Sell elementary teaching resources for grades K-5 and primary
Elementary teachers teach almost every subject to the same class, every day. Anything that covers a full week of a routine, or two subjects at once, saves them real planning time.
Short answer: To sell elementary teaching resources on TeachLessons, apply with the short form, then email your files, previews and a filled-in Resource Submission List to support@stifo.de. You set prices in US dollars and keep 70% of net revenue. Resources go live once they are set up, without a separate approval round.
How do elementary teachers choose resources?
A grade 3 teacher planning on a Sunday evening is not looking for an interesting idea. They are looking for something that fills a slot in a routine they already run: morning work, a math center rotation, a literacy block, a Friday review. Resources that name the slot get found and reused. "Morning work" or "literacy centers" in a title tells the teacher exactly where it fits in the day.
They also check three things fast: the grade level, how much prep it needs (print and go, or cut and laminate), and whether it covers their standards or curriculum. Put all three in the first two lines of your description.
Which elementary resource formats sell well?
Centers / centres
Hands-on stations with task cards, recording sheets and simple directions students can follow without the teacher.
Morning work and bell work
A month or a year of short daily review pages, spiraling math and language skills.
Cross-subject packs
A science or social studies topic with reading passages, writing prompts and math problems built around it.
Interactive notebooks
Foldables and cut-and-glue pieces with teacher photos of the finished pages.
Assessment packs
Quick checks, exit tickets and unit tests by standard, with answer keys and a simple tracking sheet.
Classroom management
Job charts, behavior systems, labels and reward tags. Keep the design simple and age-neutral across K-5.
Two formats that teachers increasingly ask for are a printable and a digital version of the same resource. If you make both, include them in one ZIP and say so. Our page on selling digital resources and Google Slides covers the digital side.
How do I build differentiation into elementary resources?
In a single elementary class, reading levels can range across several grades. Teachers love resources that let them hand different students the same-looking page at different difficulty, so no one feels singled out. Practical ways to do it:
- Three versions of the same task, marked with a small symbol (circle, triangle, square) instead of "easy, medium, hard".
- Word banks or sentence starters on one version, none on another.
- Number ranges that differ (to 20, to 100, to 1,000) on otherwise identical pages.
- An extension challenge at the bottom of each page for early finishers.
Show all versions in your preview, and say how many are included in the description. That is often the detail that sells a pack.
When should I send seasonal elementary resources?
Elementary teachers love themed work: back to school, fall, winter holidays, Valentine's Day, spring, end of year. They plan these weeks in advance, so a fall pack that goes live in late October has missed most of its season. Send seasonal resources well before the season starts, and remember that resources go live as soon as they are set up, so plan accordingly.
Think about where your buyers are, too. Australia and New Zealand have their school year starting in late January or February, and their seasons are reversed. A "back to school" pack in January is useful there; a "snowy winter" pack in July is not. Neutral themes such as "Term 1" or "new class" travel better. Avoid religious holiday resources unless they are clearly labeled, so buyers in diverse schools can choose.
Elementary or primary: how should I label grades?
| Market | Search terms | Grade labels |
|---|---|---|
| US | elementary, centers, morning work | Kindergarten, Grades 1-5 |
| Canada | elementary, junior grades | Kindergarten, Grades 1-6 |
| England and Wales | primary, KS1, KS2, maths | Reception, Year 1 to Year 6 |
| Scotland | primary, first and second level | P1 to P7 |
| Australia and New Zealand | primary, maths, literacy | Foundation or Year 1 to Year 6 (NZ to Year 8) |
A US grade 3 roughly matches a UK Year 4. Get that wrong in a description and buyers will notice. If you want to reach both markets, use both labels ("Grade 3 / Year 4") and make a separate British-spelling version with "maths", "colour" and "centre" rather than mixing spellings in one file. For UK specifics, see selling teaching resources in the UK.
What file and rights details matter for elementary packs?
Elementary packs often contain many parts. Put them in one ZIP with answer keys included. Use clear names such as Fractions-Centers-Grade-3.pdf, and state US Letter, A4 or both. Previews and thumbnails are required as PNG or JPEG; show real pages, not just a colorful cover. See how to make previews and thumbnails.
Clip art is the most common rights issue in elementary resources. Check each license allows use in resources that are sold, and leave out cartoon characters, logos and book illustrations. Reading passages must be your own writing or in the public domain; a page that copies a chapter of a children's novel is not yours to sell.
TeachLessons does not check resources for third-party rights. You confirm that fonts, clip art and images are licensed for commercial use, and you are responsible if a claim arises.
How should I price elementary resources, and how do I join?
You set your prices. Our optional suggestion is a minimum of $4.99 for a single resource. Year-long routines and multi-subject packs can carry a much higher price because they replace months of prep.
| Example | Price | Payout per sale |
|---|---|---|
| One math center | $3.50 | $2.38 |
| Month of morning work | $5.00 | $3.40 |
| Cross-subject unit with reading and writing | $10.00 | $6.79 |
| Year of grade 2 morning work | $20.00 | $13.58 |
Payout per sale is the price x 0.97 x 0.70. To join, apply with the short application form. We email you the Seller Agreement and the Resource Submission List. Fill in one row per resource, then send everything in one email to support@stifo.de, with files, previews and thumbnails, or one shared link that opens without a login. We confirm receipt within 2 business days and set up your product pages and author page. For a big catalog, read how to submit many resources at once.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell resources for several elementary grades?
Yes. List each resource with its grades in the Resource Submission List. Separate versions per grade are usually easier for teachers to find than one pack covering K-5.
Should I make US and UK versions of the same pack?
If you want to reach both, a separate version with British spelling and Year labels is clearer than one mixed file. List them as two resources.
Can I use reading passages from children's books?
Not if the book is still protected by copyright. Write your own passages or use texts in the public domain.
Do I need to include answer keys?
They are not required, but teachers expect them. Put them in the same PDF or ZIP.
When will my seasonal pack be live?
Resources go live as soon as they are set up, and we confirm receipt within 2 business days. Send seasonal resources well before the season.
How much do I keep from a $4.99 elementary resource?
$3.39 per sale. There are no membership, listing or per-resource fees.
Ready to sell your teaching resources?
Apply with the short form. We email you the seller documents, you send your final files with previews and thumbnails, and we set up your product pages, your author page and landing pages. You keep 70% of net revenue, with no fees and no exclusivity.
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General information about the TeachLessons Seller Program, not legal, tax or financial advice. The signed Seller Agreement sets out the binding terms. Questions: support@stifo.de.