A pencil is no longer just a writing instrument for the elementary school crowd. It's a reflection of a student's personality and an outward display of his favorite things. They can feature clever sayings and pictures of action heroes or princesses. Pair those with a matching pencil case, pencil sharpener and eraser for a complete set.
When it comes to buying pens, there are a lot of options---from the color of the ink and the type of ink to the embellishments and the shape. Just make sure they're not too distracting, or the teacher will take them away.
Students have three main decisions to make when it comes to buying a notebook: the rule of the pages (college or wide), the type of binding (spiral bound or perfect bound) and the size based on the number of subjects a student is taking. Then, there's the cover to consider: do you want plastic or paper with a solid color or pattern? Like pencils, notebooks can reflect a student's personality.
The Trapper Keeper, popularized in the 1980s, revolutionized the way people looked at binders. Students realized the binder could be an organizational item as well as a fashion statement. Select from rigid or flexible covers, sizes ranging from 1-inch rings to 4-inch rings and patterns, pictures and clever designs on the outside. Make sure to fill it with college-ruled or wide-ruled notebook paper.
A student's school supply list would not be complete without an arts-and-crafts kit, including glue, scissors, crayons or colored pencils and water-based markers. Throw in construction paper and a drawing pad for hours of creative and educational fun.
When it comes to buying a backpack, there are a lot of options out there---from size and mobility to the color, pattern, picture and design. Whatever a student decides, the backpack holds her books and can display her favorite things.