School supplies are something that students use every single day when they come to school! In kindergarten, this includes things such as pencils, crayons, markers, glue, etc. Some teachers even frequently use dry erase markers or play dough in their classrooms. These tools all serve many purposes and can be very beneficial, but only if students know how to use them correctly.
In kindergarten, students come in with many different backgrounds. Although we assume every child has colored with crayons before, this isn’t always the case. As teachers, we must assume that the students have never touched any of these school supplies before and we must explicitly teach them how to use them.
But how do you teach students how to use school supplies? I spent the first week or so of school, using this resource and it always pays off in the long run.
Anchor Charts
The first part of this resource are visual anchor charts for each school supply. We go over these expectations as a class and discuss exactly what each supply can and can not do. Then, students can always refer back to these charts. I also like to use them if I notice somebody using something incorrectly. For example, if a student colors on the table, I can point to the chart and say “Remember, crayons can not color on furniture.”
Cut & Glue Sorts
The next piece of this resource are the cut and glue sorts. These are really great for reinforcing the expectations. The images match the ones on the anchor charts. This activity allows students to show for themselves that they really know how to and how not to use each school supply. It also gives them their own anchor chart to take home and discuss with their family.
Emergent Readers
These emergent readers provide another option for students to review correct expectations for each school supply. Some teachers like to use both the cut and glue pages and these books, others prefer to use one or the other. These also match the class anchor charts and provide a great “take home” piece for students.
Practice Opportunities
Once students are clear on the right ways to use each school supply, I give them the chance to practice. This resource comes with two different practice opportunities for each school supply. These practice pages also allow me to make quick assessments of things like pencil grip, cutting skills, etc.
Certificates
The final piece to this resource, and the students’ favorite part, are these certificates. The certificates start out with 11 blank circles. After we complete one of the supplies and the student has shown me that they can use it correctly, I give them the “badge” for that supply. They add it to their certificate and by the end of the week, they should have all of them. They get SO excited to collect their badges and fill up the certificate!
Success For the Rest of the Year
Even though it can feel very repetitive to keep teaching all of the school supplies in the first week or two, it truly pays off the rest of the year. After doing this, I know that my students can use anything from highlighters to dry erase markers to dobbers. Then, any time I want to use these materials for an activity in the future, I can just pull them out and know that students know what to do.
I’ve also found that students end up treating and taking better care of the school supplies. They know not to leave things on the floor and to put lids back on things, which leads to supplies lasting a lot longer.
You can get the “How To Use School Supplies” resource below:
Want to learn more about how I store student supplies in my classroom? Check out this blog post:
