Ah, worksheets. I hesitate to even write this post because I don’t want to open a giant can of worms. The truth is that “worksheets” is one of those words that stirs up a lot of emotion among educators. Actually, I get pretty worked up about worksheets.
I’m not going to claim that today’s post is indisputable fact. It’s my opinion — and while you may or may not agree, I want my readers to know where I stand.
Are worksheets good or bad?
First of all, what do I mean by “worksheet”?
My definition of worksheet: A printed page that a child completes with a writing instrument. No other materials are needed.
- multiple choice questions
- matching exercises
- handwriting practice
- coloring pages
- math problems
- fill-in-the-blank book reports
- word searches and crossword puzzles
- copywork
By my definition, these are NOT worksheets:
- A data sheet — for example, when we did our water science experiments and our magnet sensory play, my kids recorded their findings on paper.
- An activity sheet using stickers or other manipulatives — such as my dot sticker pages
- a printable used for pre-writing or organization of thoughts
- A sheet that provides cutting practice
- A play dough mat
Why I’m not crazy about worksheets:
1. I prefer hands-on learning. I think it’s more interesting and is much more appealing for kids of all learning styles. A steady diet of worksheets can be boring and dampen enthusiasm for learning. Young children, especially, learn best through concrete experiences. Worksheets may be too abstract for preschoolers.
2. Worksheets do not teach. They check what kids know. If someone handed me a basic calculus worksheet and said, “Here you go. This will help you learn calculus,” I’d be at a complete loss. Now if I got on the phone and called my twin brother (for whom calculus is simple math), he could talk me through it and I might have a chance of understanding it. Please keep this in mind when handing your child a worksheet. If it’s a new skill, sit right there and coach him through it.
3. Worksheets can be a cop-out. Sound a little harsh? My opinion is that teachers and homeschoolers who rely on worksheets are choosing not to find ways to really challenge and interest their kids. It’s the easy way out.
4. Worksheets might not allow higher level thinking. Most worksheets have just one right answer, or one way to complete them. If we consistently keep our kids inside a box, they won’t be able to stretch.
5. Teachers who use worksheets may not be teaching what their students are ready to learn. It really, really makes me cringe when a teacher or homeschooling parent has an entire year’s worth of worksheets printed and ready to go before the school year starts. (And yes, I’m including pre-printed workbooks here.) How do you know that’s what your child will need to learn? Maybe your first grader struggles with addition in August. But she could have a firm grasp on it by December. Are you still going to give her all those pre-printed worksheets or have her complete every page in that workbook? Challenge her with something new.
These are NOT good reasons to use a steady diet of worksheets:
1. “My kids love worksheets.” Actually, I loved worksheets as a kid. My daughter loves them too. But we shouldn’t give our kids something just because they like it. My kids would love to watch TV all day and eat candy for dinner, too. We might also do well to determine why they like worksheets. Is it because they are easy? Because it means they don’t have to think as hard? Because worksheets let them be passive learners?
2. I’m just preparing my students for the next grade – because that teacher uses a ton of worksheets and workbooks. Believe me, this was a real concern of mine as a classroom teacher. How would my students be ready for the stacks of workbooks in the next grade if we didn’t do some in my room? Then I read somewhere — “It’s not your job to prepare your students for bad teaching.” That was a great comfort!
Why I occasionally* pull out a worksheet:
*By occasionally, I mean less than once a month with my preschoolers at home. In the classroom, when I taught first grade and above, we used a couple of worksheets each day — but if I didn’t need sleep, I would have replaced even those with more thoughtful activities.
1. Sometimes, a worksheet is all that will do. When my kids have created letters in a variety of hands-on ways, it’s time to practice writing them. You need a handwriting worksheet for that. When kids have explored math concepts in hands-on ways, a worksheet may be helpful for additional practice.
2. In my opinion, an occasional worksheet doesn’t hurt. Many educators would disagree with me on this one, and I respect their opinion. But I think that when worksheets are the exception, rather than the rule, of what we give our kids (even preschoolers), it’s okay. I do think that we should never force young children to do worksheets. If your preschooler is not interested in (or even resists) a worksheet, Put. It. Away. You may also find that your preschooler is excited about a worksheet but wants to stop after a few problems. Let him!
3. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to teach kids to sit for a few minutes and complete a simple pencil-and-paper assignment. And for young kids, I mean it when I say “a few minutes.” Thirty minutes is not a few.
4. Worksheets might be a useful assessment tool. If your child is doing a worksheet on a learned skill, you might see what he understands and what you need to revisit. In the early childhood community, however, some educators believe that worksheets are inappropriate for this age level and may not tell you what a student truly understands.
5. My kids like them. Wait, doesn’t this contradict a point I made above? Not really. If my kids want to sit at the table while I’m making dinner and do a few worksheets, I don’t have a problem with that. It can be relaxing for them. It’s not a replacement for other learning because I wouldn’t be teaching right then anyway… and I don’t have the space or time to set up a big hands-on learning center while the stove is on, the baby is crying, and the toddler is hanging on my leg.
