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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Printable Fall Books - Preschool
Read and write about autumn with our printable colors of fall mini book.
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Women's Suffrage - Differentiated Comprehension Worksheets
Integrate reading, writing, and American history with a differentiated comprehension passage and worksheet about Women’s Suffrage.
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13 Colonies Map Quiz
Locate and identify the 13 original colonies of the United States with a map labeling assessment.
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Addition and Subtraction Within 20 – Worksheet
Use this worksheet with your students when exploring addition and subtraction within 20.
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13 Colonies Map Labeling Worksheet
Locate and identify the 13 original colonies of the United States with a map labeling worksheet.
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Kindness Word Scramble
Use this Kindness Word Scramble worksheet to talk about the different words associated with being kind
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Farm Activities for Preschoolers - Printable Book
A fill-in-the-blank mini-book to help students learn about things on a farm.
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Apple Theme Worksheets - Preschool and Kindergarten
Bring a bit of fall into the classroom with a set of apple-themed letter recognition worksheets for preschoolers and kindergarteners.
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Colonial America Word Search
Review vocabulary and terminology related to Colonial America with a word search activity.
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13 Colonies Map - Blank
Build understanding of Colonial America with a blank 13 colonies map.
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The French and Indian War - Passage and Graphic Organizer
Reveal another chapter in American History with a reading passage and graphic organizer worksheet on the French and Indian War.
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Perimeter Word Problems Worksheet
Get students solving real-life perimeter word problems with a printable worksheet for 3rd and 4th grade.
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Fall Fun With Words Worksheets
Bring a bit of fall into the classroom with a set of five fun fall activities that develop vocabulary and spelling skills.
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Graph It! Worksheet (Single-Unit Intervals)
Draw a single-unit picture graph and bar graph to represent data with this worksheet.
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Fall Count and Graph Worksheet
Practice counting and graphing with a Fall-themed count and graph worksheet.
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Thanksgiving Mini Book
Celebrate Thanksgiving in the classroom with a printable Thanksgiving activity book.
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Pumpkin Parts of Speech Worksheets
Review three parts of speech by sorting nouns, verbs, and adjectives with these four pumpkin-themed cut-and-paste worksheets.
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Celebrate America Mini Book
Read and write about the major national holidays in the United States with a printable mini-book for primary readers.
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Printable Halloween Book for Kindergarten
Stretch your students’ reading and writing skills with a devilishly-delightful Halloween Mini Book.
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The Intolerable Acts Worksheets
Practice close reading strategies, vocabulary, and writing skills with an Intolerable Acts worksheet and writing prompt.
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Managing Anger Worksheet (Intermediate)
Help older students identify and manage angry feelings with this self-reflection and action plan worksheet.
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Halloween Count and Graph Worksheet
Practice counting objects with a Halloween count and graph worksheet.
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Constitution Day Mini Book
Learn about Constitution Day in the United States with a Constitution Day mini-book for early readers.
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Design a Dot Day Shirt Creativity Task
Design a Dot Day shirt with a fun, creative t-shirt template.
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Multiplication Mystery Picture (Pencil)
Use the color-coded multiplication guide to complete the grid and reveal a mystery picture.
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Counting to 100 — Dot Day Worksheet
Celebrate International Dot Day with this fun, hands-on way to learn how to count to 100 using ten frames.
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Constitution Day Worksheet - ABC Order
Support your students in reviewing the vocabulary and concepts surrounding Constitution Day with this worksheet.
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Abigail Adams Constructed Response Worksheet
Use this passage, writing prompt, and worksheet to help students write a constructed response paragraph about Abigail Adams.
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Thurgood Marshall Constructed Response Worksheet
Discover the influence and positive character traits of Thurgood Marshall with a reading passage and RACES writing prompt for fourth grade.
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Skip Counting by 2, 5, & 10 – Worksheet
Practice counting by 2, 5, and 10 with this skip counting worksheet.
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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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Animal Needs and Adaptations Mini-Book
Read and learn about animal adaptations and basic needs with this 14-page mini-book.