School Supply Savvy

Buying school supplies may seem like just one more thing on your laundry list of Back-to-School chores, but it can be a great way to get your child excited about the new school year. Here are some tips for getting school supply savvy:

Make a list of your child’s must-have school supplies. Making a list will help you organize your thoughts for back-to-school shopping, which means you might only need to make one trip (we hope!). If your kids are older, ask them to participate in or take charge of the list-making.

A must-have list includes everything from pencils and glue to new shoes. Many teachers make lists of specific school supplies you’ll need to get before the new school year, so check with your student’s new teacher before rushing out to the store!

One must-have is an at-home, personalized learning kit. You can use this kit to practice skills with your child and to answer homework questions:

- Math and Vocabulary flash cards: Create these with your child using index cards and a marker or buy them in-store, usually packaged by grade level.

- For younger kids, an analog clock and shapes are absolute must-haves: Creating these also makes a fun family project, and a great way to re-use cereal boxes! For the analog clock, cut out a big circle, decorate it (accurately!), then attach a long hand and short hand in the center with a paper fastener. Your child will love pulling these out at homework time to make answering clock questions a snap!

- Fun books: There may not always be time for fun reading during the school year, but stocking up on a few fun favs at the library makes reading on the weekend or for 15 minutes each night easy.

Once you have your must-have list, have fun with it! Personalizing Back-to-School supplies to your child’s unique interests can make all the difference in getting excited about going back to school. School supplies do have to be functional, but look for supplies that also help your kid associate school and learning with fun. The Hannah Montana backpack might be what gets her jumping for school to begin!

We recommend making a family event of decorating that at-home learning kit with dinosaurs, butterflies, letters, numbers – whatever gets your child excited. Making a unique, special kit will help motivate your child to learn new skills and have fun tackling challenging homework questions!