Prepare for Fall With This Homeschooling Supplies List

What’s needed for a successful homeschool year? Be sure to prepare for fall with this homeschooling supplies list—perfect for keeping your homeschool stocked throughout the school year. Homeschooling means your home has been transformed into a classroom, art studio, mechanics shop, home economics area, cooking classroom, and so much more. Even though education at home works best when integrated naturally, parents still need to be prepared, stocked, and ready with the necessary materials to teach effectively. Remember, this does not mean you need to break the bank. Simply take a look at the list and see how you can improvise, substitute, or find the needed materials at a discount store or a bulk website online. Take a look at this homeschooling supplies list and then plan accordingly.

Art Supplies

Younger and older students alike need the arts in their curriculum whether it is advanced or basic. I like to stock up on colored pencils, crayons, #2 pencils, and extra erasers first and foremost. I am also old-fashioned and use a chalkboard (in my dining room!) so I love to prepare for fall with plenty of colored chalk. When teaching sights words or higher-level science, I love to brighten the board up with splashes of color. Assess what your family needs for the year, depending on the ages of your kids. Craft kits work great for older students. Consider including leather making crafts, glass bead making, a pottery wheel, calligraphy, watercolors, acrylic paints, stained glass, and the list goes on.

Bins and Bookshelves

Even the least organized homeschool can benefit with a single bookshelf and several bins. These useful organizational tools can transform an entire homeschool. Nothing can be more stressful than not knowing where a math notebook is or where to find the answer key for the science quizzes. A simple bookshelf dedicated to the books your children are currently reading can do wonders. Can’t find room for an extra bookshelf? Consider a dresser and give each child a drawer for their books. The top can be used for school supplies or decorated with seasonal décor, and no one will ever know it’s a storage unit!

Reference Materials

When creating your homeschooling supplies list, remember not to leave out reference materials. Think about the reference section in your public library. These are the books and materials that do not get checked out but remain in one place for communal use. This is where you will store the dictionary, thesaurus, non-fiction books on topics your children are current studying, and even extra Bibles, commentaries, and concordances. Collect these resources at used book sales, thrift stores, Thrift Books, eBay, or Amazon.

Printer and Laminator

If you are using a curriculum that gives you the option to use their resources online or to print them out, such as SchoolhouseTeachers.com, a printer and laminator are lifesavers when choosing to print. These work great for posters, flashcards, or any printables that you will be reusing throughout the year. I am presently using Building a Foundation with Kindergarten Math and have printed out dozens of pages that I plan on reusing. From calendar numbers to weather charts to flashcards, keeping them intact is key. The extra effort of laminating them gives me the extra assurance that my effort was not in vain, and the shiny appearance makes them look so professional!

Incentives

Keeping incentives on hand is important for motivation. As much as we want the gift of learning to be their reward, kids of all ages are often motivated by the simplest incentives. From a pack of M&M’s or Skittles to hand out piece by piece for a job well done to stickers or printable awards, even the smallest incentive can go a long way. It also doesn’t hurt to have a large end-of-the-semester (or term) incentive such as a pizza party, movie night, or field trip.

Three-Hole-Punch, Binders, and Folders

When printing out materials, it is essential to keep all your papers organized. A three-hole-punch is a wonderful edition to any homeschool so you can simply slip your papers into a binder or folder. Some years, each of my children will receive a binder for all printed coursework. Other times, I will give them a folder for each subject. Either way, I like to use ones with three rings or brads so they stay in place. Otherwise, regardless of how careful they are, the papers spill everywhere!

Additional Materials:

Index Cards

Sticky Notes

Bookmarks

Lined Paper

Computer Paper

Construction Paper

Journals

Notebooks

Electric Pencil Sharpener

What do you find essential to have on your homeschooling supplies list?