School Supplies

I love shopping for school supplies. There is a special thrill in my heart when I pick up a brand new notebook or a box of fresh crayons. I think it is the anticipation of the learning that is to come, the thoughts to be shared, the pictures drawn that really gets me excited. As we get further and further into this life of homeschooling, however, I find that the number of traditional school supplies we need each year dwindles. We still have plenty left over and can reuse from year to year. This year I think I spent less than two dollars on some paper folders and pencil erasers. We didn't need crayons or pencils or glue or paper. No hand-sanitizer or book covers. No highlighters or kleenex. I was a bit disappointed!

What school supplies do homeschoolers need?  Of course we need the basics: notebooks, filler paper, post-it notes, index cards, tape, glue, 12" ruler and a yard/meter stick, pens, pencils, scissors, construction paper, three-hole punch, etc. But what else? A couple of years ago, this question came up  on one of the Yahoo Groups to which I subscribe. I jotted down a list and tucked it into the first pocket of my homeschool notebook. Here are the supplies that may not appear on any public school list:

• Book shelves - The one thing homeschoolers buy and borrow in mass quantities is books. All those books have to go somewhere. From built-ins to free standing, one can never have too many bookshelves. Our kitchen has a nice built-in desk with shelves where we keep most of our lesson books and basic supplies. Junebug also keeps some of her books in her room. There are more shelves in the living room and boxes of books are stored in the pantry.

•  A computer, color printer/copier, internet access - Though we limit the children's free-time on the computer, our day is not complete without looking up something on Google or Wikipedia or YouTube. This year Junebug will be typing her written narrations in a shared Google Documents file. With our copier/printer we can make copies of worksheets, print sheet music, art study pictures, or history time line figures.  Regular printer paper as well as card stock is very handy to have on hand.

•  White board and markers - From math to spelling to displaying art, our white board gets daily use. Even my husband uses it to jot down complex mathematical equations for his work or messages for me on his way out the door. Ours is magnetic, so handy for putting up art work, too.

• A good pencil sharpener - We have several plastic ones that seem to float around from place to place. When I go home next, I'm going to ask my Dad for the old-fashioned manual one we had when I was a child that we can attach to the wall or pick up this one at Office Depot.

•  Good art supplies - We have a boxes of broken crayons, markers and half-used watercolor sets that the children have access to at any time. Now that the children are also beginning more formal art instruction, however, we have been splurging on some good art supplies that stay separate from the every day. (I know there are some who think that children should be given the best from the very beginning, but I'd rather not give my three-year old free access to them.)

• Library cards & tote bags - Another essential item for every homeschooler. We do not check out as many books as we used to, but we still rely on our local library system for many books throughout the year.

• Globe and/or wall maps/educational posters - These are essential for understanding so many academic subjects from geography to history and literature to science. If you don't have room on the wall, some people have put them on display boards and slide them under the couch. We currently have the Period Table of the Elements in our kitchen as well as a poster of the U.S. Presidents.

• Stereo or speakers for mp3 player - For us, the computer in the kitchen serves us well. I will also be putting our composer study songs on a CD for the car.

• Clipboards -  We have three clipboards that get regular use in our house. One has scratch paper on it. Junebug and Legoboy each have one with their weekly schedules go on them. The clipboards are also handy for doing work in the car or outside.

•  Miscellaneous "Science" Equipment - hand lens, magnets, funnels, old measuring cups, spoons, string, and old bowl, etc. I used to have to track these down on a regular basis, but then started keeping them gathered together in a couple of boxes in the pantry.