Picture Chore Chart for Non-Readers

What this sheet is for

When a child cannot read yet, a chore chart full of words is just a puzzle they cannot solve. This sheet replaces printed words with blank picture boxes that a parent and child fill in together before the chart goes up on the wall. Because the child drew the pictures themselves, they recognize each job instantly and can work through the list on their own.

How to use it

Start by sitting with your child and going through each numbered row under 'This chart belongs to.' Read the short chore label aloud — 'Put toys in the toy box,' for example — then draw a simple picture of that job together in the 'Draw it' box on that row. It does not need to be good art; it just needs to mean something to your child. Hang the sheet at their eye level. Each day, as your child finishes a chore, they check the large checkbox beside it. When all eight boxes are checked, read the 'All done — great helping today' line together at the foot of the page.

What is printed on the page

“Picture Chore Chart for Non-Readers” is laid out as step list: eight ordered steps in large type, each row with a number, an empty box to draw a picture in and a big tick box, a name line at the top and an all-done line at the foot. Under the title it reads “Draw each job with a grown-up, then check it off when you're done.”, and the line at the foot of the page says “Draw the pictures together before you hang the chart — your child will recognize their own drawings faster than any clip art.”.

The steps slot holds eight entries — “Put toys in the toy box”, “Push in your chair”, “Put dirty clothes away”, “Feed the pet” and “Carry your plate over” and three more — so the sheet is already filled in for chores rather than left as blank rows to label yourself.

The remaining labels on “Picture Chore Chart for Non-Readers”, the chores sheet, are “This chart belongs to” for the name label, “Draw it” for the icon prompt and “All done — great helping today” for the done prompt.

Two things about this particular step list are settings rather than text, and “Picture Chore Chart for Non-Readers” has them set like this. Icon boxes is on: include an empty picture box on every row. Numbered is on: number the steps 1 to 8.

Tips

Let your child hold the pencil and lead the drawing, even if it is just a scribble — ownership of the picture builds ownership of the chore.

Limit the active chores to four or five on any given day for a three-year-old; tape a small sticky note over the rows you are skipping that week.

Print a fresh sheet each week so the checkboxes reset cleanly and your child feels a genuine sense of starting over.

The other layouts in this set

“Picture Chore Chart for Non-Readers” is one of seven sheets in this set, each a different fixed layout filled for the same topic. “My Morning Helper Chart” uses the step list layout, “Toddler Bedtime Routine Chart” uses the step list layout, “Ready & Rested: Ages 5–8” uses the two routines layout, “Teen Morning and Evening Routine” uses the two routines layout, “After School & Done” uses the time strip layout and “Morning Routine Chart for Tweens” uses the time strip layout. Pick by how you work: the layout decides how much you write and where, not what the sheet is about.