6. Sometimes a parent or teacher just needs a break. You’re going to use worksheets once in a while? I won’t judge you. Planning hands-on activities takes time and resources we don’t always have. Sometimes we just need something simple. Like when you’re 9 months pregnant to the day and the baby shows no sign of making an appearance. Ahem. (Update: our baby finally made her appearance, two weeks late!)
My bottom line? A steady diet of worksheets is bad news. For some preschoolers, worksheets are never appropriate. For preschoolers who enjoy them, I don’t think worksheets are harmful every once in a while for a change of pace. For older kids, worksheets are appropriate when nothing else will do the job. Thoughtful teachers and homeschoolers will strive to limit their use of worksheets in favor of activities which promote higher-level thinking and hands- on experiences.
Whew!
Some of my many alternatives to worksheets:
- Math activities with toy animals
- Math activities with toy vehicles
- Water math and science activities for kids ages 3-6
- Alphabet sensory bin
- Letter Hunt and Match
- Dump Truck Counting Mat
- Monster Count & Clip Cards
- Kite File Folder Game
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As a mother of a child who refuses to do anything that even looks like worksheets, I would also add not to be afraid to take a break from “school” and just read. It can be very tiring creating hands on activities. Especially if you are teaching more than one.
Thanks for the encouragement. I think I will print this so that the next time I get discouraged I can read it and remind myself of what’s best for my daughter.
I couldn’t agree with you more, Danielle! A good book can be a good lesson all in itself. And you are very right that creating hands-on activities is tiring. We do need to give ourselves a break, and a worksheet here and there is fine, but reading is even better!
I have so many examples of printouts/worksheets, full of errors in spelling, improper sentence structure and crazy punctuation.
For example: the principal sent a notice to parents regarding an upcoming field trip. In the body of the notice, it read “Please send a sack lunch OR your child”….printouts that have sentences, some start with capital letter, next sentence does not. Another problem, one printout was about history. The question for the student was, “CIRCLE THE PICTURE THAT REPRESENTS WHAT CONTRIBUTION MARTIN LUTHER KING MADE IN AMERICA.” There were 3 pictures to choose from, 1st was an astronaut, 2nd picture was of the Statue of Liberty, the last of three was a picture…all it showed was about 20 or so, young African-American children’s faces crowded together. It reminded me of my grandkids crowding in front of each other to get in the PICTURE. Now, my question is, “how does that PICTURE depict any contributions MADE by MARTIN Luther KING? Now excuse my texting, I bought a new phone and it capitalizes when it wants…One more..the principal sent a notice home, about a project that was to be done..in the notice, it was typed, “This week we will be DONG a project about our community”.
These printout/worksheet errors are bad enough. Do the people responsible for teaching our little ones even look at this stuff? I don’t believe they are. All they do I’d pull up some free website for educational woorksheets, Make copies, and don’t Check them for errors. Even worse, are the school notices, signed by the principal, or teacher, with such errors…i think some printable are o.k., however; I feel it has become a problem when they are used excessively, and without proofreading. They should be checked by teacher that downloads them, then proofread again. The principal was just voted Principal of the Year!!! She does not even double-Check her own memorandums, or notices….although she signed them. It is wrong.
You put so many of my natural teacher instincts into words. Really great post, Sis. I think this is one of my favorites so far. Kind of sums up the philosophy of your blog, and makes me feel more confident each time I look at homeschool materials and rule something out for being too brainless.
Thanks, Kate — I wanted to be able to send people to a post so that when I do share worksheets here and there, I want them to understand how to use them (and how not to). Kids are capable of so much — learning how to stretch their brains and challenge them is our job. Not an easy one though!
You make many good points in this post. I loved worksheets as a child too, but now that you mention it, I probably was a fan only because they were so easy and I didn’t have to do much *work* because it came easy to me. I had never thought of it that way!
Actually that just came to me too :). I think as a kid I liked the orderliness and exactness of a worksheet. Open ended questions and process-oriented projects were hard for me! So for kids like you and I were, worksheets can probably be a comforting activity. No problem with that as long as it’s not the bulk of their learning!
Should I duck from the fruit as I confess to using worksheets? The thing is that I spend a lot of time trying to compile appropriate worksheets to go along with a lesson as extra practice or enrichment. Also, not all worksheets are the same. For example, edhelper.com is one of my favorite places because you can customize the worksheet to meet your particular needs.
No ducking necessary, Kim :). I mainly wrote this post because I sometimes share worksheet packs, and I don’t want people to think that’s the best or only way to teach kids. I agree that not all worksheets are the same, and I do believe that they can be a good choice in some circumstances!
Couldn’t agree more! Pinning and sharing.
Thanks so much for the share, Becky!
Amen!
When I taught elementary, I worked in a school with very little access to a photocopier bc of lack of funds. Since I had to pay for printing, I very rarely used worksheets and we had no work books. Looking back, there was so much authentic learning going on bc of this.
Now that I homeschool, I never use worksheets for my preschool and kinder kids. My first grader’s curriculum, Moving Beyond the Page, has workbooks but the children often need to use creativity and higher order thinking skills to complete them.
