Studies have shown that students excel when they have the necessary tools at their disposal. The right supplies can significantly impact their ability to connect, understand, and apply what they are learning.
Top 20 Back-to-School Supplies
K – 2nd Grade Back-to-School Supplies List
- Pencils: Essential for beginning writers.
- Pencil Grips: Help children hold their pencils correctly and write comfortably.
- Dry Erase Markers and Whiteboard: Easy to use and erase, ideal for practice.
- Washable Markers: Convenient for kids and easy to clean off.
- Pencil Sharpener: Ensures neat writing with sharp pencils.
- Erasers: Durable and effective for clean erasing.
- Glue Stick: Allows mess-free gluing.
- Scissors: Choose sharp yet safe options for young hands.
- Sentence Zone Game: Teaches sentence construction with color-coded cards.
- Wide Ruled Handwriting Paper: Assists in writing letters to the correct size.
3rd – 8th Grade Back-to-School Supplies List Start with the K – 2nd-grade list and add the following items:
- Daily Planner: Helps with time management and planning.
- Highlighter Tape: Removable tape for color-coding notes and textbooks.
- Graph Paper: Keeps math columns straight and organized.
- Hole Punch: Keeps papers organized in folders or notebooks.
- Folders for Reports: Use color-coded folders for better organization.
- Atlas (student-friendly): Provides geographic and historical context.
- Thesaurus (student-friendly): Enhances vocabulary for writing assignments.
- Dictionary (student-friendly): Simple, easy-to-read definitions, a must-have.
- Graphic Organizers: Aid in note-taking and structuring essays.
- Writing Reference Guide: Handy cheat sheet for any writing assignment.
5 Steps to a Successful School Year
- Set Up a Learning Area: Ensure it is equipped with all necessary supplies.
- Visit the School Before It Starts: Helps kids feel part of the larger learning community.
- Organize a Weekly Schedule: Include homework, sports, and other activities using a daily planner.
- Plan Outfits the Night Before: Reduces morning stress and helps kids get into school mode.
- Plan Meals and Snacks: Prepare healthy lunches and snacks to fuel learning. Meal prep on Sundays can save time throughout the week.
By planning and preparing in advance, the transition from summer break to the school routine can be smoother and more enjoyable.
What happens when kids are not prepared?
Fifteen million American children live in poverty. When families must choose between keeping their lights on and feeding their children, it often means those children’s backpacks remain empty. Every school year, these students carry the weight of knowing their families can’t afford the required classroom supplies.
If preparation is key to success, imagine the difference it would make for these children to have the tools they need. Something as simple as a pencil and paper can have a tremendous impact on a child’s success in the classroom and in life.
Twenty-one million children rely on free or reduced lunch.
When students can’t bring their own materials, it places an incredible burden on the classroom. How can teachers ensure these students can participate fully and fairly? Educators are increasingly expected to provide supplementary and even foundational supplies for their classrooms, often just to deliver basic curriculum and instruction. They regularly do so, making teaching one of the rare professions where employees use their own money to pay to do their jobs.
For this reason we see many Texas charities that help families to get these needed supplies so that children can thrive during the school year and parents can focus on helping them more. Including from our own Governors office.
Recommended charities in Texas are:
The Austin American-Statesman recently ran an article listing a dozen organizations that are making it easy for Texans to help with back-to-school shopping for less fortunate Texas families. Some of the organizations collect and distribute donated school supplies, clothing, and books, while others are looking for monetary donations to help provide supplies to families. So if you have extra supplies around the house, or can afford to purchase a few extra items when doing your own back-to-school shopping, or would like to make a monetary donation, take a look at the options listed in the Statesman article.
Note: Below is the list of organizations from the Statesman article:
For the Children Inc.
About: For the Children Inc. provides basic school supplies to children that qualify for the federal free and reduced price lunch program.
How to donate: Make a monetary donation at schoolsuppliesforthechildren.org/donate/ . $25 will support seven students. Now through Aug. 14, H-E-B will have tear-off coupons at the register as well.
How to get supplies: Apply with your school’s counselor or principal.
Information: schoolsuppliesforthechildren.org
Foundation Communities
About: Foundation Communities is looking to give its 700 kids at its learning centers school supplies.
How to donate: You can make a monetary donation at foundcom.org but you can drop off school supplies and backpacks at the Community Financial Center at 2600 W. Stassney Lane, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 28.
How to get supplies: You have to be served by Foundation Communities’ learning centers.
