What is on the elementary school supply list
- Writing and drawing
- Pencils by the dozen (they vanish), erasers, crayons and markers in the counts teachers ask for, dry-erase markers for the small whiteboards used in most classrooms now.
- Glue, cut, stick
- Glue sticks in quantity for K-1, liquid glue for projects, blunt scissors for the youngest, pointed for grade 2 up. A hard plastic school box for K-1, a zip pouch from grade 2.
- Paper and folders
- Primary composition books with dotted midlines for K-1, wide-ruled from grade 1, loose-leaf from grade 3, college-ruled appearing in grade 5. Plastic folders last the year; paper ones do not.
- For the child
- Backpack, lunch box, water bottle, wired headphones for the device cart, a change of clothes for the youngest, gym shoes.
- Classroom donations
- Tissues, wipes, sanitizer, zip bags, paper towels, copy paper. Teachers in most US public schools buy these themselves if families do not send them.
- Line for quantity and brand
- Write "24, Ticonderoga" or "have" so the shopping trip is a list, not a memory test.
What changes between kindergarten and fifth grade
Kindergarten and first grade are about fine motor skills and shared supplies: fat pencils, big crayons, lots of glue, blunt scissors, and a school box that lives at the table. Everything is labelled because everything gets mixed up. Second and third grade add a pencil pouch, notebooks, highlighters and the first red pen for checking work, and the class moves from shared bins to personal supplies. Fourth and fifth grade introduce the organization system that middle school will demand: a binder with dividers, a folder per subject, a planner, a basic calculator, and a protractor for geometry. Craft items thin out; paper and pens multiply.
The quantities on these lists are the typical ones from US public school lists (24-48 pencils, 8-12 glue sticks, 2 boxes of tissues). Your school's list may ask for more or less, and some districts now supply everything from a fee. Use the line next to each item to record your school's number.
Which list to use
- K-1: kindergarten and first grade. Primary pencils, crayons, glue, school box, change of clothes, rest mat.
- Grades 2-3: pencils, pouch, notebooks, folders, first highlighters, ruler, headphones.
- Grades 4-5: binder and dividers, planner, loose-leaf, pens, calculator, protractor, lock if there are lockers.
How to use it
- Open the school's list next to this one. Tick the items that are on both; write your school's quantity and any brand on the line.
- Cross out items your school does not ask for; add the ones it asks for that are not here on the blank lines of the Word or Excel version.
- Check what you have from last year. Backpacks, scissors, rulers, pouches and lunch boxes usually survive.
- Take the ticked list shopping, or move it to the shopping list with prices.
- Label everything with a name before the first day. Glue sticks included.
Mistakes parents make with elementary lists
- Buying a wheeled backpack or a character pencil case for a kindergartner whose classroom does not allow them.
- Pointed scissors in K-1, blunt scissors in grade 4.
- Pouches instead of boxes for the youngest; boxes instead of pouches for the oldest.
- Skipping the classroom donations. They are on the list because the classroom needs them.
- Forgetting the change of clothes and the labelled zip bag for kindergarten.
- Buying everything on day one when teachers often send a second, specific list in the first week.
After elementary school
The grades 4-5 list is deliberately a step toward the middle school list, which is organised by subject and adds a scientific calculator, locker supplies and PE gear. For the whole back-to-school routine beyond supplies (forms, schedules, lunch accounts, clothes), the back-to-school checklist covers it, and the homework schedule is for the first week.
Editing the Word and Excel versions
In Word, the lists are editable text, so you can paste your school's list into the groups and keep the tick boxes. In Excel each item is a row with a have column and a quantity column, which is handy if you are shopping for more than one child. All three lists fit one page in Letter or A4.
Questions
What supplies does a kindergartner need?
Typically: 24 pencils (often jumbo), two boxes of 24 crayons, washable markers, 12 glue sticks, blunt scissors, a plastic school box, primary composition books, plastic folders, a backpack, lunch box, water bottle, headphones, a change of clothes, and classroom donations such as tissues and wipes. The K-1 list here covers all of these.
Why do schools ask for tissues and wipes?
Classroom budgets in most US districts do not cover consumables, so teachers either buy them or ask families. One or two boxes per child covers a classroom for the year.
Wide-ruled or college-ruled?
Wide-ruled through grade 4 in most schools; college-ruled from grade 5 or 6. Follow the school list; the wrong one is the most common return.
Does my child need a calculator in elementary school?
Usually from grade 4 or 5 for a basic four-function model. Scientific calculators start in middle school.
Can I use these lists for homeschool?
Yes. They are a complete starting inventory for the grade band; drop the classroom donations and the backpack items.