Awesome post!
Thank you, Rebekah! I know that not all worksheets and workbooks are bad. Someone needs to write a post comparing “good” worksheets which require higher order thinking skills, and stinky ones!
So glad we’re on the same page http://www.pre-kpages.com/no_more_worksheets/
Thanks so much for sharing that, Vanessa! Fabulous post! I’m going to link to it at the end of this one. I don’t know how I wasn’t following your blog before. Subscribing by email now so I don’t miss anything!
Excellent post, Anna. I am appalled at how many worksheets kids are asked to fill out in school every week, and I certainly don’t want to add more at home. I am doing a round up this week for posts that “made me look” at yours is one of them 🙂
Thanks so much for the feature, Natalie!
I didn’t realize that there was such a controversy over worksheets until I read your post 🙂 My son loves to do activities but not all of them fall into your “worksheet” category but I do use them as distractions so that I can make dinner. I set him up with something and then I can walk in and out of the room to get dinner ready without having a “helper.” Sometimes I also need them to delay while I try to get the next activity ready because he loves to do so many things. The other day he was home sick from school and we did two O for Owl coloring and dot marker sheets while I was pulling out all of the supplies to do a cut out of a O to make an owl. He finished that and wrote it at the top with the spelling from the first page he did and he was ready for more… we made two toilet tube octopus and decorated. We played a dice rolling game where he had to cross off the V words because I was out of O activities. We moved to D and R activities to stay busy. I am not sure how you get the next activity done if you can use a little bit of worksheet for delay but I would love to learn 🙂 My guy eats up information and I can’t keep up even though I send him to preschool for the morning. I can’t wait to check out your website!!! THANKS 🙂
I’m totally with you, Alison – I do not have the brain power or time to ALWAYS come up with hands-on, creative activities! That’s why I think there’s some wiggle room for worksheets. However, when used with little ones — they should ONLY be used if kids enjoy them and they should NOT be the main mode of teaching/learning. For in between activities or “keep ’em busy” while you make dinner, I’m all for it. Much better than the television!
When I give my class worksheets they are quiet as mice. Despite the desperate love I have for peace, we rarely use them. I hear much greater learning happening in small group and partner discovery activities. They learn more from each other than if I talked all day. Agree 100%!
Good for you, Stefanie – it takes a lot of energy and time to plan activities that aren’t centered on worksheets! What grade(s) do you teach?
Three! And I love it. But first time in grade three in 18 years of teaching. Doing it properly is hard! Worth it.
Really well put. Hands on should be the first step to learning. Worksheets… the least step taken.
Agree! 🙂
Arrrggghhhh! I’m really getting sick of my daughter’s homework tasks. She’s in grade 4 (Australia), and being given worksheets from Teachthis, that DON’T actually relate to anything they’re learning in class. For example, she’s been given one that asks you to circle the answers as true/false. But there is no corroborating information to be able to answer it. There is also a section on using protractors to find angles. She’s never done this in class and doesn’t know what to do. These are random worksheets that students are allowed to grab. They don’t actually connect with what they’re learning. As a teacher myself (not currently working in a classroom), I refused to give my students worksheets unless I’d created them to be relevant to our learning. So frustrated right now. I think my daughters’ school is handing out homework because they’re told to, but not being careful to make it meaningful. No wonder my children constantly avoid doing it.
I’m sorry about what you’re experiencing, Sarah – that does sound very frustrating!
My daughter attends our neighborhood public school. I would like to homeschool but hubby isn’t in agreement. She just started 1st grade and the teacher assigns tons of worksheets. My daughter hates them. So much I can’t even get her to walk into her classroom at times. The teacher wrote me and said that my daughter wasn’t finishing her worksheets in class and that she needed to stay after school twice a week to finish. I told her 35+ hours a week of school is enough and my main concern is her happiness. She replied well I understand your concern but she needs to complete her work with you at home. I said okay. I’m so concerned that this teacher only gives them worksheets. I’m thinking I’m going to set up a conference.
I’m sorry you’re facing this challenge, Niki! I think it’s a great idea to set up a teacher’s conference. I have to admit that when I do that (both as a teacher and now as a parent) my tendency is t go into it feeling defensive and angry. My husband reminds me to assume the best and be a good listener. 🙂 I do hope you find some common ground and a compromise!
Thank you Anna for this article. I am struggling with our teachers who want to use worksheets everyday. In a small school of 80 students, teachers are requesting 40 reams of paper per subject per year for daily worksheets! I am going for our annual teachers’ conference in two weeks time, and so I was searching for evidence on the effectiveness of worksheets. Please allow me to reproduce this article as one of our reading materials for the conference.
You’re welcome to share it, Nicholas!
YES YES &YES! I couldn’t agree more with this post! I student just wrote this information themselves that’s on worksheets, they would retain more. I feel that a worksheet/workbook has already done about 90% of the work for the child. All a child has to do is fill in a few missing items. Kind of like working on the last patch of a handmade quilt. Someone else has already done all the work yet you get to take the credit.
Thank you so much for sharing your perspective, Sadie!