Top 10 Classroom Teaching Supplies
School supply lists can get long. Pencils, crayons, glue, markers, the list goes on. But what are truly the unsung heroes in the early childhood classroom? Here are my top 10 favorite teaching tools that may or may not be on the traditional school supply list, but are used daily just like those pencils!
Unifix Cubes- These cubes are used for EVERYTHING in my classroom. We use them to represent and manipulate sounds in words during phonological awareness and phonics practice. We use them to count and build numbers. They can be used to compare numbers, add and subtract, measure objects, and build patterns too. There isn’t a day that goes by where Unifix cubes aren’t making an appearance in my classroom! Not all cubes are created equal, so make sure you get a set of these Unifix Cubes which are the set I have been using for over a decade.
Magnetic Letters- I love this set of magnetic letters because there are both uppercase and lowercase letters included, something that’s missing from other alphabet manipulative sets. Magnetic letters are a go-to phonics material that I use all year long. I use them for encoding (spelling words) and decoding (sounding out words), matching uppercase and lowercase letters, identifying beginning, middle, or end sounds in words, labeling by beginning sound, building words using onset and rime, the list goes on and on! If you are in any of the Project Based Primary™ memberships or Raising Little Readers phonics masterclass you will be using these A TON.
Post It Notes- These aren’t just for last minute lesson plans or trying to remember what you need to get at the store after work, post it notes are a highly engaging teaching tool that are so versatile! When students are sharing thinking, generating questions, making connections, etc. you can jot down what they share (or they can write it themselves) and you can add them to the anchor chart you are collecting information on. You can use them to annotate their books as they read and comprehend, jotting down connections, thoughts, questions, notes, etc. We also use them to plan writing projects and then to revise and edit those writing projects. I also use them in place of magnetic letters for word building in groups, for representing sounds in words and manipulating those sounds, or segmenting syllables. Overall, post it notes are just a super easy way to create the manipulatives you need in an affordable way, and if you ask a child to write on a post it, they will suddenly have a lot of ideas!
Index Cards- Index cards can be letter flash cards, number flash cards, high frequency word flash cards, subitizing cards, and so much more. I use index cards to not only organize my lesson planning, but for students to hold their thinking, and make their own flashcards for different games and activities we do throughout the year. When using them as letter cards, students can build their name, build words to blend, label by beginning sound, and match uppercase and lowercase letters. As high frequency word flash cards (sight words, heart words, snap words, whatever you choose to call them), we build sentences, build fluency, orthographically map them, and sort them by spelling pattern. We also use index cards when segmenting long words by syllable and counting syllables in words. In math you can create number flash cards, subitizing flash cards, match the numbers to the subitizing quantities, or make math fact cards. Index cards are super versatile, and similar to post it notes, once you ask a child to use an index card they are instantly more engaged!
Miniature Objects- Many people think language miniature objects are only for beginning sound sorts or introducing letter sounds, but let me tell you, we use this set of miniature objects for SO MUCH MORE! Sure we use them for initial sound sorts, but you can also sort by vowel sound, by long or short vowel sound, or even by ending sound. You can sort by initial blend, ending blend, initial digraph, or ending digraph as well. We use them to sort by number of syllables, we match rhyming pairs, we spell the words using our magnetic letters, and we use them to build pretend stories and play our favorite positional phrases game! But they aren’t just used for literacy in my class… we use them to identify and sort 2D and 3D shapes, build patterns, sort categorically, compare and contrast, and even as objects to count and represent numbers. So if you’ve been putting it off because of the price tag, and thinking they were just for sound sorting, here’s your reminder that they can be used for so much more! We have a few different sets combined: Our favorite is this set, you can also get a similar
one from Montessori Services (non affiliate), and we have this set from
Lakeshore Learning (non affiliate) they also have a Spanish set as well. We also
collect objects like Safari Good Luck Minis, dollhouse miniatures, and trinkets
from thrift stores.
Dice- 6 sided dice, 10 sided dice, alphabet dice, colored dice, blank dice, these are out sets and I use them for so many games in the classroom. Dice are used for Roll & Write games for numbers, sight words, letters, and shapes. We use them for addition and subtraction practice as well, and the 10 sided dice are great for teen number practice too. We use alphabet dice to build words, and colored dice for a variety of math and literacy game boards. Dice are a great way for kids to work in pairs or small groups, and also a great way for them to practice turn taking while playing the games. They’re also a material most students have at home so if you’re a classroom teacher with parents asking for at home work/practice ideas, dice games are an easy one to send home!
Counters- Double sided counters (most are yellow and red) are another tool that many people think are just for math, but they’re actually a great literacy tool too! In math we use them to count, represent numbers, and practice odd and even. We also use them for addition and subtraction, building teen numbers, and graphing. In literacy we use them to represent and manipulate phonemes, for mapping words, for representing syllables, and representing words in sentences. These counters are great for use in ten frames and elkonin boxes, and they’re pretty cheap as far as classroom materials go.
Dry Erase Markers & Boards/Sleeves- I could probably do an entire blog post just on this pair of materials, but for now I will just share some of my most frequently used dry erase lessons. Dry erase boards or sleeves are game changers for whole group instruction! Calling out letters, numbers, words, etc. and having students write them on their boards and hold them up for you to scan and check for understanding is probably the way I use them most. I also use them for word problems, number bonds, and simple addition and subtraction in math. For writing, as mentioned, calling out a decodable word and having students spell the word on their board is a favorite whole group or small group activity. I also slip our developmental writing pathways and handwriting pathways sheets into dry erase sleeves for repeated handwriting practice without having to print the sheet over and over. Something magical happens when you hand a child a dry erase marker, and everyone is always super engaged during dry erase learning time!
Golf Pencils- Mini pencils, such as golf pencils, are the PERFECT size for beginning writers. They require students to grip the pencil with their fingers, rather than full fist, because of their size, and they are easier for small hands to manipulate as they begin their writing journey. I always start the year off with small pencils until we are fluent writers, and then I transition to larger pencils midway through the year. Golf pencils are also the perfect on the go pencil for project based learning. Because our learning happens often outside the walls of the classroom, mini pencils are easier to tuck in our pockets for writing in the field.
Clipboard- Similar to golf pencils, clipboards are an essential tool for learning on the go. There’s nothing worse than trying to write on a floppy surface, so a clipboard is like bringing the table with you no matter where your learning is taking place. I love mini clipboards for shelf work and expeditions (learning in the field), and regular sized clipboards for whole group lessons or learning being done on full sheets of paper.
Like I mentioned, these are just my top 10 classroom materials. I have so many more I love, and will likely do a part 2, but if there is a new teacher in your life and you’re wondering what the best gift to get them for their new classroom is, it’s one of these ten. If you’re shopping for your own classroom, or trying to decide what you need for homeschooling, it’s these ten. You’ll see these in use all year in my classroom, and I will reference them often in our memberships and courses. So if you’re on a budget and trying to pick materials that have the most bang for their buck, these are it!
Happy learning!
PS: If you are looking for more of my favorite supplies, check out our Amazon Shop where I have lists of our favorite phonics, math, science, art, and handwriting materials too!
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