I have decided to take the next 30 days leading up to Christmas to share ideas for academic enrichment gifts and stocking stuffers.
So I get it. Not everyone prefers a gift card to Staples or Barnes & Noble over Apple or Nordstroms like myself. However, that doesn't mean that your student couldn't use or wouldn't appreciate some nice, new shiny school supplies for Christmas.
It's that time of year when notebooks and agendas look like they have fought a war and lost. Christmas break would be the perfect time to regroup, reorganize and refresh.
Some of my musts are:
1. 3 Ring Binders-Staples makes my favorite called the "Better Binder." They are rubber and last much longer than the plastic ones.
2. Dividers with Pockets-use these for separating subjects and storing homework to be completed and homework to turn in. You can find these at Staples, Office Depot or Kroger.
3. Agendas-if your student's school hasn't already provided one, I suggest you purchase one. Every student needs one to record assignments, pace projects, and record info like weekly averages, subjects studies each night, etc. I have found appropriate but cheap ones at Big Lots & Family Dollar.
4. Stickies - use for marking notes and for annotating books.
5. Index cards-white or multi colors for making flashcards.
6. Clip boards - great for when your student wants to take a break from sitting at a table and work on the couch, etc.
7. White Board, pens and eraser-students of all ages enjoy using a white board to work out problems, especially math. I have bought a couple expensive ones at Staples that fell apart, but I found my latest one at Family Dollar and it's holding up well.
8. Hole Punchers-so many of my students are unable to file their graded work because they are not able to hole punch it at home. You can buy these at an office supply store or try your luck at Goodwill. I have found at least five at Good Will this year.
While your student may not put these items on their Christmas list, I believe they will be grateful for the upgrade.