This week marks the unofficial beginning of the back-to-school shopping season and before you even think about making a school supply purchase, you need to take stock of what you already have in place.  Go through backpacks, desks, bedrooms, junk drawers in the kitchen and make a pile of all the school supplies you have that can easily be used for this year (think rulers, calculators, unopened glue sticks).  Then, mark those items off your list—doesn’t it feel good to already have things taken off your list before you spend a penny?  
 
Now, head straight to The Write Stuff website and purchase all the other supplies you need with a simple click of your mouse. Poof—you’re done!  And, you haven’t purchased anything you don’t really need, you haven’t wasted your money and, thanks to your savvy online shopping, you still have plenty of time to enjoy the final days of summer vacation. Enjoy!

A pocket folder is a pocket folder, right?  Not to a school supply vendor!  We sell the three most common styles - poly, paper, and laminated.  All styles come in various colors, with or without prongs (AKA tangs, tabs, or brads).  Read on to clarify your understanding of the pocket folder world!

We work with hundreds of schools who provide us with their teacher supply lists.  Pocket folders, a common organization tool for students, are on almost all lists.  A pocket folder is a pocket folder, right?  Wrong!  There are several versions out there and we are here to clarify.

Pocket folders come in a few different materials.  Poly (AKA plastic) is the growing trend.  These folders are sturdy, can be written on with a permanent marker, and can hold up to the roughest of children! (Some just are with their supplies!) Of coure, these come with a price, and are typically the most expensive.  (http://www.write-stuff.com/category.cfm?category=41&originalCategory=1)

Paper folders are the most common and also the most economical.  They too can be written on, and do hold up pretty well.  However, as paper goes, any moisture gets on them, and it is done for.  Generally speaking, many students can get a semester + out of a paper folder - especially if children do not need to transport them back and forth daily in a backpack.  If they stay at school in a desk, it is very likely to last the whole year.  The paper pocket folder is still one of our most popular items.  (http://www.write-stuff.com/category.cfm?category=42&originalCategory=1)

Lastly, there is the laminated folder.  This is a sturdy pocket folder that gained popularity after the paper pocket folder, but before the poly one.  In essence it is a paper folder, with a laminated cover.  These are more common in the "business world" and are often the style you see imprinted and distributed at a conference or workshop.  (http://www.write-stuff.com/category.cfm?category=43&originalCategory=1)

Prongs, tabs, tangs, or tabs are those little metal clasps that allow you to put paper in the center of a folder - sort of like a book binding.  Folders can be purchased either way.  Our advice?  If a teachers asks for a folder specifically one way or the other - get it that way.  They typically have organizational reasons to have a folder in a specific color or style.  Help your child and the teacher - follow the school supply lists!

Install a Dry Erase Board
We love the dry erase board—especially if it is displayed prominently in your kitchen or other family gathering area.  The dry erase board is a great way to write down master to do lists, communicate dinner menus and even leave quick messages for other family members before you head out the door.  But, when it comes to back-to-school preparedness, the dry erase board is an essential tool for getting kids ready for the new school year:
 
Math:  In the morning, write down 5-10 math problems on the board with the expectation that your children will have them answered by the end of the day.  If you have multiple children in multiple grades, give each their own “Math Day of the Week” or invest in several smaller boards for each child (we have great smaller versions on our site—http://write-stuff.com/category.cfm?category=490&originalCategory=1)
 
Reading/Writing:  Begin a story by writing one sentence on the board.  Throughout the day, children will continue to add their own sentences to the board until an entire story has been created.  It is always great to read the finished project during dinner.  
 
Social Studies:  Draw a map on the board and have your children use it to find your secret location of the week.  The map/location can be of your house or yard or someplace within your neighborhood.  Have each child take turns creating their own map with a secret location to see if others can find it.  
 
What other ways are you using your dry erase board this summer?