Handout & Worksheet Design:Considerations and recommendations.

HANDOUT & WORKSHEET DESIGN: Considerations and recommendations.

When we teachers make handouts they often are accompanied by worksheets. Handouts and worksheets are often used in the ELF environment and not in the ESOL environment. However they can be useful in the ESOL environment in situations where;

• The student’s school textbooks do not explain all concepts the students ought to know about.
• They can supplement the student’s existing knowledge with further information which they can refer to when they go on to higher courses.
• Handouts that contain lists of words such as; adjectives, adverbs, homonyms, synonyms and antonyms can be used by the student in further English courses. I have given my students a list of irregular verbs that contained more verbs than their class books have. They can use my list later on in the future.
• Worksheets can be used for further practice or set as homework during lengthy holidays.
• Handouts that are well designed and contain charts, tables and diagrams can supplement textbooks and are of great appeal to visual/non-verbal learners who enjoy diagrams, timeline charts and tables with verbs, adjectives, etc. Tactile kinesthetic learners who like hands-on activities will also enjoy trying out grammar points on their own in addition to heir class text books and workbooks. Handouts can also appeal to verbal/visual learners who thrive on notes and voluminous reading.

When designing a hand-out or a worksheet the teacher must observe the following rules;

The handout and worksheet/s must be at the same level of proficiency as the student.
The worksheet, if it is on its own, must at the same level of proficiency as the student.
The worksheet must be impressively designed and neatly spaced so that the students can read the questions clearly and write their answers clearly.
The handouts must be well designed and well spaced and tables, lists, diagrams, and charts. It will be good if they are coloured as this will look appealing to the student.
The explanations and questions must be clear and not verbose.
Answer sheets should not be given to the student.