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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Operations with Fractions – Math Mats
Use these math mats when reviewing fraction operations with your students.
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When Winter Comes - Poetry Analysis Worksheet
Printable poem for upper elementary students to practice analyzing poetry.
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George Washington Comprehension Worksheet - Primary Grades
Read and learn about the father of our country, George Washington, with a reading passage and comprehension questions.
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Predator or Prey? Forest Animals – Worksheet
Sort animals according to whether they are classified as predators, prey, or both with this worksheet.
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Christmas MINTS Anchor Chart & Capitalization Worksheets
Reinforce capitalization rules for months, proper nouns, titles, the pronoun I, and more with a MINTS anchor chart and worksheet.
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Christmas Word Scramble & Answers
Have a bit of word-friendly fun with a Christmas Word Scramble and answers.
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What Do Good Citizens Do? Matching Activity
Teach the roles and responsibilities of good citizens with a scenario matching cut and paste worksheet.
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Henry Hudson Worksheet Pack
Discover famous explorers like Henry Hudson with a Henry Hudson Worksheet Pack
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Estimating Decimal Sums and Differences – Worksheet
Refine rounding skills with an estimating decimal sums and differences worksheet.
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Converting Percentages – Worksheet
Practice converting a percent to a decimal or a fraction with this worksheet.
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Word Study List - Prefix Words
Introduce and explore common prefixes with this extensive list of words.
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Word Study List - R Blend Words
Introduce and explore words containing an initial r-blend with this extensive list of words.
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Cut and Paste Worksheets - Christmas Parts of Speech
Bring a bit of Christmas fun into your language arts lessons these our Cut and Paste Worksheets - Christmas Edition resource pack.
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5th Grade Operations with Fractions Assessment
Asses student understanding of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions with this math assessment.
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CVC Word List
Introduce and explore consonant-vowel-consonant words with this extensive list of CVC words.
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Word Study List - Long O Words
Introduce and explore words containing graphemes that make the “long o” sound with this extensive list of words.
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Writing Numerical Expressions – Digital and Printable Riddle Worksheets
Use these worksheets to match numerical expressions with different scenarios to reveal the answer to a math joke.
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Community Types: Define and Draw
Draw and write about rural, urban, and suburban communities with a graphic organizer.
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Comparing and Ordering Decimals – Worksheet
Practice using number lines to compare and order decimals with this worksheet.
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4th Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets - Superstitions
Learn about common superstitions and beliefs with a printable reading comprehension passage for 4th grade.
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Lewis and Clark Close Read Comprehension Pack
Enhance your students' comprehension, vocabulary, and writing skills with a close reading passage and activity pack about the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
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Goods and Services Worksheet
Determine examples of goods and services with an economics worksheet.
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Paul Revere Worksheet - Constructed Response
Integrate reading, writing, and American history with a constructed response Paul Revere Worksheet highlighting the American Revolution.
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What Do They Do? Community Helpers Worksheet Pack
Engage kindergarten and first-grade students in writing about 25 amazing community helpers with a worksheet pack.
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Goods and Services Sorting Worksheet
Practice identifying examples of goods and services with a cut and paste sorting worksheet.
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Needs and Wants Worksheet
Guide your students to grow their skills in identifying and describing examples of needs and wants with this worksheet.
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Lewis and Clark Expedition - Cloze Worksheet
Practice and review concepts associated with the Lewis and Clark Expedition using a cloze passage.
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Reflexive Pronoun Worksheet
Use this reflexive pronouns worksheet to teach your students about reflexive pronouns and how they are used in sentences.
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Forms of Energy (Heat, Light and Sound) Worksheet
Identify different forms of energy with this cut and paste worksheet.
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How Organisms Survive – Worksheet
Use this worksheet to identify and describe different animal and plant adaptations which help them survive in their environment.
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The Louisiana Purchase -Constructed Response Worksheet
Integrate reading, writing, and Social Studies content with a Louisiana Purchase Constructed Response worksheet and graphic organizer.
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Managing Anxiety Worksheet (Primary)
Help students identify and manage anxious feelings with this self-reflection worksheet.
