Homework chart for kids

The homework chart

The printable has subjects down the side and Monday to Friday across the top. Each row ends with a Friday reward line. Your child gets a check in a box when the homework is done and put away.

Every chart is a one-page PDF in letter and A4, in 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.

This chart is made for kids aged 6 to 12. It works for one subject or five. You can write in the subjects that match your child's backpack.

Done and in the bag

The rule for a check is simple: homework is done and back in the bag. Not started, not almost. Done and in the bag. That is the only thing that earns a check.

Let your child put the check in the box themselves. It gives them control and a reason to look at the chart. The parent looks on Friday and counts the checks.

No check for a grade. No check for a neat page. The chart rewards the behavior you want: sitting down and finishing. The teacher handles the quality of the work.

A homework routine that fills the chart

A chart works best when it sits on top of a steady routine. Here is a five step plan you can start tonight.

1. Same time: right after snack or after dinner, pick one time and stick to it.
2. Same place: a clear table or desk with pencils and paper within reach.
3. Snack first: a hungry child can not focus, so fill the belly before the backpack opens.
4. Chart open on the table: put the chart where your child can see it, and the check box is a goal.
5. Bag packed after the check: the check goes in, then the homework goes in the bag, right away.

Keep the routine short and predictable. The chart fills faster when the steps feel the same every day. For more on building routines, see our routine charts.

Homework stickers and rewards

The Friday reward should be small and immediate. A sticker works well for kids aged 6 to 8. For ages 9 and up, a check mark on the reward line feels more grown up.

You can pair the chart with homework stickers that fit the boxes. The reward boxes fit a 1.5 inch round sticker or a 1/2 inch star sticker. Or use a pen and let the check be enough.

For reward ideas that do not cost money, see our reward ideas. The reward is for five checks, whatever the teacher wrote on the work.

When homework is the fight

If your child refuses to start, shorten the row. Write started instead of done. A check for sitting down and trying for 15 minutes is a step forward.

Set a timer for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, the child can stop. Often they will keep going once they are in the flow.

Remember the chart is not a grade. It rewards effort and routine, not the teacher's marks. If the work is truely poor, talk to the teacher. The chart is for the habit, not the quality.

For more on handling resistance, see our incentive chart vs reward chart guide.