Do you the idea of simply printing out worksheets for your students to learn with, but hate the bad reputation that worksheets get for being “ineffective”? Are you one of those teachers or moms who understands that sometimes pencil-to-paper practice is important, but you don’t want to JUST assign worksheets all the time? I have some GREAT ideas that making worksheet use the best of both worlds!

Beyond choosing worksheets that are highly engaging and target essential skills for your kids, these 7 tips and ideas will help you use worksheets in a way that’s fun and inspires real learning!

OH, and I’ve linked to a couple FREE SAMPLES of my favorite worksheets at the end of this post too! 🎉

1. Make your worksheets into centers.

Did you know that you can make almost ANY worksheet into a center activity?! You definitely can! This way, students can get the benefits of learning and practicing the skills addressed by the worksheet AND use more movement and fine motor skills than “just” completing the worksheet with a pencil.

So, print out the worksheets you want to use for centers on some Astrobrights paper, complete any cutting that’s required, and then laminate all the pieces needed to complete the worksheet (including the worksheet itself). Then, add in any supplies that kiddos might need to complete the center, like dry erase markers, playdough, letter tiles, or math counters. Be sure to model how to work on the center before allowing kiddos to work on it, of course. Then, let your students really master that center’s skill for a week or two!

2. Choose a way use them multiple times.

I have 2 ways to be able to reuse worksheets: 1) laminate them or 2) put them in sheet protectors or pocket sleeves.

I personally love using pocket sleeves as much as possible so that I can just change out the sheet inside and then reuse the pocket the next week. Laminating is more permanent and can’t be traded out as easily, which ultimately costs more money.

Whichever way you choose to be able to reuse your worksheets, it’s a great way to limit your printing and gives your kids a chance to use dry erase markers and manipulatives to complete their worksheets too!

3. Add movement to the worksheet assignment!

Getting kids up and moving is one of the BEST ways to make learning more meaningful! You can incorporate movement into worksheets super simply in so many cases.

Can you cut up one copy of the worksheet and hang each piece around the room for kids to move to before working on that part of their own worksheet?
Try setting a timer for a 30-second brain break after every 2 minutes of focused work!
Have students complete a fun whole-body movement each time they complete one part of their worksheet, like, “Complete a math problem, do a jumping jack!” or “Write a sentence, do your favorite dance move!”

You can make these movements whatever is appropriate for your students’ levels and ages.

4. Use them with manipulatives.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again…adding manipulatives is a PERFECT way to boost engagement AND make the learning last. When kids use their hands to move around and “manipulate” small objects, they’re not only practicing fine motor skills as well as whatever academic skill they’re working on, but they’re helping the learning “stick” more effectively by using more of their senses. The more of the 5 senses that kiddos use to learn, the more lasting the learning.

So, add in some mini erasers, Goldfish, or scented playdough to make those worksheets fun AND effective.

5. Assign an extension activity.

Giving your students a way to extend the learning by adding a related hands-on assignment for students to work on after the worksheet is finished. This might be something STEM based that is related to the topic of the worksheet, suggesting building something related to the worksheet with playdough or snap cubes, or simply talking to a partner about what they just worked on to solidify the learning (talking about learning is a LOT more effective than we give it credit for!).

By adding an extension activity that is related to the skills or concepts that the worksheets are focused on, you’ll give your little ones more opportunities to make deeper connections to their learning.

6. Choose worksheets that require a variety of skills.

Sometimes, only writing on a paper many assignments in a row can start to feel monotonous and too repetitive, especially for little learners. So, choosing worksheets that require students to cut, color, match, glue, trace, and write is an awesome way to keep worksheets engaging and effective. When you get young learners using their bodies and brains at the same time, the learning is more meaningful.

I tend to choose worksheets that include a lot of coloring, sorting, cutting, and gluing since these are all activities that are engaging for little ones AND practice academically appropriate skills for young students.

7. Use them traditionally.

On occasion, I’d encourage you to give your learners an assignment with worksheets that’s JUST completing the worksheet. The reason for this is that students really do need to learn to complete assignments that require just pencil and paper and their brain. This is a skill they will need and use for the REST OF THEIR LIFE.

They’ll use these skills throughout school, in college, in some of their jobs, at the doctor’s office, when applying for loans…pencil to paper is still a necessary life skill! So, remember, if you using worksheets to help your students or kids learn on occasion, that’s GOOD and you’re an amazing teacher.

Want to try a few of these ideas for FREE? Grab some free samples of great worksheets BELOW!

FREE KINDERGARTEN WORKSHEETS

Well, there you have it…7 ideas for using worksheets to inspire little ones to learn and love it! Feel free to comment below with your favorite ways to use worksheets. I’d love to hear how you love to use them with your learners!

Cheering you on,