Given each year in August to all families any school supply list is welcomed with back packs included on the list
A school supply list to get you started
Keep this checklist handy to make your back-to-school shopping as easy as A, B, C. You can also ask your child’s teacher for a list ahead of time. The teacher may recommend specific brands, sizes, or quantities, but even if the list isn’t available, you can still take advantage of back-to-school sales (many states offer “tax-free days” during this season) by sticking to the basics recommended below. And remember, you can’t go wrong with tools that help kids get — and stay — organized.
The Basics
When it comes to writing essentials, teachers say, don’t waste your money on feather pencils, light-up pencil sharpeners, or pretty erasers that don’t work. And for organizational helpers, keep in mind that expensive folders with multiple pockets and zippers are often too bulky to fit in desks. Better to stick with more streamlined (and cheaper) models.
Supply List:
Glue sticks (at least three for the year)
Scissors (blunt ended for younger kids, pointed for older ones)
Ballpoint pens
No. 2 pencils (Stick with this classic to avoid classroom competition over whose writing utensil is the coolest — or most impractical.)
Colored pencils
A pencil sharpener (hand-held with a top to collect shavings)
A large pink eraser (The old-fashioned ones do the best erasing.)
Water-based markers
A four-ounce bottle of white glue
Highlighters (These are probably unnecessary for kids in kindergarten through second grade.)
Spiral-bound or composition notebooks
A three-ring binder
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, and some middle school students will need the college-ruled variety.)
Pocket folders (If you get a folder with two pockets, label one “keep at home” and the other “bring to school” to help your child organize his papers.)
Printer paper and ink cartridges (for your home computer)
A ruler with English and metric measurements
Scotch tape
Test Preparation Strategies:
Tests are a fact of life for kids in school, including those with learning disabilities. Tests help teachers gauge progress, measure skills, and determine grades. They can also be pointers to areas where kids need extra help. The good news is that there are some common sense approaches to studying and test taking that can reduce anxiety and improve test performance. You can help your child learn test-taking strategies she’ll use throughout her entire education.
Before the Test
Preparation is the key to success. Before each test your child should ask the teacher – and write down – what material the test will cover and what types of questions to expect. She can then focus her studies and practice answering questions in the same format. Encourage her to adopt these other good study habits:
- Avoid cramming. Instead, study a little every day.
- Review the material more than one time.
- Answer practice questions in textbooks
- Have your child teach the subject to you or a study partner.
- Ensure she gets a good night’s sleep and has a healthy breakfast before the test.
On the Day of the Test
No matter what the subject or test format, coach your child to:
- Listen closely to verbal directions and read carefully any instructions on the test itself.
- Ask the teacher to explain any instructions she doesn’t understand.
- Scan the entire test for the types of questions and use this information to pace herself.
- Jot down memory aids, formulas, or important facts in the margins.
- Answer the questions she knows first and come back to the harder ones later, remembering to mark unanswered questions so they’re easy to find.
Types of Test Questions
Tests are often a blend of several types of questions. Review and practice these strategies for various question types with your child.
True-False
- Circle key words in the question.
- Remember: If any part of the answer is false, the whole thing is false.
- Watch for words like “never,” “always,” “every,” “all,” “none,” and “only”; they generally indicate a false answer.
- Rarely leave a blank – a guess has a 50-50 chance of being right!
Multiple Choice
- Read the whole question carefully and try to decide what the answer is before reading any of the options.
- Read all of the answer options, then choose the one that most closely matches her answer.
- When unsure, eliminate answers that are clearly incorrect.
- If forced to guess, choose the longest, most detailed answer.
Open Book
- Prepare a sheet with important facts or formulas to avoid spending time looking them up.
- Mark important pages with sticky notes or paper clips.
- Practice using the index to look up specific topics.
- Skip questions when the answer can’t be found quickly; mark them to come back to later.
- Do not copy from the book! Use the book as a guide to write answers in her own words.
Fill-in-the-Blank
- Read the sentence carefully for clues about the type of information needed – a person’s name, a number, a fact.
- Watch for grammar clues. For example, the word “an” before the blank indicates that the answer starts with a vowel.
- Notice the type of blanks in the sentence. One short blank calls for a single word answer. A longer blank indicates a longer answer, such as a phrase.
Matching
- Scan the whole column of possible matches rather than stopping at the first likely answer.
- Answer the questions she’s sure of first.
- Cross out choices as she uses them.
- Keep going through the columns to make more matches.
- Avoid guessing until she’s absolutely stumped.
Essay Questions
- Before writing, make an outline to organize main ideas and facts to include in the answer.
- Focus on only one idea per paragraph.
- State the main point in the first sentence of each paragraph.
- Avoid unsupported statements – include relevant details and examples.
- If time is running out, write at least an outline of the whole answer.
After the Test
Your child can learn almost as much from her mistakes on a test as from studying. Go over test results and read the teacher’s comments. Look for patterns of errors to help in future studies.
- Were questions left blank due to a lack of time? Help your child practice judging time needed and pacing her work.
- Were any errors due to not following instructions? Remind her to read directions carefully and circle important words.
- Were mistakes made because she didn’t know the subject thoroughly? Next time, set aside more study time or try new study strategies.
When your child feels confident in her test-taking skills, she’ll have less test anxiety and be able to focus on showing what she’s learned – and that’s what tests are all about.
Given each year in August to all families
Any school supply list is welcomed with back packs included on the list
If you would like to contribute to our Backpack giveaway please fill out the form below.