Measure your success
Create a personal progress chart to measure improvement in a skill like reading, jumping, or drawing, using simple measurements and observations.
Step-by-step guide to Measure your success
What Does Measurable Mean In SMART Goals? - High School Toolkit
Step 1
Pick one skill to measure like reading pages jumping height or drawing that you want to get better at.
Step 2
Choose a clear goal and a time frame such as "read 10 more pages in 4 weeks" or "jump 5 centimeters higher in 6 weeks."
Step 3
Decide how you will measure progress for that skill for example pages per day jump height in centimeters or number of drawings per week.
Step 4
Title your paper with the skill name and the date range for your challenge.
Step 5
Use the ruler to draw a simple chart with a vertical axis for the measurement and a horizontal axis for days or weeks.
Step 6
Label the vertical axis with numbers for your measurement and the horizontal axis with the days or weeks you will track.
Step 7
Take a starting measurement now and write it on the first spot of your chart as your baseline.
Step 8
Choose specific days and times when you will practice and measure and write them on a sticky note to keep by your chart.
Step 9
Each time you practice measure the skill and write the new number or note on your chart.
Step 10
Decorate each recorded entry with colors or stickers so your progress is easy to see at a glance.
Step 11
Once a week look at your chart and write one short sentence about what helped you improve.
Step 12
Share your finished progress chart on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have a ruler or stickers for the chart?
If you don't have a ruler, fold a piece of paper or use a straight-edged book to draw the axes, and if you don't have stickers decorate each recorded entry with colored pencils, small drawings, or cut-out paper shapes as in the 'Decorate each recorded entry' step.
What should we do if our measurements are inconsistent or we keep forgetting to record progress?
If measurements are inconsistent or you forget to record, put the sticky note with your chosen days and times next to the chart, set a phone alarm for those practice times, and always use the same method for 'Take a starting measurement' (for example the same ruler position for jump height or counting pages starting from the same page).
How can we change this activity for younger children or make it harder for older kids?
For younger children simplify the chart with fewer days or weeks and let an adult draw the axes and help place stickers for each practice, while older kids can use precise units (centimeters, pages per day), longer time frames, and write the weekly reflection sentence themselves.
How can we extend or personalize the progress chart once it's started?
To extend and personalize your chart, add a goal line across the vertical axis, color-code improvements and setbacks with different markers or stickers, set small rewards for milestones, and photograph the finished decorated chart to share on DIY.org as suggested.
Watch videos on how to Measure your success
How to Set SMART Goals | Goal Setting for Students
3 Videos
How to Set SMART Goals | Goal Setting for Students
5 Steps to Achieving Your Goals: A Guide for Kids
Learning Targets and Success Criteria Explained
Facts about goal-setting and progress tracking for kids
⏱️ Short, regular practice sessions (even 10–15 minutes) add up and build skills over time.
🎯 Breaking a big skill into tiny, trackable steps makes progress feel exciting and doable.
📊 People spot trends much faster in a simple chart than in a long list of numbers.
🔍 Tracking progress helps you spot patterns and plateaus so you can try a new practice trick.
📝 Writing goals down makes them feel more real and helps people stick to them.
How do you create a personal progress chart to measure a child's improvement?
What materials do I need to make a personal progress chart for a child?
What ages is a personal progress chart suitable for?
What are the benefits of using a personal progress chart with children?
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