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What鈥檚 the smart way to shop for school supplies? Eliminate the guesswork by getting a list from your child鈥檚 teacher ahead of time or waiting until school starts to find out what鈥檚 required. The teacher may recommend specific brands, sizes, or quantities, but even if the list isn鈥檛 available, you can still take advantage of back-to-school shopping sales (many states offer 鈥渢ax-free days鈥� during this season) by sticking to the basic school supplies recommended below. And remember, you can鈥檛 go wrong with tools that help kids get — and stay — organized.

Writing essentials

  • Don鈥檛 waste your money on feather pencils, light-up pencil sharpeners, or pretty erasers that don鈥檛 work, teachers say.
  • Jumbo No. 2 pencils. Start with a pack of 12.
  • Pencil grips (if needed) to help their little fingers hold the pencil steady.
  • Colored pencils
  • Pencil sharpener (manual with a top to collect shavings)
  • Large pink eraser
  • Ballpoint pens
  • Box of crayons (Teachers recommend buying a 16-pack for younger kids and a 24-pack for older ones.)
  • Water-based markers
  • Spiral-bound or composition notebooks*
  • Loose-leaf notebook paper* (Teachers can be picky about paper. Schools usually supply specially ruled handwriting paper to help younger children with letter formation. Older children use wide-ruled paper.)

*Kindergarteners may not need notebooks and paper yet. Check the teacher鈥檚 list.

Organizational helpers

  • Expensive folders with multiple pockets and zippers are often too bulky to fit in desks. Better to stick with more streamlined (and cheaper) models.
  • Three-ring binder*
  • Pocket folders* (If you get a folder with two pockets, label one 鈥渒eep at home鈥� and the other 鈥渂ring back to school鈥� to help your child organize his papers.)
  • School Supply Box / Pencil Box for storing items (Teachers recommend one that鈥檚 8 x 5 inches and 2 inches deep to hold pencils, crayons, erasers, and scissors.)
  • Highlighters* (These might be unnecessary for kids in K-2. Check the teacher’s list)
  • Index cards, ruled and unruled (for making flash cards)
  • A sturdy, supportive backpack (Some schools do not permit rolling backpacks because of space considerations, so check with your school before purchasing one.)

*Kindergarteners may not need folders and binders, index cards, or highlighters yet. Check the teacher鈥檚 list.

Craft materials

Dioramas and other 3-D projects provide a hands-on learning experience for students. Most teachers recommend having these items available:

  • Drawing paper
  • Construction paper
  • Ruler with English and metric measurements
  • Glue sticks (Some teachers prefer white to purple.)
  • A 4-ounce bottle of white glue
  • Scotch tape
  • Stapler (best is a for last-minute stapling emergencies.)
  • Scissors (blunt-ended for younger kids, pointed for older ones)
  • Watercolor paints

Hygiene kit

  • Facial tissue
  • Mini bottle of hand sanitizer
  • Disinfecting wipes
  • Change of clothes in a zip-locking plastic bag
  • Bandages
  • Ask the teacher if it would be helpful to have extras of any of the other basic supplies on hand.

Home computer supplies

  • Printer paper
  • Ink cartridges

Lunchtime necessities

  • Sturdy lunchbox
  • Water bottle (Stainless steel is recommended. Avoid plastic bottles; many contain bisphenol A, a hormone-disrupting chemical linked to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, asthma, birth defects, and cancer. If choosing plastic, look for a BPA-free label.)

See the back-to-school supply list for preschool and 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade, too.