Proper school supplies are an underrated factor in effective executive functioning, supporting better organization, time management, project planning, memorization, and other crucial study skills.
Here are the supplies to which I direct my students when they ask for recommendations—items I can personally vouch for having made a difference in the ease of both my own and my students’ schoolwork. (Click the image to go to the product.)
Academic planner to get on top of your workload—stop feeling overwhelmed and never forget an assignment or project again! Monthly and weekly views are mandatory; avoid hourly “appointment books” (too narrowly lined). Make sure the layout follows an academic year, not the calendar year.
Small- or medium-size is suited for middle-schoolers as well as grade-level or honors high-schoolers. Large-size is suited for AP/IB high-schoolers and college students.
The absolute best erasers. Zero smudging keeps your work legible, so that you’ll actually look back at what you’ve written down once it’s time to study.
I’ve had students show up to later sessions with this eraser of their own accord after seeing how beautifully mine works!
Desktop timer to visually display the passage of time, keeping it top of mind to rein in dawdling. Great for students with ADHD and others who struggle with “time blindness.”
Mini desktop vacuum to gobble up those annoying eraser crumbs.
Erasable pens to prevent silly mistakes from confusing your thought process. (Though some teachers and some tests require pens, typically I prefer mechanical pencils for their consistency and fine control.)
Fine-tip highlighters keep your notes understandable and reduce backpack bulk compared to typical highlighters. Multiple colors allow you to color-code your notes and keep them visually interesting!
A file box stores last unit’s papers, keeping them neat, organized, and easily findable for the unit test or final exam. I advise my students not to throw out papers until at least the end of the semester, if not the end of the school year.
Hanging file folders keep your file box organized by class. Color-coding by class is a bonus! After each unit test, simply take out that unit’s papers from your binder and place them in the labeled file folder—no more bulging binders overflowing with torn folders!
Transparent ruler, so that you can see what you’re measuring. You can also find foldable rulers for easy storage, as well as rulers of less-common lengths (e.g., 6 inches for keeping in your pencil pack, or 18 inches for bigger projects).
Smartphone wall mount—a calming throwback to the days of landlines, when phones were only phones and not addictive distraction gadgets. More effective than just turning your notifications off or setting your phone to “silent,” as studies show that simply having your phone in sight is enough to impact your concentration and memory!
Sturdy spiral notebooks that survive to the end of the year. Color-coding by class is a bonus!
For an ordinary notebook, look for the basic “Five Star” branding—no need for “Advance” or “Flex” unless you’re certain you’ll use their perks. Wide-ruled paper is best for large or messy writing; college-ruled paper is best for neat writing.
Assigning 1 class per notebook, the 1-subject size is suitable for middle-schoolers and grade-level high-schoolers, the 3-subject size for honors high-schoolers, and the 5-subject size for AP/IB high-schoolers and college students.
(Though I personally preferred the flexibility of loose-leaf paper as a student, many students prefer using a notebook to avoid losing track of papers.)
Stylus for Windows devices to write and draw in a notes app even if you’re not an Apple user. Great for students who prefer digital over paper docs but still understand that writing by hand is essential for learning.
Replacement ear cushions once you wear out the original pair on your noise-canceling headphones from all your focused studying 🤓
Graphing calculator, though do your fellow student a favor and buy theirs off of Facebook Marketplace.
Carefully read the title on the product page and the label at the top of the calculator. Avoid the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition (it’s excruciatingly slow).
Opt for the TI-84 Plus or the TI-84 Plus Silver Edition—AAA battery charge = set it and forget it. Upgrade to the TI-84 Plus CE‘s color screen if you know you’ll remember to keep it charged by USB.
Speech-to-text in Google Docs in Chrome—defeat writers’ block by turning your stream-of-consciousness thoughts into written sentences on the screen, ready to be worked into an essay. Enable by going to Tools > Voice Typing, then click the microphone, start talking, and watch your words magically appear on the page! Great for students who “know” about their topic but freeze when asked to put it to paper.
Text-to-speech in Chrome or Firefox, for when your eyes need a break from the computer screen but you’re not done with your assigned reading yet. Add the “Read It Later” browser add-on (free!), select the text you want read, click the Read Aloud icon that showed up in the browser menu, and enjoy hearing the text read to you! Great for students who prefer listening over reading, or anyone looking for an alternative way to consume online content.
Mastermind, a code-breaking strategy game for ages 8 and up. It’s a fun way for elementary- and middle-schoolers to build deductive reasoning skills, persistence, and problem-solving curiosity—all crucial traits for success in math and science. I introduced an 11-year-old student to an online version of this game during our summer enrichment sessions, and he enjoyed it so much that his parents ended up buying the real-life board game!
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Tutoring with Stephanie 