What's on your homeschool supplies back to school list?

[2sunshines]

1st year homeschooling for me!

I'm always used to buying school supplies from lists that the teachers provide.

So what's on your back to school homeschooling list this year?

[MegMarch]

We are unschooly, with a 7 year old. This year I'm planning to do a lot of visits to the Space and Rocket Center here and build on that with American Girl Luciana books. Since DD is in that "I'm going to be an astronaut" phase, we're focusing on math (workbooks, already bought) and handwriting (so she learn cursive soon and be able to write faster for her scientific observations, need to buy some Handwriting Without Tears stuff I guess) and we've got a Snap Circuit Rover set that I hope will get some good play and interest going.

So I guess just snacks for the outings and Handwriting stuff

[Lady Grey]

I bought notebook paper, index cards and a few binders. Oh and a planner for my 12 year old. I still need to get a stack of folders at Walmart. We still had other supplies leftover from previous years.

[bananacake]

Since I don't need to show up on day 1 with all the stuff ready, there is a bit more flexibility. I get paper, pens and pencils, maybe a couple small fun things for year start, any notebooks or binders I think I might need.

[mommylove]

Congrats on your first year!

We homeschool year round & even then, when inexpensive supplies come around, I blank every. single. year. on what we need.

Enjoy your first year.

[ViolaMum]

This really depends on the grade/age you're schooling, but we seem to always run out of glue sticks, printer paper, toner, and dry erase markers about 3/4 of the way through the school year. I bought extras this year. The colored pencils have a tendency to walk off, too, so I may have to get more of those. Pilot G-2 pens in bright colors are my favorite pens, so when I find a sale on them I tend to get a pack or two. I'm stocked up from a sale mid-year last year. Same with mechanical pencils, but I buy them periodically through the school year because they do tend to go on walkabouts at the most inopportune times.

My dh is at he end of the hall in his department and when a visiting prof cleans out an office, the supplies tend to get deposited in his space. Which he dutifully calls me about to see if I need anything. I haven't bought binders in 3 years, even though we use them a lot! I love those see-through colored plastic folders that he got me stocked up on 4 years ago.

Come to think about it, I probably should buy more binder pockets. I think Littlest could use more in her Kindergarten binder.

[Singingmom]

First year, woohoo!

Do you have a nice world map and US map? I used to hang ours on the wall, but now I roll them up and pull them out when we need them. A globe is good to have around as well.

Decide how they'll use notebooks for each subject. Separate spirals or binders or one binder with paper and dividers?

Extra paper, pens, pencils, sharpener, rulers...

[2sunshines]

I'm only homeschooling my younger two this coming year. The older two are in high school so more set in their ways....

7th grade and 4th grade.

[ViolaMum]

2sunshines, two things that just occurred to me to keep in mind when buying your supplies: 1. what's your method of assessment (for the school district) going to be 2. corralling daily work

For example, if you're doing portfolio, you'll need a place to keep work samples. if you're doing a written report or turning in grades, you'll need a log book.

FWIW, for the daily work, I have my kids put any loose papers in a file folder marked with their name. That goes with whatever workbooks they might have and I get it at the end of the day. When I've looked it over I put it back in their school boxes. (My kids don't have desks and do their work wherever, so they need a place to contain their stuff.) Starting this year, I also have a box.

Each kid has a daily work binder as well with one pocket per day of the week for any loose papers I give them - like timeline figures to color, map work, etc. The back half of the notebook is divided with tabs by subject and they file any ongoing work or pages they might need to reference (like vocab sheets) in the future there. I try to give the older kids their work for the week on Monday so that they can break it up themselves and do it as they would like and build some independence.

I keep work in a small hanging file box with pretty folders, one file per kid. I keep an interior folder in each hanging file for tests and quizzes or big papers, anything assessment-like that I need to keep. I know a lot of people do binders for that stuff, but this works better for me - it's faster to file.

[Laurlor]

I've always bought a nice sketchbook for each of my kids and I try to do all of our art projects in them (or I glue them in later), so now I have an one for each kid for each grade to save and they're fun to look back at (and easy to store!). The ones I've always liked are eeBoo brand.

[knitlove]

We get pensels and paper. I also buy note cards because that works best for us for lists. I also use this time if year to buy things for stockings at Christmas, little pens and books and things that are fun but not necessarily useful.

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[Proverbs31]

I always buy the pronged pocket folders in a variety of colors this time of year, because at other times of year they're nearly unfindable or cost $2-3 each.


Scotch tape replacement rolls often have their best price now too...and we go through a LOT of tape, lol.



I also get 1-2 boxes of Bic Xtra Strong Mechanical pencils; they're the only ones with leads that don't constantly snap off.

[Soliloquy]

Magic pencils. Like the magic beans in Jack and the Beanstalk, but pencils.

(No, they don't really exist. )

---------- Post added at 10:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:00 PM ----------

Originally Posted by knitlove

I also use this time if year to buy things for stockings at Christmas, little pens and books and things that are fun but not necessarily useful.

Great idea!

---------- Post added at 10:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:01 PM ----------

I usually stock up on filler paper and some spiral notebooks. Also, co-op classes often require 3-prong folders or 3-ring binders so I buy some of those. And markers, crayons, and glue sticks because they're cheaper now than any other time.

[squiddles]

I skimmed the other posts, so I don't think this one got mentioned. But the one thing I bought YEARS ago that I thank myself for buying every year is a laminator!

I bought a scotch laminator and a pack of laminator pouches at target my very first year of homeschooling my oldest for preschool, and 6-ish years later I still use it several times a year and it was SOOO worth it..

[tempus vernum]

This is a great thread - it's reminding me of several things I usually look for (I also do the dollar store) and several things that would make my life much much easier I still have school supplies I didn't use last year.

I suddenly thought of something I stock ONLY this time of year - index cards and sticky notes (it was on my list but usually I get them dirt cheap during school supply time). I use them a ton.

AND hard plastic pencil cases. In addition to organizing my school supplies I use them in my bathroom for little things

I also peruse the school supply area whenever I am at walmart/target or the dollar store between end of july and mid october (after mid september is my favorite time cuz of clearance - i usually try to hold off past labor day to purchase anything). I am going today to walmart and the dollar store. I'm having to take a deep breath because this post has me all excited

---------- Post added at 09:21 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:17 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Laurlor

I've always bought a nice sketchbook for each of my kids and I try to do all of our art projects in them (or I glue them in later), so now I have an one for each kid for each grade to save and they're fun to look back at (and easy to store!). The ones I've always liked are eeBoo brand.

This is a beautiful Idea - maybe I will start one for my dd2. I wish I had heard of this before