How to design a math worksheet

Worksheets have become one of the most popular teaching aids at primary school level. They offer a high value for the students and the teacher alike. In fact, for some teachers, elementary math worksheets are the greatest study tools invented.

Parents often feel the same about worksheets. To them worksheets, serve a dual purpose. Using worksheets, parents could help the child retain useful skills and at the same time spend some time in peace.

However designing a worksheet is something that few people could do right. May people including teachers tend to overstress certain aspects of the worksheet while ignoring others. The result is a very unbalanced worksheet that is uninspiring, tedious and very unpleasant to finish.

The most important quality of any worksheet is that it should be engaging. This is the most important quality of a worksheet. If it could not attract and retain the attention of the child, there is no real way of gauging what the child would learn by filling out the sheet.

In the case of elementary math worksheets, repetition should be avoided at all costs. Repetition in the form of similar problems could lead to lack of attention and other issues. Hence, the ideal worksheet mixes the problems so that the child’s attention remains where it is most needed.

Math worksheets should promote critical thinking. The student should be able to discover patterns and relationships that enlighten them and perk up their interest. Many teachers try to take the easy way out by stating the same problem in different words. While this fills out the sheet, the student does not gain any new insights or even get to practice any new skill.

Designing elementary math worksheets is not as easy as it appears. In many cases, it is often the toughest part of a teacher’s workload.