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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Water Cycle in a Bag – Investigation Activity
Create a water cycle in a bag, make observations, and answer discussion questions with this printable science activity.
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Dictionary Guide Words Cut and Paste
Cut and paste to work out what guide words go with each of these words found in the dictionary.
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Prefix Worksheet: Im- and Non-
Reinforce students' understanding of im- and non- prefixes with a printable prefix worksheet.
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Fraction Comparison Worksheet – Differentiated
Use visual models to create fraction comparisons with this cut-and-paste worksheet designed for 3rd-grade students.
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Subtraction on a Number Line – Worksheets
Practice subtracting two-digit numbers with regrouping using a number line and the jump strategy with a pack of differentiated worksheets.
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Types of Weather – Cut and Paste Worksheet
Use this cut-and-paste science worksheet to match a picture and description with each weather condition.
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What Good Friends Do – Differentiated Friendship Worksheets
Sort verbs according to if they are friendly or unfriendly interactions with this friendship worksheet.
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Ordering Decimals Worksheet - Number Lines
Practice ordering decimals on a number line with this worksheet.
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Integers Worksheet - Integer Number Line Cut and Paste
Practice identifying positive and negative numbers on a number line with a cut-and-paste integers worksheet
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Decimals to the Tenths - Number Line Worksheets
Practice identifying decimals on number lines with a number line worksheet.
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Comparing Fractions – Differentiated Cut and Paste Worksheets
Compare fractions with like numerators and denominators with this cut and paste worksheet.
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Count and Color Sounds - Phoneme Counting Worksheets
Count and color the images that have 3 phonemes, 4 phonemes, and 5 phonemes in this worksheet set.
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Food Chains – Worksheet
Use this worksheet to identify and describe the flow of energy in a food chain.
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Fractions on a Number Line – Worksheet
Improve student understanding of fractions on a number line with this printable 3rd-grade math worksheet.
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Printable Skip Counting Worksheets and Charts
Practice and review skip counting by 2,3,4,5,and 10 with a pack of printable skip counting worksheets and anchor charts.
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The World Without Water – Natural Resource Worksheet
Imagine and depict what a world without water would look like with a drawing prompt worksheet.
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Adding and Subtracting Integers on Number Lines - Worksheet
Help your students learn to add and subtract integers on a number line with a printable adding and subtracting integers worksheet.
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Positive and Negative Number Line - Worksheet
Practice locating integers on a positive and negative number line with a printable integer worksheet.
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Writing Equations – Worksheet
Practice writing equations to represent a situation with this math worksheet designed for 6th-grade students.
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Great Barrier Reef - Comprehension and Note Taking Worksheet
Learn about The Great Barrier Reef with a comprehension and note-taking activity.
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All About Stars – Mini-Book
Learn about the stars in the night sky with this printable mini-book designed for kindergarten and first-grade students.
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Amazon Rainforest Facts - Reading Passage
Read and learn about conservation with a reading passage and comprehension worksheet on the Amazon Rainforest.
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Evaluating Expressions With Exponents – Worksheet
Practice evaluating expressions with exponents with this order of operations worksheet designed for 6th grade.
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Does the Sun Transfer Heat? – Science Experiment
Discover how the sun transfers thermal energy and which objects absorb more heat with this science experiment for kids.
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Map of the World - Labeling Activity
Discover and label the world's continents and oceans with this blank map of the world.
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Cursive Worksheets — Cursive Letter Families
Trace and write cursive letters with a pack of Cursive Letter Family worksheets.
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Cursive Worksheets - Days, Months, Colors, Numbers
Trace and write days of the week, months of the year, number words, and color words in cursive.
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Daily Vocabulary Dive - Synonyms and Antonyms Worksheet
Give your students a daily dose of synonym and antonym review with a 5-day vocabulary warm-up worksheet.
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Fraction Bars and Number Lines – Cut and Paste Worksheet
Build a fraction bar by piecing together unit fractions and identify fractions on a number line with this set of differentiated worksheets.
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The Moon – Reading Passage and Response Sheet
Engage your students with a high-interest reading passage about the moon with this informative article and accompanying response sheet.
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Basketball Word Puzzle Worksheets
Have a bit of word-friendly fun with your sports fanatics using a pack of basketball themed worksheets.
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Articles of Confederation Comprehension Pack
Teach your students the history of the American government with an reading comprehension passage and questions about the Articles of Confederation.