9 Supplies You Don't Know You Need for Your Classroom

Buying school supplies is always fun, but these 9 supplies will change your classroom forever!

The school year has begun for all of us. We have been school supply shopping and purchased markers, pens, glue sticks, pretty decorations, and all kinds of new books. We are ready! But what are we forgetting? What about those supplies that aren't on the school supply aisle? Here are 9 that I use more than I ever thought I would!

1. Fly Swatters

Yes! I purchased these bad boys at Dollar General on clearance for 50 cents! All three for that price, and I use them a lot and not because I have flies in my room. My students use them to play games we call SWAT. I write words on the board, show a poem, or even get out my flash cards. When I call out a word (or the answer to a math problem for math teachers), they have to be the first to hit it. This game is a hit for sure!

2. Finger Lights

I happened upon these at Dollar General too. (OK, I love Dollar General since it is close and so much fun!) The finger lights are perfect for tracking print or finding words and answers in text. I have a friend who uses them for "Flashlight Fridays" where her students can use them as their flashlights as they read. Talk about some motivation!

3. Floral Stones

I use these for so many reasons. I have several different colors that I have gotten from student gifts of flowers. I use them for game pieces. I also love to use them for pushing sounds with my younger students who need phonological awareness activities.

4. Sandpaper

What?! Sandpaper in the classroom?! You bet! It is a great way to help students get a feeling for words in different ways. It gives them a way to trace words and feel something as they do.

They can even use their pencil or marker to trace the word and feel the bumps as they do. Kids love those types of activities!

5. Cash Register Tape

I've been using these for years for many different reasons with my 3rd and 4th graders. We used them for sequencing a story in a small space. I have also used them for writing super short summaries.

One other use for them is mini word ladders. No more big pieces of paper!

6. Magnifying Glasses

Sometimes we may need these to read students' handwriting, or maybe even to find that earring back a student lost. But really, I use these for so many different reasons. I love using these with my older students as they look for clues to draw conclusions. They think it is fun and are willing to actually look for things. You can read a post about this {here}.

7. Drink Stirrers

I know, we probably need these at least once in a while after a bad day, but these are perfect for pointers too! The kids love using these as pointers and scoopers. Scooping for fluency is great way to help with phrasing and prosody.

8. Mirrors

Yes, we do need to make sure our hair and make up look ok. Wait a minute! We are working with kids. Who cares, right?!

Seriously, I use these little jewels straight from my compacts to help students SEE how their mouths move as they say different letter sounds. Once they can see that, it helps them know how their mouths change as they say different sounds. That's the difference between a short e and a short i.

9. Mini Slinkies

These are fun to use for stretching out words. I know they are also cool for the prize box, but I use these to help students as they sound out words to figure out what a word may be. It is a great kinesthetic way to get them thinking about words and word parts.