Worksheets for Teachers
Did someone say printable worksheets? From 2nd-grade math worksheets and 4th-grade reading comprehension worksheets to Common Core worksheets 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 elementary grade levels.
Explore printable activities, free worksheets, homework sheets and more — 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 individualized instruction was gaining traction, and educators recognized 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 individualized 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, practicing 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 markers 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 markers!
- Use digital worksheets. Allow students to fill out their worksheets on classroom tablets as a means to add an extra level of engagement.
- Focus on rigor. It's important to differentiate instruction, and the worksheets assigned to students should be appropriate to their needs — but they should not just be busy work. Ensure there's a challenge at hand to hold kids' attention!
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 — primary-aged students can work on their fine motor skills with our mini book, cut and paste worksheets, and more while their older elementary peers get pulled into the fun of vocabulary fun with word searches and crossword puzzle worksheets.
Printable puzzles engage students in the form of a brain game, and color by worksheets bring art elements into math 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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Valentine's Day Word Scramble
Expand your students’ language skills through Valentine’s Day vocabulary.
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Valentine's Day Hundreds Chart Mystery Pictures
Follow the color-coded number guides to fill in the hundreds chart square and reveal 9 special Valentine’s Day images.
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Black History Profile: Shirley Chisholm - Comprehension Worksheet
Review our profile on Congresswoman and first Black presidential candidate Shirley Chisholm, and answer questions to reinforce understanding.
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Valentines Around the World – Comprehension Worksheet
Explore five global Valentine’s Day traditions with this informational text and comprehension questions activity.
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Valentine's Day - 3rd Grade English Worksheets
Review and practice a wide range of grammar skills with a pack of printable 3rd grade writing worksheets.
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Boston Tea Party - RACES Writing Strategy Worksheet
Integrate reading, writing, and American history with a worksheet about the Boston Tea Party using the RACES writing strategy for text evidence.
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Valentine's Mystery Picture - Multiplication Color By Number Worksheet
Have fun with your Valentine’s Day Math practice with a multiplication mystery picture worksheet.
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Lewis and Clark Worksheet - RACES Writing Strategy
Practice using the RACES writing strategy for text evidence with a Lewis and Clark Passage, graphic organizer, and worksheet.
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Comprehension Worksheets - The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Read and learn about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch with a reading comprehension passage and worksheet pack.
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Plotting Points Mystery Picture — Valentine’s Day
Share this potting points mystery picture with your students on Valentine’s Day.
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Context Clues Reading Passages & Comprehension Sheets
Use a Context Clues Reading Passage and comprehension sheet to assess your student's ability to define unknown words using context clues.
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Shape Worksheet Sets (Kindergarten to 6th Grade Level)
Use these leveled worksheets sets with your elementary school students to explore 2D shapes and 3D shapes!
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Printable Valentine’s Day Cards
Celebrate Valentine’s Day in the classroom with printable Valentines.
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Valentine's Day Printables - Worksheets for 2nd Graders
Review and practice a wide range of grammar skills with a pack of printable Valentine’s Day-themed grammar and writing worksheets for 2nd graders.
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Color-By-Number Valentine's Day Division Worksheet
Practice division facts through 12 with a Valentine's Day color-by-number worksheet!
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Vowel Teams Diphthong Worksheets
Practice diphthongs with this set of fun and engaging worksheets.
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Fractions on a Number Line - Halves, Fifths, and Tenths
Demonstrate the concept of fractions on a number line with a printable fraction number line display and student reference sheets.
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Animals With Scales, Fur, Shells and Feathers Worksheet Pack
Investigate different animal body coverings by sorting and coloring animals with feathers, fur, scales and shells.
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Compound Words List Resource Pack
Introduce your students to different levels and types of compound words with a pack of printable compound words list.
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Expanded Form Worksheet Pack
Practice expanding 2-digit to 6-digit numbers with this set of 5 worksheets.
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I Can Label Body Parts Worksheet Pack
Identify and label features of the body with this I Can Label Body Parts Worksheet Pack.
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Comparing Unit Fractions Worksheets
Compare different unit fractions using this teacher-created set of worksheets.
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Metric Conversion Worksheet Set
Utilize our metric conversion worksheet set to give your students practice converting units of metric length, mass, and capacity.
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Color-by-Number Valentine's Day Addition Worksheet
Have fun with your Valentine’s Day Math practice with an addition color by number worksheet.
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Amelia Earhart Constructed Response Worksheet
Use this passage, second grade writing prompt, and worksheet to help students write a constructed response paragraph about Amelia Earhart.
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Counting Mixed Coins Differentiated Worksheets
Download differentiated printable worksheets and use skip counting and addition skills to determine the value of each coin collection.
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Middle Sound Words - Sorting Task ('a' and 'o')
3 different sorting tasks to use with students when learning about the 'a' and 'o' middle sounds.
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Push and Pull Sorting Worksheet
Use this push and pull sorting worksheet when exploring forces and motion with your 3rd grade students.
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Historical Heroes - Harriet Tubman Worksheets
Learn about the life and contributions of Harriet Tubman with a comprehensive pack of Women’s History Month worksheets.
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The Civil Rights Movement and Segregation in America Brochure
Demonstrate learning about the major events and leaders who helped end segregation in the United States during the Civil Rights Movement with a brochure project.
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Free Map Skills Worksheet- Using Cardinal Directions
A worksheet to practice using cardinal directions.
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Free Spelling Worksheets for Any List
Grab these spelling worksheets for any list and use them to prep your weekly spelling homework with ease!