Super Teacher Worksheets

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Anyone who knows us knows that our educational style is not based on textbooks, but rather literature and hands-on learning. Even though we don't focus on a lot of workbook pages, I love whenever we get a full 1-year membership with unlimited downloads/access to review Super Teacher Worksheets.

Why is that? Because they offer many options that keep my kiddos engaged and interested while covering a variety of topics.

Super Teacher Worksheets is a website devoted to providing teachers with printable educational materials. These aren't just your typical worksheets that are common and monotonous. There are pages that cover specific areas like determining cause and effect, finding adjectives that come after nouns, skip counting dot-to-dots, learning about the digestive system, tracing hexagons, literacy units for many popular books, plotting latitude and longitude, and much more. There are many crossword puzzles, word searches, cipher wheels, flashcards, coloring pages, sequence cards, and other games that support individual topics.

There are also hands-on activities such as a project to measure the heights of different people, a simple machines board game, word family memory games and word spinners, solar system scavenger hunt, and coin flipping to test probability. With over 16,000 printable teaching resources, there is something for everyone.

So many options can seem overwhelming, but the printables are divided into main topics:

• Math
• Reading Comprehension
• Reading & Writing
• Phonics
• Early Literacy
• Grammar
• Spelling Lists
• Chapter Books
• Science
• Social Studies
• Holidays
• Puzzles & Brain Teasers
• Pre-K and Kindergarten

From there, you'll find many subcategories to meet specific needs. Once you choose a subject, the search is narrowed down even further. For instance, if you choose math and then volume, you'll have 5 worksheet options.

There is also a Teacher Helpers section that is full of resources to help keep you organized and provide some fun extras. There are dozens of awards and certificates (from reading 10 books to tying shoes to excelling in music), crafts (like a winter scene diorama and a bunny with movable arms and legs), electives (such as learning the parts of a computer and labeling musical notes), and anti-bullying resources (including stories, poems, and worksheets). There are also aids for sticker charts, lesson planners, word walls, lined paper, calendars, birthday decorations, and tons of templates.

Along with those aids, there is an entire section dedicated to worksheet generators. If you can't find exactly what you need already on the site, you have the option to easily create one with your own information. You can make bingo, flashcards, crossword puzzles, word searches, multiple choice, matching, short answer, and more.
I used the generator to make a cryptogram puzzle. I chose a Dr. Seuss quote and typed it in. Then I was able to personalize it by deciding on a difficulty level and key type (using numbers, letters, or symbols.) Then I printed. That's it! So fast and simple. I appreciate that I could make an easy option for a fun activity for my 8-year-old and then a more difficult version to work on critical thinking and common letter/word combinations with my 12-year-old. They enjoyed it so much that they asked for more puzzles like this.

Super Teacher Worksheets has been the perfect addition to our summer learning. We are year-round homeschoolers with a relaxed schedule in the warmer months. I like that not only do my kids enjoy the worksheets, but actually ask to complete them.

Our favorite section is Puzzles & Brain Teasers. We've worked through all the What Am I? challenges, traveled through Word Maze puzzles, guessed Hink Pinks, solved Thinking Riddles, deciphered Rebus Puzzles, became Number Detectives, and used our brains in other ways. The kids also really enjoyed plotting coordinates to graph pictures and solving math equations to find hidden objects. There are so many options for worksheets that feel like fun instead of work. The kiddos don't even realize they're doing "school!"

If you're looking for resources to supplement your curriculum or to add some fun summer exercises, Super Teacher Worksheets might be exactly what you need!

You can connect with Super Teacher Worksheets on the following social media sites:

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You can read read more reviews of Super Teacher Worksheets from other homeschoolers on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

Creative Problem Solving

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

One of the reasons we homeschool is that we want our children to be able to think for themselves, to be able to problem-solve to find a solution. That's why we love when we get to review for The Critical Thinking Co.™. We want to develop those critical thinking skills in our children to prepare them for life, not simply teach them facts from a book and how to pass a test. We strive to give our kids the tools necessary to make clear, reasoned judgments by teaching them to identify and evaluate evidence to guide their decision making through life.

The Critical Thinking Co. is "committed to developing students' critical thinking skills for better grades, higher test scores, and success in life." They offer many books and curricula to prepare students, not by teaching through drill and memorization, but instead by teaching in a way that empowers the mind. In the past, we've used a variety of their products from a critical thinking detective book to a phonics program to an analogies software. This time, I was excited to use Creative Problem Solving Level 1 with my little ones.

I often say that my kids got my husband's engineering mind. He is able to see a problem and find a viable solution. At home, at the store, with gadgets, everywhere--he's able not only to recognize an issue but also to figure out how to fix it. The kids naturally have inherited that cleverness, and I want to encourage their ingenuity and allow it to grow.

The Creative Problem Solving book is perfect to bolster that process. It is designed for grades PreK-2 and makes finding solutions fun for little ones. In fact, the first day we used it, one of my boys told me, "Mom, thank you! This is so much fun!"

Unit 1, The Magic Pencil, gives kids 28 challenging situations in which they need to creatively solve a problem. For instance, they need to draw a way to protect a boy from the school bully, stop a bee from stinging a child, help a turtle win a race, save a special tree from being chopped down, and more.

My boys (ages 5, 8, 10) have been working through this unit. I am not exaggerating when I say that it is one of their favorite things! I knew my 8-year-old would love it (after all, he is my child who will sit and doodle all over his pages, drawing elaborate machines that accomplish tasks), but I was pleasantly surprised just how much the other boys like it, as well. In fact, when they are finished with their challenge for the day, they often draw their own scenarios for each other to finish, like helping the mouse get over the wall to get the cheese and helping the astronaut get safely back to his ship. Not only is Creative Problem Solving encouraging them to use their imaginations to solve problems, it's inspiring them to let their creative juices flow in deeper ways, also. In fact, they were having so much fun with these simple exercises, that their 12-year-old artsy sister even joined in on the fun. She puts much thought into her solutions and enjoys adding minute details.

