Worksheets have been embedded in classrooms for years. For decades. FOREVER.
The reasons we use them are pretty clear …
1. We want students to get repetitions with new content. Repetitions make permanent, right? And we hope that the more stuff that students do with new content, the more likely it’ll stick in our brains.
2. They’re ready to use. Most of our textbooks come with pre-made worksheets. Photocopy them. Hand them out to students. The work is done … and we didn’t have to think too much in the process.
3. They’re easy to grade. Students turn them in. We usually grade them en masse. Stick em in the grade book and return them to students.
But we want to do better than the old standard photocopy worksheet, right?