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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Scarecrow Division Color by Number Worksheet
Have fun with your Halloween math practice with a division color-by-number worksheet!
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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.
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Creating Line Plots With Measurements – Differentiated Worksheets
Guide students to measure items to the nearest inch or ¼ inch, create a line plot and answer questions with this set of differentiated worksheets for 2nd and 3rd-grade students.
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Weathering vs. Erosion Worksheet Pack
Support student understanding of weathering and erosion with this reading comprehension passage, worksheet and accompanying vocabulary activities.
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Types of Soils – Comprehension Worksheets
Explore the properties of sand, silt, loam and clay with a set of 4 reading passages with accompanying comprehension questions.
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Plant Adaptations - Reading Comprehension Worksheets
Read and learn about unusual plants and their adaptations with a pack of printable reading comprehension worksheets.
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2nd Grade 'I Spy' Odd and Even Number Worksheet
Practice determining odd and even numbers of objects with this fun scavenger hunt worksheet.
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Unusual Plant Adaptations (3rd Grade Science Worksheet)
Teach your 3rd graders about unusual plant adaptations with a printable adaptation worksheet.
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Classroom Rules and Expectations – Cut and Paste Worksheets
Start your year off right by reviewing classroom rules with a cut-and-paste, writing and drawing activity.
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Social Skills Lessons - Cooperation Worksheets
Teach your students how to show cooperation with a set of printable SEL worksheets.
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Rainforest Food Chain - Cut and Paste Worksheet
Create a rainforest food chain to show how energy flows between organisms with this cut-and-paste worksheet.
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2-Digit Subtraction Using Bar Models- Differentiated Worksheets
Review and assess your students’ subtraction skills with differentiated 2-digit subtraction worksheets focusing on the bar model strategy.
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3D Shape Detective - Worksheet
Explore the properties of some common three-dimensional shapes with this printable worksheet.
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Plant Life Cycle - Cut and Paste Worksheet
Help your students remember the life cycle of a plant with a cut and paste life cycle worksheet.
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Subtraction Strategies – Worksheet
Assess your students’ knowledge of subtraction strategies with a subtraction assessment.
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Hundreds Chart Color By Number - Subtraction
Practice subtracting single and double-digit numbers with a set of subtraction color by number task cards.
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Real-World 3D Shapes - Cut and Paste Worksheet
Explore three-dimensional shapes in the real world with this cut-and-paste worksheet.
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Area of a Parallelogram – Worksheet
Practice finding the area of a paralellogram with this math worksheet designed for 6th-grade students.
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Parts of a Plant Foldable - Lift-the-Flap Graphic Organizer
Display learning about the parts of a plant with a fun “lift the flap” graphic organizer.
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Vertical Number Line - Rounding Worksheets
Use a vertical number line to round whole numbers to the nearest ten, hundred, thousand, and ten thousand with a set of rounding worksheets.
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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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How About This Weather? - Worksheet
A worksheet that explores different types of weather and subsequent observable changes.
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Objects in the Sky – Mini Workbook
Observe, describe, and illustrate different objects in the sky with this printable mini-workbook.
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All About Clouds - Cloze Worksheet
Strengthen student understanding of different cloud types with this cloze reading 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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To Your Tap - Water Worksheet
Identify the places where water travels before entering homes with a vocabulary-matching worksheet.
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Fraction Partner Tasks - 4th Grade Fractions
Encourage mathematical collaboration and discussion with a group of thirteen 4th-grade fractions partner activities.
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Phases of the Moon – Worksheet
Label the phases of the moon as they appear in the northern hemisphere with this printable science worksheet.
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Oceans of the World - Cut and Paste Worksheet
Explore some key facts about the world’s five oceans with this cut-and-paste worksheet.
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Renewable Energy Worksheet
Discover the advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy sources with a cut-and-paste sorting worksheet.
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How is Plastic Recycled? – Recycling Worksheets
Explore the process of recycling plastic with a printable recycling worksheet.
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Protecting Native Plants and Animals – Comprehension Worksheets
Build comprehension skills and learn about human impact on ecosystems with a reading passage and worksheets.