BusyTeacher vs ReadWriteThink
BusyTeacher
busyteacher.orgReadWriteThink
readwritethink.orgSide by side
| Figure | BusyTeacher | ReadWriteThink |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 5 | 2 |
| Spec score · Teacher Resource Libraries | 9.3 (#1) | 8.4 (#5) |
| Founded | BusyTeacher says it has served ESL and EFL teachers since 2007. | LinkedIn lists 2002 as the founding year. |
| Purpose | BusyTeacher provides printable worksheets, lesson plans, and teaching articles for ESL and EFL teachers. | ReadWriteThink offers reading and language arts instructional materials for educators, parents, and afterschool professionals. |
| Search and filtering | Users can search by topic and filter materials by proficiency levels including beginner, elementary, intermediate, advanced and exam levels. | Users can search by keyword and filter resources by grade level and resource type. |
| Self-hosting | The service is delivered as a web site and downloadable PDFs; no self-hosting package is described. | The published documentation does not offer a self-hosted deployment package or installation instructions. |
| Support | The store says customers can email [email protected] to request a replacement download link, while technical support for bundle items is not offered. | The privacy policy lists NCTE Customer Service at [email protected] and 877-369-6283 for privacy questions. |
| System requirements | An independent TESL-EJ review lists an internet-capable computer or mobile device and a browser such as Chrome, Safari or Firefox. | Interactive tools are intended to work on computers, tablets, phones, and other devices, with users asked to report their browser and operating-system versions when problems occur. |
| What it does | BusyTeacher provides printable English-teaching worksheets, lesson plans, articles, posters and classroom activities. | ReadWriteThink provides free literacy teaching materials for educators, parents, and afterschool professionals. |
Plans
BusyTeacher
- Free printable worksheets and lesson plansFree
- Individual e-book$10, paid once
- Entire BusyTeacher Library$80, paid once
- The Entire BusyTeacher Library: 80 PDF E-Books$80, paid once
- Educational license$99, paid once
In their own words
BusyTeacher
BusyTeacher provides printable teaching materials and articles for ESL and EFL teachers, along with a library of digital e-books. Its homepage lists 18,421 free printable worksheets and lesson plans, with no registration required. Worksheets cover grammar, vocabulary, speaking, reading, listening, writing, and pronunciation, and the site has tools for making word searches, word or sentence scrambles, and double puzzles. The resource formats also include flashcards, posters, and puzzle activities, with material for young learners, teenagers, and adults. The 80-book library covers subjects such as grammar, speech, business English, classroom management, age groups, and proficiency levels. The e-books arrive as PDF files through an email download link and can be viewed on computers, smartphones, or tablets; they can also be printed, but paper copies are not provided. The entire library costs $80, paid once. An individual e-book license allows use with the buyer’s own students or classes, but prohibits sharing with other teachers or colleagues. The store says digital purchases are not refundable.
ReadWriteThink
ReadWriteThink is a free resource site for reading, writing, and language-arts instruction from kindergarten through grade 12. It serves educators, parents, and afterschool professionals with lesson plans, student interactives, printouts, calendar activities, and a teaching mat. Resources cover reading, writing, language arts, poetry, media literacy, literature, and assessment, with grade groupings from kindergarten through grades 11–12. Collections combine classroom materials with professional learning resources, including instructional strategy guides and a library listing NCTE books and journals. Lesson plans align with IRA/NCTE English Language Arts standards and, where applicable, state and Common Core standards. Interactive tools include Comic Creator, Timeline, Trading Card Creator, and Webbing Tool. The site says downloaded mobile apps work on tablets offline, and updated interactives should run on computers, tablets, phones, and other devices. No login is required, and the site says it does not save user information or created work on its servers.