BusyTeacher vs SparkleBox
BusyTeacher
busyteacher.orgSparkleBox
sparklebox.co.ukSide by side
| Figure | BusyTeacher | SparkleBox |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 5 | 1 |
| Spec score · Teacher Resource Libraries | 9.3 (#1) | 7.4 (#26) |
| Audience | The service is aimed at ESL and EFL teachers working with beginners through advanced learners and with children or adults. | The site provides a Resources for Parents section with printables intended for home use. |
| Founded | BusyTeacher says it has served ESL and EFL teachers since 2007. | 2006 |
| Purpose | BusyTeacher provides printable worksheets, lesson plans, and teaching articles for ESL and EFL teachers. | SparkleBox shares downloadable teaching resources with teachers around the world. |
| Support | The store says customers can email [email protected] to request a replacement download link, while technical support for bundle items is not offered. | Visitors can contact SparkleBox by email, but the team says it cannot guarantee a response to every email because of message volume. |
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.
SparkleBox
SparkleBox is a library of downloadable teaching resources for teachers, with a separate section of printables for parents. It covers EYFS, KS1 and KS2, with subjects including literacy, maths, science, ICT, geography, history, design and technology, religious education, art, music, PE, PSHE, modern foreign languages, dance, drama, HSIE and PDHPE. The site says its collection has grown from a small initial set to many thousands of resources, and editable files are available. Formats vary by resource: a home visual timetable, for example, includes more than 30 JPG images and a PDF arranging images six to a page on A4. SparkleBox launched in February 2006 to share downloadable materials with teachers. Nearly every resource is free to download; paid options start from £1.49. Free resources may be copied and shared with attribution for non-commercial use, provided digital products are not altered. The site accepts email enquiries, though its team says it cannot guarantee a response to every message.