Worksheets for Teachers
Did someone say printable worksheets? From year 1 maths worksheets to reading comprehension worksheets to printables 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 primary year levels.
Explore printable activities, free worksheets, homework sheets and more — all aligned to the Australian curriculum and 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 individualised instruction was gaining traction, and educators recognised 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 individualised 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, practising 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 pens 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 pens!
- Use digital worksheets. Allow students to fill out their worksheets on classroom tablets as a means to add an extra level of engagement.
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 — early years students can work on their fine motor skills with our mini books, cut-and-paste worksheets and more while their upper years peers get pulled into the fun of vocabulary fun with word searches and crossword puzzle worksheets. Printable puzzles that engage students in the form of a brain game and colour by worksheets that bring art elements into maths 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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Geometric Reasoning Worksheets - Year 5
4 geometric reasoning worksheets linked to the Australian Curriculum.
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A Letter from the Goldfields - Writing Task
A writing task where students explain life on the Australian goldfields during 1852.
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Location and Transformation Worksheets - Year 1
2 location and transformation worksheets linked to the Australian Curriculum.
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Word Problem Worksheet - Money
Money word problem worksheet with answers.
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Types of Rocks Reading Comprehension Worksheets
Read and learn about sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks with our printable Types of Rocks Worksheet Pack.
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Beginning Sounds Phonics Worksheets
Use these beginning sounds phonics worksheets to explore single grapheme correspondence with your students.
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The Three States of Matter – Year 5 Reading Worksheets
Use a Year 5 Reading Comprehension passage and worksheet to teach your students about the three states of matter.
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Sink or Float? Cut and Paste Worksheet
Identify objects that sink and float with a printable cut-and-paste science worksheet for early years.
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Subitising Dots Worksheets
Utilise these Subitising Dots Worksheets to help your students learn many ways to subitise to 10.
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Year 3 Matter Worksheets - Properties & Changes
Reinforce your students' understanding of the properties of matter and changes in state with a set of printable differentiated Matter Worksheets.
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Grammar Practice Worksheets - Vocabulary Cut and Sort
Review parts of speech and vocabulary skills with a pack of cut-and-paste grammar practice worksheets.
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What's the Matter? Worksheets
Help your students differentiate between states of matter (solid, liquid, and gas) with a set of printable ‘What’s the Matter?’ Cut and Paste worksheets.
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Year 6 Metric Conversions Practice Sheets - Length
Practise converting, comparing, and ordering metric measurements with a Year 6 Metric Conversions worksheet pack.
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Famous Scientists Reading Comprehension Worksheets
Introduce your students to the groundbreaking work of Louis Pasteur and Jonas Salk with a comparative reading passage and comprehension questions.
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Riddle Me! Converting Units of Length – Worksheet
Sharpen measurement conversion skills with a set of 3 Maths riddle worksheets.
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Mixed Operations - Length Word Problems Worksheets
Solve multi-step length word problems with a printable pack of 3-act Maths Word Problem Worksheets.
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Firetruck Colour By Number Worksheet
Build number identification skills with a printable Firetruck Colour by Number Worksheet.
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Contractions Worksheet Pack
Help students learn more about contractions with this contraction worksheet pack.
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Adding Fractions With Like Denominators Worksheets
Download this set of adding fractions with like denominators worksheets to help your students practise this important maths skill.
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Sequence a Procedure Text – Cut and Paste Worksheets
Use these procedural writing examples to teach your students about sequencing instructions in a logical order.
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Today Is…Calendar Worksheet
Start your day with a morning calendar review using our printable daily calendar maths template.
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Elapsed Time Test
Assess your students' abilities to determine elapsed time to the whole, half, and quarter-hour with a printable Elapsed Time Test.
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Sloth Adaptations – Comprehension Skills Worksheet
Read and comprehend nonfiction text about the adaptations of a sloth with a printable pack of reading skills worksheets.
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Poison Dart Frog Adaptations – Year 4 Reading Worksheets
Explore the adaptations of a poison dart frog with printable reading comprehension worksheets for Year 4.
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Days of the Week Spelling Worksheets
Use these Days of the Week Spelling worksheets to help your students practise reading, writing, and spelling the Days of the week.
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Informal Times of Day - Foundations / Year 1 Time Worksheet
Help students learn about time with a set of printable Informal Times of Day worksheets.
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Harmony Day Cloze and Comprehension Worksheets
Educate students about the meaning behind Harmony Day with these cloze and comprehension worksheets for upper year students.
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24-Hour Time Sort Worksheet
Match 12 and 24-hour time with a cut and paste time conversion worksheet.
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How Long Does It Take? – Seconds, Minutes & Hours Worksheets
Estimate the duration of time it takes to complete an action with a pair of Seconds, Minutes, or Hours? Cut and Sort Worksheets.
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Diagram of an Earthworm Worksheet Pack
Read, learn and label the parts of a worm with a set of printable animal features worksheets.
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Label the Ant Diagram Worksheet Pack
Learn about the anatomy of an ant with a printable reading passage and ant labeling worksheets.
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Plants, Animals & Adaptations – Worksheet
Use this worksheet to identify and describe different animal and plant adaptations which help them survive in their environment.