Information: foundcom.org
Manos de Cristo
About: Manos de Cristo provides a backpack, school supplies, two sets of clothing and a book to more than 2,000 students.
How to donate: Make a donation at manosdecristo.org/BTS2017 A $60 donation helps one child.
How to get supplies: Supplies are given away at the Allan Center, 4900 Gonzales St. 8 a.m.-2 p.m. July 24-27 and 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. July 28, while supplies last.
Information: manosdecristo.org/BTS2017
Communities in Schools
About: This organization in schools helps children in Central Texas who have family challenges such as poverty and hunger. It supplies students with backpacks and supplies, hygiene kits and socks and underwear.
How to donate: Drop off supplies to Communities in Schools Central Office located at 3000 S. Interstate 35, Suite 200. Supplies most needed are backpacks, composition books, folders and pencils. Or donate online at ciscentraltexas.org/supplydrive/. There are a couple of donation levels starting at $17.12 for a backpack and all the supplies for one kid.
How to get supplies: Ask your school if it is served by them and how to enroll in its program.
Information: ciscentraltexas.org/supplydrive/
SafePlace School Supply Drive
About: SafePlace houses about 300 kids each year with their families because of domestic violence.
How to donate: SafePlace is looking for pencil pouches, wide-ruled composition books, construction paper, folders, large pink erasers, handwriting paper, watercolors, colored pencils, glue sticks, scissors, highlighters, plastic supply boxes, dividers, calculators, tissues, hand sanitizer, gallon-sized zip-top bags. Drop off supplies at SafePlace’s warehouse, 1515-A Grove Blvd. during warehouse hours, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, or you can pick from its Amazon wish list.
How to get supplies: You have to be housed by SafePlace.
Information: safeaustin.org
Salvation Army Back to School Drive
About: The Salvation Army houses families including 100 children in its two emergency shelters.
How to donate: The Salvation Army is looking for monetary donations as well as tissue, colored paper, blue and black pens, rulers, glue, binders, backpacks, crayons, composition books, markers, spiral notebooks, flash drives as well as clothing. The administration office is at 10711 Burnet Road, Suite 231.
How to get supplies: You have to be housed in the emergency shelters.
Information: salvationarmyaustin.org
Build a Backpack for City of Austin employees
About: City employees can build a backpack by going to austintexas.gov/buildabackpack and following the instructions. Drop off backpacks 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 28 at City Hall.
How to get supplies: The backpacks get distributed to AISD schools.
Information: austintexas.gov/buildabackpack
United Way Back to School Supply Drive
About: The United Way collects supplies for Austin ISD’s prekindergarten classes.
How to donate: Drop off supplies by Aug. 15 at United Way for Greater Austin, 2000 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Contact [email protected] for a school-specific list.
How to get supplies: The supplies are donated to specific schools.
Information: http://www.handsoncentraltexas.org/need/detail/?need_id=269753
Catch Air School Supply Drive
About: The kid-fun place offers discounts all throughout August if you bring in school supplies to donate to local schools.
How to donate: Bring three small new school supply items or one large school supply item per every $2 off admission. Catch Air is at 1401 S. Interstate 35 Frontage Road, Suite 130, Round Rock, and 13450 N. U.S. 183, Suite 107.
Information: catchairparty.com
AISD Back to School Bash
About: Get free backpacks and supplies, medical screenings and vaccinations with shot record. 9 a.m.-noon Aug. 12. Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Road. Buses leave from Guerrero Thompson and Summitt elementary schools; Bedichek, Martin, Mendez and Covington middle schools; and Lanier and Reagan high schools.
Information: austinisd.org/bash
Bastrop Stuff the Bus/Back to School Bash
About: 1,500 students in the Bastrop ISD will receive supplies through this program.
How to donate: Drop off supplies at local businesses.
How to get supplies: Attend the Back to School Bash, 8:30-10:30 a.m. Aug. 12 at the Bastrop ISD Memorial Stadium in Cedar Creek.
Information: bisdtx.org
Round Rock ISD Partners in Education Foundation School Supplies Sunday/Kutz for Kidz Event
About: Donate supplies for about 7,000 students served last year at this supply Round Rock school district supply drive.
How to donate: The foundation is looking for school supplies, but also monetary donations to buy supplies in bulk at rrisdeducationfoundation.org/school-supplies
How to get supplies: Come to Supplies Sunday event Aug. 20 at Hernandez Middle School.
Information: rrisdeducationfoundation.org/school-supplies
