School Supply Check List for Teen, Tween and College Students

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Every desk/study area needs to have the following supplies.  The High School and Middle School Supplies are think are different than elementary school back to school shopping trips.

This is the list I go through with my clients:

The Basics

-Pens
-Pencils
-Eraser
-Pencil Sharpener (if you have those kinds of pencils)
-Lead (if you have those kinds of pencils)
-Correction fluid or tape
-Crayons/Markers/Colored Pencils (one basic set for school projects that will not be used for crafts)
-Stapler and Staples
-Tape
-Glue
-Scissors
-Hole Puncher (a bigger one that can do more than 3 sheets at a time)
-Paper clips
-Ruler
-Rubber Bands
-Index Cards (in three or four colors)
-Calculator
-Highlighters
-Post-it Notes
-Tabs
-Reinforcements
-White Paper
-Lined Paper
-Glue
-Pencil case for school (get a soft one, not a hard case)
-Book stand* (can get this anywhere and it will save your kid’s necks and shoulders)
-Inbox/Outbox* (This will not work on every desk, but find it is a helpful place to put all ‘need to deal with’ papers, and you can go through it with them every week or so)
-Backpack
-Printer
-Ink
-Blank CDs

-External Hardrive

-Poly Pocket Folders
-Sheet Protectors

Class Supplies

This really depends on your child’s class schedule, but here are the basics:

-Binders
-Spirals
-Dividers
-Paper folders

Optional, but Helpful School Supplies You Might Forget

-Protractor
-Compass
-Book Covers
-Calendar
-Bulletin Board and Push pins
-Drawer organizer
-Lined pads of paper
-Dictionary
-Thesaurus
-Report covers
-Poster Board (If they have a place to keep it, I find there are always last minute projects that need poster board)
-Desk calendar (talk to them about desk calendar vs computer calendar vs planner—later this lesson).
-Doodle Notebook
-Graph paper

Remember there are usually lots of coupons in local papers and watch for the sales.  I also try to go once two week before school starts and get everything I can and then once right after school starts.  This way your local office supply store will not run out of anything before you go.

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