Why I Won’t Use A Behavior Chart In My Classroom

Why are preschoolers struggling in the first place?

I can’t give you a definitive answer to why your students may be struggling to behave in ways you are expecting them to, but in my experience and looking at the research, these three reasons are the most common:

• Students experiencing trauma and toxic stress
• Overstimulating environment
• Our expectations are off the mark

Let me touch on all of these very briefly because this article isn’t about why children exhibit behavior that so many adults who are working with them find extra challenging; it’s about why the answer doesn’t lie with behavior charts. Research suggests that 1/3 to 1/2 of young children have experienced trauma( Blair & Raver, 2012). This is worth noting because of the effects trauma has on the developing brain and brain function. When young brains are exposed to trauma and toxic stress, they are exposed to high levels of cortisol, which changes how the brain works. The pre-frontal cortex is especially sensitive to this. This is huge because that is the area of the brain where pretty much all the things we want our students to do, all the functions that help them “behave,” are in that part of the brain. Social regulation and decision-making are two notable functions that can be affected, but one I want you to focus on is working memory. If a child’s working memory is impaired, following multi-step directions is extra hard to do. Setting up behavior charts and reward systems won’t help these children do something they can’t; we need to support them as they learn these skills, not chart their inability.

You may be thinking, great, but the student who is driving me batty right now hasn’t been exposed to trauma. How do you know? The sneaky thing about trauma is that we don’t know what we don’t know. Parents don’t always disclose all the traumatic experiences their children have been exposed to, and they may not even know. Our job as teachers isn’t to judge and decide why a child is acting a certain way; it is to find the best way to support and be responsive to that child and help them be successful. I’ll get more specific about why behavior charts aren’t how we should do that, but first, let’s talk about overstimulation.

Why are they melting down? Why can’t they keep it together – I’ve offered a reward!

The simple answer is that they are overstimulated – but what does that mean? According to Information Processing Theory, the human brain is like a computer. When we are exposed to new information, our brain processes that and makes a file; when we come in contact with that same info or very similar info again, we pop that new information or experience into that existing file. We adults have a lot of files, and unlike my laptop, my brain is well organized, so when new information comes in, it can be processed quickly, and I don’t even notice. Children, especially young children, have way fewer existing files in their brains, so when they are exposed to new things, their brains have to process it, and it takes their brains longer to do that than our adult ones. Like computers, when brains try to process too many things simultaneously ( new stimuli, big emotions, excitement), they crash. So, what we can learn from this is that our job is to meet our students’ needs in an engaging but not overstimulating environment. If a child is overstimulated, no offer of a reward or thought about getting a sticker for their behavior chart will stop that because it doesn’t meet their need to become less stimulated; if anything, it just adds more to the process.

Last, in examining why preschoolers struggle in classrooms, we must look at our expectations instead of ranting about student behavior. It’s okay to vent; sometimes, we need to rant, feel exhausted, and be frustrated, but it’s not OK to keep expecting a child to do something they can not do. We’d never expect a child who doesn’t know the alphabet to be able to read, but we often have unrealistic expectations for children to behave in ways they are not ready to. Take time to reflect on your expectations and if they are fair and realistic.

What can we do, and why don’t behavior charts work?

The good news is that you are not powerless; teachers and caregivers are in powerful positions that can have lasting positive effects on children’s behavior and brain development. We all know that humans aren’t born with fully-developed brains. Development continues into the first quarter century of our lives, with the most critical in the first few. The interactions we have literally shape our brains. Attachment is vital for cognitive development – when we are responsive to our students, we influence positive brain development. We know that the brain and its growth are influenced by genetics, but it’s also influenced by experiences – positive and negative—especially reciprocal interactions with caregivers. This is why keeping our interactions positive and focused on supportive systems, not punitive ones like behavior charts, is paramount.

Another reason I won’t use a behavior chart in my classroom is that research has found that preschoolers in classrooms with more threats of punishment and commands showed lower levels of pro-social behavior (Wachs, Gurkhas, & Kontos, 2004). This makes sense when you consider the research from 2020 that discusses how rewards and punishments have been found to undermine children’s sense of autonomy – when this happens, the natural next step for those children is to look for new ways to fill that need for autonomy – often resulting in more behavior caregivers find challenging. This is because rewards and punishments shift social relationships that build relatedness into economic ones ( Holland & Ohle, 2020). Economic relationships aren’t about money but are focused on getting or avoiding things. I’ll behave because I get a sticker, or I’ll behave so I don’t get moved from green to yellow on my behavior chart. This is one more reason I say these charts can do more harm than good; for a little while, they may work, but in the long term, they are fighting against teachers and students building relationships that will foster long-term self-regulation and a more peaceful classroom. This is just the tip of the iceberg regarding why sticker and behavior charts and rewards are problematic, but I want to get to the things we can do. Keep reading about why sticker charts are not the answer and when I think they may actually work here.

Begin with play and getting to know your students. That’s the only way we can see what our students are capable of, and they can develop relationships with us to build trust. Students’ ability to handle stress is dependent on the quality of the relationships they have with their teachers and caregivers ( Lally & Magionne, 2017) so it’s time well spent to invest in building strong relationships.

Classrooms centered on relationships have a predictable routine and a stimulating but not over-stimulating environment. Make it a goal to differentiate your lessons and activities so children can be successful and engaged in learning, not bored and seeking stimulation is undesirable ways. Try your best to give your students choices like how to sit at circle time and free play time where they choose the activities. Giving young children authentic choices has been linked to fewer behavior challenges(Bustamonte, 2018).

More than anything, a classroom focused on relatedness is where everyone is respected for who they are. We use a lot of togetherness talk to explain expectations explicitly; “We use inside voices and can be louder outside where loud voices won’t hurt our ears.” Rules are there for a reason, not just control, and those reasons are explained in detail; ” We walk in the classroom because when we run, we might bump into a friend, and we could both get hurt.” Research supports including children in defining your classroom rules ( Lesperrance, 2018). Mistakes are welcome in a classroom focusing on relationships, and growth mindset strategies are practiced. Expectations are modeled and scaffolded until children can meet them independently, and each child, no matter what we may have thought they could do, is only expected to be able to do what they are truly capable of on that day. There isn’t one action that crates a classroom like this, there are many actions day in and day out, but it’s worth it!

To learn more about my sessions about how to have peaceful classrooms and successful circle times check out my speaker page here.