Think – Write – Connect

Teachers and parents are always looking for a new teaching aid to help motivate children to practice good behavior. One teaching aid that is extremely popular is a behavior chart.

A staple of any elementary classroom, a behavior chart is simply a chart that lists each child in the class, and has four to five slips of paper in a slot under the child’s name. As the day progresses, any child that misbehaves or acts up will have to remove a slip of paper from his or her slot. Each slip of paper serves as a symbol of a particular consequence. For instance, if a child acts up and removes one slip of paper, the consequence might be a warning. Two slips of paper removes may result in a loss of recess time, three a detention, and so on.

While this is the most common type of behavior chart, some have argued that it is not the most effective use of a behavior chart. It is thought that since a classroom behavior chart emphasizes consequences for acting up, children are taught only to avoid punishment. This results in children who do not misbehave, but also do not make an effort to “go the extra mile” and accomplish chores or help out more.

A standard behavior chart is effective in a classroom setting as teachers are trying to prevent outbursts and disruptions to the class, however what about a parent trying to motivate their children to clean up more, go to bed on time, and accomplish chores. A fear of punishment is not an effective motivation for children to develop good habits for a lifetime. Children must see that good behavior has rewards. However, with a traditional behavior chart, children only see punishments and not rewards.

In order to rectify this situation Roxana Bolanos, of Dallas based Learning From A to Z, has created a type of behavior chart that focuses on teaching children about good behavior, known as a reward chart, that is perfect for household use as parents seek to teach their children about responsibility.

A reward chart is a specific type of behavior chart used to teach children to set goals and motivate them to help around the house and learn self-discipline. Instead of punishing children for acting out, a reward chart is used to reward children for accomplishing goals.

The reward chart offered by Learning From A to Z is a good example of an effective home teaching aid. Parents can choose from a number of household chores for the child to focus on for the week. As the child goes through the week, anytime they finish one of these chores or meet a goal for a particular day, they will receive a gold star. At the end of the week, if the child has accumulated a certain number of gold stars, they will receive a reward, such as ice cream or a toy.

A reward chart is effective as a teaching aid for a number of reasons. It allows a child to keep track of their performance for the week, as well as set goals for themselves. Children are also taught self-discipline in that, if they want a particular reward, such as a toy or ice cream, they must meet certain goals. If the child does not do so well for a particular day or week, they simply do not get the particular reward.

While a behavior chart can be an effective teaching aid at school, reward charts are better for use at home as a means of teaching children to develop good qualities in a meaningful way that gets the child involved.