vote. The reward is the same for everyone, so it is a fair system.

Some of these are for a whole class, and some are for a single child. For a class reward, use the whole-room ones. For an individual reward, use the line leader or the seat swap. The reward ideas page has more options.

• Extra recess
• A read-aloud vote
• Music during work time
• Pajama day
• Line leader for the day
• Seat swap for the day
• Lunch with the teacher
• A class game at the end of the day
• Homework pass
• A silly hat day

Reward systems for preschoolers

Reward systems for preschoolers need pictures and stickers. A chart with a picture of the reward, like a star or a ball, works better then words. Use a session not a day, so the reward comes fast. Give the same sticker to every child that session if they all made a good choice. This keeps the system fair and simple for young children.

A preschol reward chart should be short, with 5 or 10 boxes. A child earns a sticker for a specific action, like putting away toys or sitting for a story. The sticker is the reward, and the chart is the visual. For a simple chart, use the star chart page.

Coupons and certificates

The classroom coupons and the certificates are the payout for your reward system. Coupons are for individual rewards, like a homework pass or a line leader pass. Certificates are for the whole class, like a class reward certificate. Print them on card stock so they last.

Use the classroom coupons page for the individual rewards. Use the certificates page for the whole-room rewards. Both are free to print and easy to hand out. A certificate is a special way to mark a full chart or a full jar.

For a color-coded system, see the color-coded behavior charts page. For tracking sheets, see the tracking sheets page. These fit with the classroom reward system on this page.