Display or store your charts. If you are using a whole-class incentive chart, it may be displayed for the whole class. If you use individual charts for each student, they must be shown only to the child and anyone who has educational interest in the child, generally a parent or guardian.
Decide how many stickers or other marks (check marks, smiley faces, stars, etc.) your class or individual students should earn before being rewarded.
List two or three possible rewards. Avoid using food as a reward, as the foods that are generally given as a form of praise are unhealthy (cookies, candy, pizza and so on). Field days and extra outside time are great rewards for a whole class. A letter of congratulations or a special privilege, such as a "No Homework" pass, would make most individual students happy.
Discuss one or two desired behaviors with your students. For example, a whole class might need to work on walking quietly down the hallway or on overall test scores. Each time the class performs a desired behavior, the class earns a sticker. An individual student may need to work on calming herself or completing homework. Again, when she exhibits a desired behavior, she fills a space on her chart.
Be consistent. If your students exhibit a desired behavior, praise them and mark their charts right away so that they link the behavior with the praise and promise of a big reward. Encourage your children and make it clear that, while you will not give away rewards for nothing, you are confident they can do the work necessary to fill their charts.