From worksheets to the learning portfolio
The traditional teaching method usually consists of a first part with a lecture, where the teacher explains, and a second part where students complete worksheets with exercises on what the teacher has explained. Today, we know this rigid model has certain limitations.
Does that mean we have to completely abandon lectures and worksheets? No, but it’s a good idea to integrate the teacher’s explanations and the worksheet into a lesson that also includes hands-on work, inquiry, and formative assessment.
Let’s not demonize worksheets! These paper-based activities are a good way to practice and transfer learning that students have already explored through hands-on work.
What is the purpose of doing worksheets in class?
Worksheets aren’t just a way to record a student’s individual work; we should think of them as one more activity in the lesson. In fact, when we use active learning methods, where students investigate, handle materials, and play, it’s a good idea to set aside time to transfer what they’ve learned, representing it with subject-specific language. This is the point in the learning process where worksheets are most useful.
Worksheets are an excellent activity for transferring learning that students have already explored hands-on during the lesson.
If we focus on math, the ideal is to work on concepts hands-on in the classroom and use the worksheet toward the end of the lesson to transfer that learning, using mathematical language. Math education research identifies this moment as essential in the learning process.
In language arts classes, worksheets give us the chance to develop writing skills related to fine motor skills, in a more limited space rather than on a large scale.
The most important thing is to know the learning objective behind each worksheet. Some of these objectives may be:
- Inviting students to represent concepts learned during the lesson so they can express them in a different way.
- Practicing the procedures covered during the lesson to consolidate them.
- Developing skills that complement what students learn in other activities.
- Encouraging students to take on challenges that make them think.
- Reviewing knowledge explained in a simpler way, as support to improve understanding.
How and when to do paper-based activities
Worksheets shouldn’t just be exercises for their own sake; they should be integrated as a paper-based learning activity. That’s why it’s essential to schedule worksheet time in line with the instructional sequence. The number of paper-based activities (worksheets) will depend on this sequence and on the objectives behind each one.
When to do the worksheet
The paper-based activity can be done either at the end of the lesson, as a closing strategy, or during the lesson or alongside hands-on activities, as support for understanding and practicing the processes.
How to do the worksheet
Choosing how to do the worksheet is as important as choosing when. Depending on the objective of the activity, we have several options:
- As a whole class. This approach is very useful for creating a discussion in the classroom and making sure all students understand the concepts before moving on to independent work.
- In pairs. Working with a partner encourages teamwork and collaboration and helps students learn from each other and combine their skills.
- Individually. This option lets students work at their own pace and practice concentration and commitment to the task.
How to correct and assess the worksheet
Correcting worksheets is also an important moment! First, we need to recognize which activities give us, as teachers, and also our students, information about their progress. Once we’ve selected those activities, we can use several strategies to review and assess the worksheets:
- Correcting together in class. If the worksheet was especially difficult or it’s the first time we’re working on a concept, correcting it together may be the best option. That way, students can understand their mistakes and learn from them without feeling insecure.
- Self-assessment and peer assessment. Encouraging this type of assessment helps students spot their mistakes and learn from them. In this case, we can give them an answer key so they can compare it with their own worksheet.
- Teacher correction afterward. In some cases, the best option may be to collect the worksheets and correct them after class. That way, we can check each student’s individual level and give each of them personalized feedback.
Feedback on activities should be formative and ongoing.
Whatever correction method we use, we should always make sure the feedback and comments we give students are focused on improvement and include all the information and tips they need to get there.
The learning portfolio: worksheets as evidence
Worksheets have another use: showing student progress. Worksheets are very valuable evidence of learning! To make the most of this, we need to include them in the student’s learning portfolio.
The learning portfolio is a great tool for collecting all the worksheets a student completes throughout the school year. This portfolio serves not only as a record of their achievements, but also as a basis for reflecting on their learning. By looking at their mistakes, for example, students learn to identify them and understand how they overcame that difficulty, seeing mistakes as an opportunity to learn.
Students can look through their learning portfolio to see their progress, identify areas for improvement, and become aware of their own learning process. Teachers, in turn, can use the learning portfolio to identify and better understand each student’s needs and adapt their teaching to help them keep progressing and improving.
After all this, are you still unsure whether worksheets are useful?
We encourage you to download sessions from our programs to see how we integrate and use worksheets in the classroom.
