The Grip

Effective Tools for the Classroom

Are your worksheets making the grade or missing the mark? Worksheets are in almost every classroom across the country, but that doesn't mean that they're all good. In fact, many commonly used worksheets can be a problem, leading to poor handwriting and interfering with a child's education.

Occupational therapist and former elementary school teacher, Todd Misura, explains, "When I taught, worksheets were ubiquitous. I've seen as many bad ones as good ones."

Bad worksheets arise from a long list of misconceptions including: children read directions and can work independently, worksheets take the place of teacher modeling, they are a good way to teach handwriting….

In reality, the design of a worksheet is extremely important. Misura says, "Good worksheets add content and interest to lessons. They are well designed and the work is meaningful. Good worksheets also reinforce concepts that children are learning in the classroom."

He adds that you have to teach actively with worksheets and supervise how your students use them. Make sure that you are using them for the right reasons and that they reinforce your lessons.

Let's look at the criteria for an "APLUS" worksheet and see how you can create or tweak your own. First, evaluate any worksheet before you use it. What makes it APLUS? Jan Olsen, occupational therapist and HWT founder offers the following guidelines:

A = Art
P = Page Layout
L = Lines and letters
U = Use and Purpose
S = Spacing

Art - Although art can be very engaging, it HAS to work. It must relate to the page and be relevant to the content. It must be clean and clear, never obscuring or crowding a child's writing space.

Page layout - Page layout applies to both the page as a whole and to sections on the page. Portrait layout is best for spelling tests or word lists, for single words and phrases. It also works well for older children. On the other hand, landscape layout is best for younger children to write full sentences and short paragraphs.

Lines and letters - Children need writing lines. If a worksheet does have writing lines, they must be grade appropriate. Look at the student handwriting workbook to determine the line size that should be on your worksheets. Also, look at the letters. Are they modeled correctly on the lines? Provide consistency with letter and line models.

Use - Use refers to why and how you're using the worksheet. Determine a worksheet's purpose and decide if this is a good use of that worksheet. It's good if it reinforces concepts and adds variety to your lessons. Then consider how you will introduce a worksheet, the directions you will give, and the supervision children will need as they work.

Spacing - If a worksheet is for copying sentence models, the spaces between the words must be generous. This is particularly important for kindergarten and first grade where you need generous spacing between words. If a worksheet is for independent writing, the writing lines must be long enough for the child to write answers or sentences.

Worksheets are only part of the equation. Modeled teaching is always important, especially for handwriting instruction. Olsen explains that writing is the trace of movement. "Children need a moving teacher—one who moves to model letters at the board and who moves around the room to demonstrate on children's papers." In other words, worksheets don't take the place of a good teacher.

"Remember, children need your help to benefit from worksheets," she says. "They need you to introduce the worksheet and to tell them why you're giving them the worksheet. Give clear directions, show them how to use the worksheet, and supervise them while they're working."

Finally, start building a collection of your favorite worksheets. As the year progresses, your students will be able to use worksheets more independently. You will find that this approach will make your students more successful, and it will save time.

With your APLUS toolkit, you will have resources for different lessons in all subjects, and your students will have something to feel good about.

Resources
Want to create your own APLUS worksheets? Try our free online A+ Worksheet Maker.