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.
- Free Plan
How to Make a Monster Reading Comprehension Activity
Read and comprehend a set of instructions to create a magical monster!
- Free Plan
Halloween Spelling Practice Worksheets
Practice weekly spelling words with a spooktacular Halloween twist with a set of printable Halloween spelling worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Halloween vs. Dia de Los Muertos - Differentiated Paired Passages
Integrate reading, writing, and celebration of world cultures with differentiated paired passages comparing Halloween and Dia de los Muertos.
- Plus Plan
Read and Draw - Halloween Worksheets
Practice reading comprehension skills with an exciting read-and-draw comprehension worksheet for 4th grade.
- Free Plan
Lewis and Clark Expedition - RACES Writing Strategy Worksheets
Practice using the RACES writing strategy for text evidence with a Lewis and Clark Passage, graphic organizer, and worksheet.
- Free Plan
Numbers in the Environment Worksheet
Practice identifying numbers in the environment with this "seek-and-find" worksheet.
- Free Plan
Grammar Practice Worksheets - Vocabulary Cut and Sort
Review parts of speech and word usage skills with a pack of cut-and-paste Grammar Sorting Worksheets.
- Free Plan
Boston Tea Party - RACES Writing Strategy Worksheet
Integrate reading, writing, and American history with a worksheet about the Boston Tea Party using the RACES writing strategy for text evidence.
- Plus Plan
Halloween Riddles - Codebreaker Worksheets
Crack the code and solve some seriously funny Halloween riddles with a set of printable Codebreaker worksheets.
- Free Plan
Paired Passage Worksheets-Mammals vs. Reptiles
Compare mammals vs. reptiles and add to your reading instruction with leveled nonfiction, compare and contrast passages and worksheets.
- Free Plan
Red Ribbon Worksheet - Making Healthy Choices
Use a Red Ribbon Week Printable worksheet to help students differentiate between good and bad choices.
- Free Plan
Halloween 3-Digit Subtraction Worksheet
Bring a bit of spooky season into your classroom with a printable Halloween Subtraction worksheet.
- Free Plan
How Do Rocks Form? – Informative Text Structure Sequencing Activity
Help students learn about informative text structure and how rocks are formed with an engaging cut-and-paste sorting activity.
- Free Plan
Printable SMART Goals Template
Start the school year by having your students use a printable template to set their own S.M.A.R.T. goals.
- Free Plan
Should Smartphones Be Allowed in Class? Comprehension Worksheets
Decide if cellphones should be allowed in class and boost comprehension skills with a reading passage and comprehension test.
- Free Plan
Free Character Traits List
Teach your students to analyze characters more effectively by providing them with a list of character traits.
- Free Plan
Who Was Kiki Camarena? 3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets
Read and learn about the origins of Red Ribbon Week with a printable ‘Who Was Kiki Camarena?’ Reading Comprehension Worksheet Pack.
- Plus Plan
History of Halloween – Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Learn about the history of Halloween with a printable reading comprehension passage and questions.
- Plus Plan
Halloween Mystery Escape - Multiplication and Division for 5th Grade
Uncover the identify of the thief who stole the pumpkin projects with a printable 5th-grade multiplication and division Halloween Mystery escape room activity.
- Plus Plan
2-Digit Addition Color by Number- Halloween Mystery Picture
Celebrate the coming of Halloween and practice adding 2-digit numbers up to 99 with a set of addition color by number worksheets.
- Free Plan
Forms of Energy Worksheet
A worksheet about the different forms of energy.
- Free Plan
My Feelings Volcano Worksheet
Prevent students from being overcome by strong emotions with this volcano-themed coping skills worksheet.
- Free Plan
Counting Mixed Coins Differentiated Worksheets
Download differentiated printable worksheets and use skip counting and addition skills to determine the value of each coin collection.
- Free Plan
Finding Word Meaning In Context - Word Detective Worksheet
A teaching resource to help teach your students how to find word meaning in context.
- Free Plan
Arctic Fox Adaptations - Free Comprehension Worksheet
Read and learn about Arctic fox adaptations with a set of printable Reading Comprehension Worksheets for 2nd and 3rd grade.
- Plus Plan
Spooky Adjectives - Halloween Activity Sheets
Bewitch your students into learning about adjectives with Halloween printables for first and second grades.
- Free Plan
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.
- Free Plan
Decimal Operations Worksheet
Get students applying the four operations to decimal numbers with this set of two math worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Halloween Division Worksheet - Riddles
Have a bit of spooky mathematical fun with our riddle-based Halloween sheets for intermediate division.
- Free Plan
Novel Study – Chapter Summary Worksheet
Reflect on a chapter in a class novel using this one-page worksheet.
- Free Plan
Ordering Numbers Worksheets — Dot Day Caterpillar
Share these ordering numbers worksheets with your students to help them master sequencing numbers.
- Plus Plan
Halloween Multiplication Color By Number Worksheet
Practice multiplying single-digit numbers with a Halloween color-by-number worksheet.