Preparing for the Homeschool Year: Top Back-to-School Homeschool Supplies

Back-to-School again! With a new school year approaching, it’s time to start planning and gathering all of the essential supplies to ensure a smooth and successful homeschool year!

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Most of these items are pretty self explanatory, but when you’re starting out with homeschooling, it can be difficult to know what items are needed and which to hold off on. This list may look a little different for everyone, depending on the age of your children, which curriculum and homeschooling style you’re going to use. My advice is always to start with the basics and build from there. These are just some of our favorite supply recommendations & things we have found helpful over the years. This list could easily be endless, but hopefully it will help get you started.

Basic Homeschool Supplies:

• Pencils
• Mechanical Pencils
• Pens (I’m a picky pen person, ones like these are my favorite)
• Notebook Paper
• Spiral Notebooks
• Binders (All Sizes)
• Erasers (These are the best)
• Colored Pencils
• Markers
• Crayons
• Index Cards (These dry erase index cards are on my list!)
• Large Dry Erase Board (This adhesive dry erase board for the wall looks handy)
• Mini Dry Erase Boards (Perfect for math or spelling practice.)
• Dry Erase Markers (I love the magnetic, thin tip markers.)
• Highlighters (Our favorite brand, works well in your Bible too!)
• 3 Hole Puncher
• Calculator (My high schooler uses one like this.)
• Sticky Notes (I use these as bookmarks, to leave notes for my kids, etc.)
• Printer (This printer was the BEST investment for our homeschool! It’s saved us so much money being able to print full curriculum at home.)
• Folders
• Dividers
• Paper Clips
• Pencil Sharpener
• Rulers
• Protractors
• Scissors
• Glue
• Homeschool Planner (This is must for me every year!)
• Student Planner (See Bottom of page!)

Learning Materials:

• Math Manipulatives – Hundreds Blocks, Fraction Circles, Counting Manipulatives, Money Manipulatives
• Read Aloud Books (Check out my Summer Reading List Blog Posts.)
• Curriculum (Everyone has different preferences when it comes to curriculum. Here’s what we have used recently.)
• Online Curriculum (Such as Khan Academy, Shormann Math, K12, Easy Peasy, etc.)
• Learning Apps
• Maps (We have this world map hung on our wall.)
• Globes
• Atlas
• Educational Resource Books (We love DK books!)
• Grammer and Writing Guides
• Flash Cards
• Educational Games
• Dictionary
• Thesaurus
• Science Kits
• Educational Posters/Charts
• Telling Time Manipulatives

Homeschool Organization Materials:

• Bookshelves (We use these cube shelves for now.)
• Storage Bins
• Label Maker (This one is on my list.)
• Laminator
• Art Supplies Storage Bin
• Storage Bags (These mesh ones are perfect for puzzles, math manipulatives, etc.)
• Index Card Organizer

Fun Extras:

• Art Supplies – Construction Paper, Paint, Sketchbooks, Paint Brushes, etc.
• Music Resources
• 3 Tier Rolling Cart (We use this to store our daily curriculum and supplies handy)
• Hourglass Timer (I love this one for reading time!)
• Fridge Calendar
• Book Lights (My kids love to read before bed.)
• Binding Machine (This is also on my wish list!)

With the right supplies, your homeschool year can be both productive and enjoyable. Most items on this list, you may already have at home, but you will find as you go through your homeschool years that additional supplies are needed. Several items will last through the years, others you may find yourself needing to purchase year after year. I always recommend purchasing curriculum before you purchase your supplies, as some curriculum will include supply lists for specific lessons. This could save you money and time when preparing for your homeschool year.

For more recommendations and daily deals, be sure to join my Lead Learn Love Homeschool Finds Facebook Group where I post daily deals, sales, and recommendations on all homeschool related things I think might benefit you!!

If you’re looking for a homeschool planner and/or student planners for your upcoming school year, be sure to check out the ones I created below! They’re the perfect addition to staying organized for you and your students all year long!

Other Blog Posts You Might Like:

I’ve Decided to Homeschool: Now What?

How To Homeschool: Answering Your Top 10 Most Common Questions

How to Navigate Your First Homeschool Year

Homeschooling Elementary Grades: My Favorite Curriculum and Resources

More Resources: