ACEI
SPEAKS
Association for
Childhood Education International
Association for Childhood
Education International
17904 Georgia Ave., Ste. 215
Olney, Maryland 20832
800-423-3563
Susan A. Miller
Patricia Cantor
Worksheets in
Preschool:
Too Much, Too Soon
• Can worksheets build a foundation
for “real” learning—reading, writing, and
math?
In the early years, children construct numbers by
thinking about them and by manipulating materials,
whether they are table blocks or dishes in the dramatic
play center. Worksheets only permit children to copy
or match numerals or letters, often out of context.
Furthermore, it is more meaningful for children to see
letters in their natural surroundings, such as in the
“EXIT” sign by the door. Introduce sounds by read-
ing and discussing well-illustrated, exciting, thematic
alphabet books.
• Can worksheets provide a good way to
assess knowledge?
Just because a child circles a set of three items on a
worksheet does not mean he or she understands what
“three” means. Instead, the child’s concept of num-
bers can be evaluated during daily activities such as
counting out three cookies for a snack or by sorting a
button collection according to color or the number of
holes. You can photograph their fascinating ndings
for documentation.
• Can using paper and pencils provide
concrete experiences?
Although children may be capable of holding a pencil
and moving it across the paper, preschoolers must
have access to a wide variety of manipulatives (e.g.,
beads, Legos, sand, dress-up clothes, musical instru-
ments) in order to develop physically and intellectu-
ally. Rather than being concrete, the marks on the
worksheets are symbolic representations, which may
be confusing for toddlers and 3- to 4-year-olds.
Conclusion
Often, early childhood educa-
tors give children worksheets
because they and the parents
want to see evidence that
the children are learning. How-
ever, all young children, includ-
ing kindergartners, learn best
through appropriate hands-on
experiences and interactions
with others. Playing and talking
with friends enhances children’s
whole development. Continu-
ous opportunities to think and
act creatively are essential if
children are to develop their
minds to the fullest potential.
Children need to be involved
with many meaningful problem-
solving situations, rather than
sitting passively while filling in
worksheets.
• Can worksheets enhance creativity?
Some adults believe that young children are learn-
ing how to draw when they color in adult-created
illustrations on worksheets. Adults praise children
for staying in the lines and coloring neatly in one di-
rection. Young children’s immature ne motor skill
development, however, may make this goal impos-
sible to achieve. It is true that many children like to
color in pre-drawn pictures. Other children, how-
ever, receive the message that their own drawings
are not acceptable, and so they may stop trying to
draw creatively. It is more benecial to give young
children blank paper and crayons, allowing them to
express themselves freely.
• Can worksheets stimulate interest?
Worksheet activities may be a relaxing, entertain-
ing way for some children to ll in the time. Many
chil-dren successfully complete worksheets. When
they already know the material, however, work-
sheets be-come simply low-level, non-productive
busy work. Instead, children need to be challenged
to develop their skills. As children use hands-on
materials, adults should ask open-ended questions
such as, “How many things can you do with this
box?” Children should be able to explore questions
that have more than one right answer, unlike those
on most worksheets.
Questions About
Worksheets
Let’s explore some common questions
parents have about the use of work-
sheets and their paper-and-pencil activi-
ties. These questions represent what
parents may believe to be the goals or
purposes of effective preschool pro-
grams. Given recent research into ways
young children learn, however, there are
better ways to achieve these objectives.
• Can worksheets help develop fine
motor skills?
Young children’s small nger muscles and hand-eye
coordination develop slowly. Children need time
playing with paintbrushes at the easel and squeezing
play dough before trying to grip a pencil and conne
their marks on a small sheet of paper. The young
child can be frustrated by not being able to stay
within the lines while copying letters, and children
may nd little meaning in coloring an adult-created
illustration.
• Can worksheets teach self-discipline
and how to focus on a task?
It is often difcult for preschoolers to sit and do
paper-and-pencil tasks conceived by adults. Young
children construct their learning from active partici-
pation. They learn best when manipulating concrete
materials like wooden blocks and clay, which allow
them to use appropriate gross and ne motor skills
while focusing on meaningful activities that interest
them.
Y
ou may remember
worksheets as a “tried-
and-true” method of learn-
ing when you were a child in
school. If you went to school before
the advent of the photocopier, you
might even recall ditto sheet
s—those
funny-smelling worksheets stamped
with purple ink. Sometimes the teacher
would group a number of worksheets
together to form a workbook. If you
did well on your worksheets, receiving
lots of gold stars and happy faces, you
may have good memories about work-
sheets and, thus, feel comfortable with
their use. You may, however, not have
liked worksheets or you may have been
bored or frustrated by them.
Today, many early childhood programs
still use worksheets despite prominent
education researchers’ recommenda-
tions for other, more developmentally
appropriate ways for young children to
learn. On the other hand, if your child’s
program does not use worksheets—a
readily available, inexpensive teaching
method—you may be wondering why.
