What are the benefits of practice worksheets?

Edward C. Rathmell
University of Northern Iowa

Asking the students to complete pages and pages of basic facts on practice worksheets as a way to help them learn the basic facts is not productive. In general, most worksheets that are not timed simply give the students and opportunity to practice inefficient thinking strategies, probably counting strategies. That does not help and it may postpone the memorization of those facts. On the other hand, if the worksheet is designed to help them learn a new thinking strategy or if it is designed to let them practice a thinking strategy, then it has the potential to be very helpful to the student.

Return to Questions