The other units of the book build on The Magic Pencil concept. There are sections creating creatures to survive in specific locations, choosing super powers to help in proposed difficulties, drawing aids to meet the needs of aliens, inventing gadgets, determining the steps to take in an emergency, and more.

I like the Enigma unit which shows various random drawings and asks the child what it might be and then to draw it. There are also mind riddles and puzzles at the back of the book. Many pages have lines for writing why the student chose what he drew and why he thinks it will work.

I appreciate that the pages are open-ended. Sometimes--many times--there is more than one way to solve a problem in life. It is no different in these scenarios. One child drew ropes connecting a broken branch to another branch like a swing so a sloth wouldn't fall and get hurt, another drew a connecting piece like the branch was repaired, and another drew people on the ground holding a giant blanket.  Some of the stories are silly (who honestly needs to worry about a flying shark who shoots teeth with  a tranquilizing potion?), but that only adds to the fun! The more unlikely the situation is, the more creative the child needs to be. 

Here's what my kids think of the book:

"I love it! I love all the pages!"

"I like it! Drawing the pictures is really fun!"

"I think it's pretty cool that you can solve the problem using anything that will work."

"I like that it's creative and every answer is different. I like finding the funniest way to do it."

Creative Problem Solving is designed to be a stand-alone activity book that students can complete on their own. I chose the paperback book because I like physical copies, but there is the option of an eBook, as well. Honestly, that would have been easier than photocopying the pages in the book (the Critical Thinking Co. does allow reproduction within one home), but the perforated pages of the paperback make it easier to remove and send through a printer. Since the kids have already asked for additional copies to rework certain pages, that is probably the better option for me.

Creative Problem Solving Level 1 has been a huge hit with our family. I love that my kids are strengthening their critical thinking skills and having fun while doing it.

Happy kids. Happy Mom. The perfect supplement.

You can connect with The Critical Thinking Co.™ on the following social media sites:

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You can read more reviews of this book or learn about one of the other materials reviewed by my Crewmates on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

Super Teacher Worksheets

We were given an Individual Membership to review Super Teacher Worksheets. Even though our schooling is focused around reading and hands-on activities, but do we incorporate worksheets for extra learning and fun practice. My oldest would gladly finish his school career without ever completing a worksheet again, but I have 3 kiddos who love getting their own pages to fill out and color. 

Super Teacher Worksheets is a website devoted to providing teachers with printable worksheets. Not just a few worksheets, mind you, but thousands. Pretty much, if you need a worksheet for a certain topic, they have it. Determining area? Yes. Cause and effect? Yes. Finding letter R words? Yes. Reading thermometers? Yes. Calculating weight on other planets? Yes. Identifying verbs? Yes. Counting by 7s? Yes. The list of topics is impressive. Of course, each topic is filled with many subtopics, as well.  

• Math
• Reading & Writing
• Phonics & Early Literacy
• Handwriting
• Grammar
• Spelling Lists
• Chapter Books (Literacy Units)
• Science 
• Social Studies
• Holidays
• Puzzles & Brain Teasers
• Pre-K & Kindergarten

There is also a Teacher Helpers section that is full of resources to help keep you organized and provide some fun extras. There are dozens of awards and certificates (from reading 25 books to zipping a zipper), crafts (like building a Thanksgiving diorama and creating a cute scarecrow with movable arms and legs), electives (such as learning the parts of a computer or labeling musical notes), and even reminder wristbands (for things like lunch money and field trips).

Along with those aids, there is an entire section dedicated to worksheet generators. You have the option to easily create a worksheet using your own information. You can make bingo, flashcards, crossword puzzles, word searches, multiple choice, matching, short answer, and more. If you can't find what you're looking for already on the site, you can make it yourself quickly and easily with these resources.     

My kids love Star Wars, so I decided to make them a crossword puzzle just for fun. The generator is super simple to use. I filled in the appropriate information (level, title, ect.) and then listed the words I wanted in the puzzle. The crossword was created and printed in just a couple minutes. The hardest part was choosing which words I wanted, ha.      

Another great aspect of this site is the My File Cabinet. You can save your favorite worksheets with a click of a button in a digital file cabinet. You can access the file cabinet at the top of the screen. Once inside, you can see all information that pertains to the worksheets: the date it was added to the file cabinet, subject, topic, title, and choose which action you want to take. 

The action symbols match the symbols that appear under each worksheet in the lists: aligns with common core, English and Spanish versions, preview file, and add to file cabinet. 

My little ones have been having so much fun completing the pages I've printed from this site. One of my sons soaks up anything about animals, so I've been giving him all sorts of pages from the animal section, like mazes, scavenger hunts, and short articles with comprehension questions. My daughter is my crafty one, so she's made a scarecrow and turkey and used some of the writing prompts. I have a kindergartner who is enjoying the mini books, dot-to-dots, and letter pages. My oldest, who has never liked worksheets, has found a new favorite: hink pinks. It's actually turned into a good family activity that we've play quite often now, all because of a page I printed from Super Teacher Worksheets. 

We have used so many sections of this site already, and I have plans for even more.There is so much more here than typical worksheets. They do offer a ton of FREE printables that can be found in each category, but a membership provides any worksheet or the ability to make your own that you might possible need. They also add new content every week and update the What's New tab, so you'll always be able to quickly and easily find the additions. These printable online PDFs are a great resource for any teacher to have. 

You can connect with Super Teacher Worksheets on the following social media sites:

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram

You can read more reviews of this resource on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.