lgliser Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 We'll be starting homeschool in the fall with our 6 year olds. They'll be in first grade. I know we don't need a lot of bells and whistles but what are some things that might be fun or make life easier, or just some things that I may not think of? Such as a calendar that we can not only look at the date but write plans on. I also thought a 3 hole punch would be good.... what else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 My kids have a box each to keep their completed art work. They also have their own pencil box so that they can take charge of their own pencils and eraser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 One thing I *WISH* I had again was a whiteboard for Math. For some reason, she does SO MUCH BETTER with the white board! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violamama Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 I had to buy an analog clock because all ours were digital and we worked on clock reading. We have a big box of colored pencils and kid scissors for each kid in addition to art supplies for fun, a magazine organizer box for each to keep their math workbooks, manuscript paper, etc. I keep the teaching texts for the day in our shelf ready to go, but they could just about fit in a third magazine box. Stickers are awesome. Dice are fun. Bingo sheets are used for fun review. I print lots of file folder games a few times each year. We use the little 8.5 x 11 dry erase manuscript lined board every day. I also use a littler one a lot- it's about 3 x 11 and was in the dollar section of Target. My 7 yo is much more willing to repeatedly write stuff on dry erase and then do the "best one" on paper. We do this with sidewalk chalk sometimes, too. We found some fancy manuscript lined cards at the dollar store and I cut them up & hole punch them for flashcards a lot. The lines and large size help my boy write his own cards with a sharpie, and they are more durable than the 3 x 5 cards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakblossoms Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 Blank Books. My kids love to make their own books. I buy them at Rainbow Resource. I think they are called Bright Books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisha Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 Colored foam cubes found at my dollar store at back to school time. I use them to make die for games. Words, higher numbers than 1-6, just look on pinterest for games and make your own die. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess4879 Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 Sitcky tabs! We use these all.the.time to mark pages, etc. Other things we use a lot: stapler, laminator, printer, and we use a lot of binders, but that might just be us. :) We have a lot of craft supplies too. Everything from stickers to paint brushes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dewdropfairy Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 I have a smallish magnetic white board we hung on the wall and I bought dry erase markers and glue-gunned magnetic strips to the markers so they stick to the board. At night I write the boys' assignments on the board and they erase each one as they complete it. They like having the visual reminder of what they have left to do so I don't get the question "When is school going to be over?" again and again. Also, for some of their assignments, (like piano practice) they can get started before baby and I come downstairs if they are already up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dewdropfairy Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 The biggest thing for me was just organizing all of their different subjects. At first, I tried cardboard file boxes for each subject, but they were a joke and didn't last the school year. I broke down and bought a wall full of these. http://www.amazon.com/ClosetMaid-893700-Laminate-Organizer-Espresso/dp/B001UU0NJW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368300383&sr=8-1&keywords=cube+organizer I've seen them cheaper at Target than at Amazon prices. Each cube holds a different subject, plus a cube for things like "school supplies", "art supplies" "study aids" (dictionary, thesaurus, etc.). I bought little baskets to go in some to hold small pieces, and colored pencils, crayons, markers, and highlighters each have a dedicated baby wipes container. The boys are responsible for putting their school books away when they are done with each subject. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4peanuts Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 I second the whiteboards...I use them all the time! I have a bigger one on the wall, plus several tabletop size ones that I can whip out whenever the need strikes. Something else I don't have but that is on my wish list is one of those big, spinning, lazy susan type supply holders for markers, pencils, rulers, etc. You can find them in the scrapbooking section at Michael's. Got the idea from Erica's COAH blog: http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/blog/2012/08/our-home-school-room-2012-2013.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aslana Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 www.classroomdirect.com No, I do not work for them and that's not a referral link. But that WILL give you some awesome ideas at cheap prices. Arts and crafts, crayons, pens, books, all the things everyone mentioned above. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyfulmomSDG Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 I echo the whiteboard recommendation! We have a medium size one for everyone to use & "personal" size for each child. There is just something about writing on them that makes my kids more motivated. I also use tons of magazine holders like these: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50187340/ Several for my teacher books & each child has one for their student materials. I love that they are portable, compact and durable. Oh, and I don't think I saw this mentioned but an electric pencil sharpener is a must! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 I echo the whiteboard recommendation! We have a medium size one for everyone to use & "personal" size for each child. There is just something about writing on them that makes my kids more motivated. I also use tons of magazine holders like these: http://www.ikea.com/...cts/50187340/�� Several for my teacher books & each child has one for their student materials. I love that they are portable, compact and durable. Oh, and I don't think I saw this mentioned but an electric pencil sharpener is a must! :) Oh gosh yes!! We use this so many times a day!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 Post-it notes. We go through a costco sized pack a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmhearn Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 We go through A LOT of glue sticks. We do a lot of lapbooking, though. So, that might not apply to you. I think it's helpful to have some items that are educational and fun set aside in your school area, so that anyone who is finished working can easily grab something to do without wandering off and getting side-tracked. In our house, that is usually something like lacing cards, summer bridge type of workbooks, sticker books (like something on sharks, snakes, etc.), DWN books, puzzles, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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