Worksheets for Teachers
Did someone say printable worksheets? From year 1 maths worksheets to reading comprehension worksheets to printables for kindergarten and beyond, our collection of teacher-created teaching tools is ready to make learning fun and engaging for your students in all subject areas and on all primary year levels.
Explore printable activities, free worksheets, homework sheets and more — all aligned to the Australian curriculum and all created by teachers, for teachers just like you!
Teach Starter worksheets undergo a careful review process by our expert teacher team to ensure they're ready for your lesson plans ... and your students! Best of all, you know each printable is designed with the goal of turning on that lightbulb over your students' heads and producing more of those 'aha!' moments in the classroom!
Curious about how to make worksheets more engaging? Or maybe you're just wondering how worksheets became a tool used in schools? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!
Why Do Teachers Use Worksheets?
Worksheets are an important part of any teacher's toolkit — and yes, we say part because we believe in the importance of hands-on learning too (explore our full collection for plenty of student-led activities!) — but do you ever wonder how they ended up being so ubiquitous?
It was back in the mid-20th century that worksheets started to take hold in education.
The concept of individualised instruction was gaining traction, and educators recognised the need to tailor learning experiences to students' unique abilities, interests and learning styles.
Worksheets started to emerge because they were a means to provide students with both individualised practice and reinforcement of skills. Psychologists like Jean Piaget (you may know him best for his theories on children's cognitive development?) played a role here. The Swiss psychologist suggested teachers should be providing their students with materials that would advance their thinking, and worksheets offer a means for students to assess their own learning.
The real win for worksheets, however, was the invention of the photocopy machine! It made it easy for this supplemental tool to spread like wildfire!
How Do You Make Worksheets Engaging?
You already know educational printables are a beneficial learning tool. They enable students to work independently, practising and applying the concepts they've been learning in your classroom.
So how do you keep them from putting your students in boxes?
At Teach Starter, our worksheets aren't 'just worksheets.' Our expert teacher team works every day to create the tools you need to create impactful classroom experiences. That means our teacher team creates our school worksheets specifically to engage students with eye-catching graphics and creative formats. Here are some of their tips to ensure worksheets are used effectively in the classroom — and truly help engage your students!
- Use worksheets as just part of your toolbox. These are great tools to support classroom instruction and provide independent practise, and they should be balanced with a mix of other teaching tools!
- Mix up your worksheet types. Teach Starter's cut-and-paste worksheets, for example, add an interactive element to help hold students' attention.
- Encourage students to doodle. Doodle notes have taken education by storm in recent years as the visual note-taking method has been proven to improve students' focus and memory. Apply those benefits to your worksheets, and you may be surprised by how it pulls kids' attention to the page!
- Add plastic sleeves. Slipping worksheets into plastic sleeves and allow students to use wipe-away pens on the sleeves is a good way to extend the life of a worksheet — and it adds and element of fun for kids who love the chance to use pens!
- Use digital worksheets. Allow students to fill out their worksheets on classroom tablets as a means to add an extra level of engagement.
It's Not Just a Worksheet
The key to effective worksheets comes down to how you use them — a balanced approach to education combines worksheets with other instructional strategies — from hands-on activities to group work to project-based learning.
So what can you get from worksheets?
Consider this — early years students can work on their fine motor skills with our mini books, cut-and-paste worksheets and more while their upper years peers get pulled into the fun of vocabulary fun with word searches and crossword puzzle worksheets. Printable puzzles that engage students in the form of a brain game and colour by worksheets that bring art elements into maths and reading.
Worksheets also provide the opportunity for formative assessment and give your students a chance to practice problem-solving while they work independently.
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Olympics Word Search – Upper
Words related to the Olympics in a word search.
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Using Words with Prefixes - Worksheet Pack
Practise using the prefixes Un-, Re-, Mis-, Pre-, Dis-, and In- with a pair of printable prefix worksheets.
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Coordinates Drawing - House
Students create this house by following the directions.
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Letter Confusion Worksheets
A set of worksheets for students struggling with dyslexia and letter confusion.
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The Torres Strait Islander Flag - Poster and Worksheet
A poster and worksheet of the Torres Strait Islander flag.
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Personal Recount Sequencing Activity - Police Car Ride
A worksheet to use in the classroom when learning the sequence of a personal recount.
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Elements of Poetry Worksheet - Idioms
A worksheet to help students understand idioms in poetry.
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Measuring Volume Worksheet
A worksheet to use when exploring the concept of volume.
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See Light Through Me Worksheet
A worksheet that explores classification of objects according to light transmission.
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Marine Animal Addition Worksheet
A marine themed addition worksheet to use when adding two single-digit numbers.
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Cause and Effect - Scenario Worksheet
A worksheet and answer sheet to use when teaching students the cause and effect comprehension strategy.
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Volume and Capacity Colouring Worksheets
A set of 6 colouring worksheets aimed at improving each student's basic understanding of volume and capacity.
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The Park (Poem) - Sequencing Activity
A sequencing activity using poetry.
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Informative Texts Writing Task - Doctors
A writing activity to help students construct an informative text based on factual information.
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Patterns and Algebra Worksheets - Year 3
2 patterns and algebra worksheets linked to the Australian Curriculum.
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Exploring Poetry Worksheet - Imagery
A worksheet to help students understand imagery in poetry.
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Exploring Poetry Worksheet - Onomatopoeia
A worksheet to help students understand onomatopoeia in poetry.
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Pre-Handwriting Worksheets
A collection of 18 pre-handwriting skill sheets with a range of different techniques and themes.
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My Drawing of the Gingerbread Man Worksheet
An engaging worksheet in the theme of the Gingerbread Man that explores the use of adjectives through drawing.
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Representing Tenths Worksheet
Have students demonstrate their understanding of tenths with this simple one-page worksheet.
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Decimal Operations Worksheet
Get students applying the four operations to decimal numbers with this set of two maths worksheets.
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Design a Musical Instrument Worksheet
A worksheet that can be used as a design technology task that explores the science of sound.
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Forces in the Playground Worksheet
Download this forces in the playground worksheet to help your students explore the pushes and pulls that make playground equipment fun!
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Compound Word Colouring Worksheets
Colour the compound words and boost your students' vocabulary with a pack of printable Compound word colouring worksheets.
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Today Is…Calendar Worksheet
Start your day with a morning calendar review using our printable daily calendar maths template.
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Adaptive Animals of the Arctic - Adaptations Worksheets
Explore the adaptations of polar animals and discover how they help them survive with a set of cut-and-paste labelling activity sheets.
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Characteristics of Animal Classes - Cut and Paste Worksheet
Identify the characteristics and features of different animal classifications with a cut-and-paste activity.
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Seasons, Days, & Months of the Year Spelling Worksheet
Spell the days of the week, months of the year, and the four seasons with a printable Spelling Homework sheet.
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Elapsed Time Number Search Worksheets
Review how to find elapsed time and practise learned skills with engaging Elapsed Time Number Search worksheets!
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Colour By Code Worksheet- Time to 5 Minutes
Practise telling time to the nearest five minutes with a fun Colour By Code worksheet.
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Multiplying Decimals – Riddle Worksheets
Get students solving decimal multiplication problems with this set of 3 differentiated riddle worksheets.
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Animal Classification Worksheets for Foundation Year
Identify and sort animals according to their characteristics with a printable pack of cut-and-paste animal worksheets.