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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Influential Black Leaders InstaFan Profile Template
Demonstrate learning about the most influential black leaders in history with an engaging social media biography template.
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Writing Equations From Word Problems – Differentiated Digital & Printable Worksheets
Practice writing equations from word problems with this set of differentiated worksheets.
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Harriet Tubman Comprehension Worksheet
Uncover facts about Harriet Tubman with a Reading Passage and Comprehension worksheet.
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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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Predicting Weather – Worksheet
Use data tables to answer questions and make predictions about temperature and precipitation with this weather worksheet.
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Groundhog Day Mini Book
Uncover the American tradition known as Groundhog Day with an informational mini-book.
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Valentine's Day Mini Book
Celebrate Valentine’s Day in the classroom and learn about the cultural celebration with a printable activity book for kindergarten and first-grade students.
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Bill of Rights - RACES writing response
Practice using the RACES writing strategy and discover the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights with a passage, organizer, and prompt.
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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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The Pony Express Worksheet- Comprehension Passage
Teach your students how to write a constructed response paragraph and integrate grade level Social studies concepts with a free Pony Express worksheet and ten-question comprehension assessment.
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Label a Soil Profile – Worksheet
Identify and label different layers with this soil profile worksheet.
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Measuring Length with Clover Worksheet
Measure familiar objects using our lucky clover in this St Patrick’s Day math activity!
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Levels of Government Worksheet - Responsibilities of Each Level
Sort the duties of state, local, and national government with a free sorting worksheet.
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I Have a Dream - Speech Analysis Activity
Review MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech text and explore the metaphors he used to convey his message through the accompanying questions.
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How to Write 2-Digit and 3-Digit Numbers Worksheet
Explore how to represent number values in standard form, word form, expanded form, and picture form with this multipurpose place value worksheet.
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Multiplication and Division Minute Math Booklet
Warm-up (or assess) with this 10-page booklet of multiplication and division drills.
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Division with Models Worksheet
Complete 8 division word problems by representing dividends as numbers, pictures, and number sentences.
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Parts of a Book Worksheets
Use these parts of a book worksheets for students to identify the various parts of a book.
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Decodable Text Worksheets – Set 2
A set of 10 decodable text worksheets for early readers.
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Decodable Text Worksheets – Set 1
A set of 10 decodable text worksheets for early readers.
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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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6-Digit Number of the Day Worksheet
A 6-digit place value worksheet to represent the number of the day in different ways.
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Identifying Descriptive and Figurative Language - Worksheets
A set of 3 worksheets to help your students identify descriptive and figurative language in narrative texts.
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Personal Recounts Worksheet - My Wonderful Weekend
A simple text and worksheet to use when exploring personal recounts.
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Police Car Ride - Narrative Text Structure Worksheet
A worksheet for teaching students how to write using a basic narrative text structure.
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Fractions and Decimals Assessment
Assess students' knowledge of various decimals and percentages concepts with this four-page worksheet.
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Readers' Theater Script - Creepy Cat Club
A script which can be used during readers' theater or Drama sessions, aimed at students in 4th grade or higher.
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Comprehension - Stop Polluting The Ocean
A comprehension activity using a persuasive text.
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Tracing Numbers 0-10
A worksheet to assist students when learning how to write the numbers 0–10.
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Winter Olympics Worksheets
A set of four Winter Olympics worksheets.
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Missing Values Number Chart - 1–120
A black and white chart representing numbers 1-120.
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2026 Goal Setting Worksheet
Inspire your students to reflect and set goals for the new year with a Goal Setting worksheet.