Each of these guidelines aims to deliver information as effectively as possible. For students, a document's design properly can frequently communicate as much information as, if not more information than, the words on the page. Numerous of these guidelines emphasize simplicity, which is crucial when working with pupils who have weaker reading skills. Instructors should pay attention to the number of words, focus, blank space, directions, font style, font size, and images in the worksheets they design.
Amount of the words
A page stuffed to the gills with words might be scary and overpowering depending on the student's ability. A reading class would be an exception, but even then, students should be able to grasp the work at hand pretty quickly without having to read and comprehend lengthy passages of material first.
Instructions
Combine instructions into each worksheet. Before the class starts the exercise, it is helpful if the teacher reads, repeats, and rephrases the instructions to the class. Kids may still not hear or comprehend the teacher's instructions despite this repetition. Additionally, a lot of students are better readers than listeners, so giving instructions in both media might be helpful. Again, keep instructions brief and uncomplicated.
Focus
Each worksheet should have just one task. The class will become more confused as a result of too much variety of questions and tasks. Students already have a heavy cognitive burden from trying to comprehend the words on the page; if the arrangement is also unclear, they are likely to become lost. If many chores must be listed on the same page, clearly mark the beginning and end of each task, both visually and verbally.
Free space
esigners have the Latin phrase 'horror vacui' which means 'the fear of the void', to discuss the need to fill a page and not leave any blank space. An important element of design is 'free space'. It gives the impression that an object is more valuable by leaving greater room around it. For instance, a boutique with a select few goods attractively displayed will attract more attention than a warehouse crammed with clothing (Lidwell, Holden, & Butler 2010). Similarly, the phrases or things that are surrounded by empty spaces will catch students' attention.
row 2 of desciption If students do not have to spend time finding the page for crucial information, their cognitive burdens are reduced. Another point that ought to be evident is that student responses require blank spaces. Make sure there is enough space underneath the questions for the pupils to submit their responses. Additionally, there is an area on the side of the page for notes or vocabulary word definitions.
Font
There is a widely-held belief that sans-serif typefaces, like Arial, are better for screens while serif fonts, such as Times New Roman, are more readable on paper (see Kole's infographic from 2013). However, the outstanding evaluation of the literature on the subject by Alex Poole (2008) reveals that it is contradictory and inconclusive. There is no requirement for English teachers to participate in the font and typeface discussion. Instead, they ought to pick fonts that draw pupils in without being distracting. It is advised to pick a straightforward, readable typeface and stick with it regularly so that pupils connect the font with the content. Avoid using stylized typefaces because they are typically more challenging for learners to read.
Size
Additionally, font size needs to be carefully examined. The size and prominence of titles and section headings should be increased. Text sizes of worksheets should be utilized as a tool for organization. The 'Shortcuts' section provides a simple method for changing the font size as you type. According to a 2011 study by Tavakoli and Kheirzadeh on how font size affects students' reading comprehension abilities, the reader's ability to finish the job is unaffected by the font size in general. Therefore, it may be assumed that teachers don't need to worry too much about changing font sizes to match their pupils' reading levels.
Images
Worksheet design should be careful when utilizing images. Too many pictures might become obtrusive and eat up valuable open space. Images can occasionally draw attention to themselves, convey information, or do both. Images are utilized as instructional tools in some worksheets that were created for lower-level classes; for instance, they serve as visual representations of the nouns in the title. They may also be more visually appealing and attention-grabbing than just words and lines. Last but not least, they can be used as a teaching aid for the vocabulary on the worksheet. Teachers can point out the components of the picture that correspond to the vocabulary term.