Printable PDF Teaching Resources

Explore printable PDF worksheets, activities and thousands more teacher resources you can add to your lesson plans with just a few clicks — including free printables!

Thousands of Teach Starter's teacher-created resources are available in PDF file format, making it easy for any teacher to use anywhere — no matter what type of computer or software you have.

Curious about the advantages of PDF resources for teachers? Read on for a quick guide from our teacher team!

What Does PDF Stand For?

Before we dive into all the ways you can use a PDF in your classroom, it's worth looking at the meaning behind the acronym. PDF stands for "Portable Document Format."

It's a file format that was developed by the software company Adobe in the 1990s. The format was designed to protect the appearance and layout of documents across different platforms and devices.

That's exactly what makes it so easy for teachers to use. You can print a PDF worksheet on the school printer and send that same PDF via email to a student's parent, and the layout will remain exactly the same — even if you are using entirely different computers.

How Do I Open a PDF File From Teach Starter?

Most web browsers — like the one you're using right now to access our teacher resources — will allow you to open a PDF file directly in the browser.

What if you want to open the file without opening a browser? We suggest downloading Adobe's free Adobe Acrobat Reader software to easily display any PDF.

How Do I Print a PDF Document for My Students?

The ease of printing has made the PDF format a must for teacher resources, so how do you actually print your new worksheet or activity?

Simple!

Open the PDF file in your browser or PDF viewer (like Adobe Acrobat Reader, mentioned above).
Click on the "File" menu in the top-left corner.
Select "Print" or use your keyboard shortcut "Ctrl + P" (Windows) or "Command + P" (Mac).
In the print dialog box, choose your printer from the list.
Adjust print settings like orientation, paper size and the number of copies you'll need for your students.
Click "Print" to start printing.

Can I Edit a PDF File?

This is a common teacher question, and the answer is a bit complicated.

There's special software out there that will allow for some edits on a PDF, but you will typically need to have the original document to get the best results.

To make sure teachers can make the edits they need to adjust our resources for their lesson plans and their individual students, most Teach Starter resources are available in other (editable) formats, such as Google Slides!