Who doesn’t love getting new school supplies?! Or is that just me? The supplies we’re talking about today are going to help you stay organized and help your students find and use your activities. These are going to be great supplies that you can turn into literacy center materials!
So let’s get to it! I’m so excited for this because I LOVE office supplies. (I still ask for office supplies for my birthday, so let’s be honest about how geeky I am!) Also, I included a link right to the Amazon listing for each one. Yes, I do make a small commission if you purchase using the links. I don’t believe you could click enough to help cover my Amazon shopping, but I wanted to save you time and show you exactly the things I use in my classroom.
Manila Envelopes To Store Your Literacy Center Materials
These are a must-have for your literacy center activities. I have these at almost every center because they’re easy to grab and go. Portable literacy center materials are super useful!
So if a student is working at their desk, they can take the activity there, or if you use flexible seating, they can take their envelope to their spot.
I prefer the 6×9 size or half envelope because it’s not so big and bulky. But you can also use a 9×12 envelope for full-size pages. These are the best kind to use because they’re sturdy.
I typically use these in the classroom by first cutting off the tabs (let’s be real, I don’t want my kiddos licking the lid and gluing it shut)
On the front of the envelope, I either write out the activity directions, or I add the QR code that links to a video. Then, you can put any kind of activity So these are great for directions or QR codes on the front, and the activity inside.
These are the ones I use - I love the 6x9's
Packing Tape
I use packing tape to add anything to the front of the envelope. I like the scotch brand because it’s SUPER durable. If I was to use regular tape, it wouldn’t last with the use that you’re going to get out of these. It seriously makes everything last forever!
There is never enough tape...
Binder Rings
Trust me when I say, Get yourself a box of these rings. They’re either called binder rings or loose-leaf paper rings. I like to punch a hole in the corner of the envelope and I add a ring so I can hang it up.
These are also good for cards on a ring. I would always make sight word cards, or fluency phrase cards and add them to a ring. Then my students could always grab a ring of them to go practice their words when they finished their work.
Not just for keys!
Command Hooks (My Favorite Literacy Center Materials)
If you make a lot of envelopes or cards on these rings, you’re going to need somewhere to hang them up! So grab yourself some command hooks and put them RIGHT in your centers. They are so helpful! Almost all of my literacy center materials are hung on command hooks.
Now you can hang everything your students need on the wall instead of trying to find a home for it on a shelf.
It also helps to do this to stay organized. When I go around to set out next week’s centers, I can grab everything that I have hung up, put it away, and add next week’s to the hooks. Easy-peasy.
like velco with hooks!
Velcro
If you’re making games for your classroom, and you have pieces to put together, you need velcro! You can buy a roll of the velcro, or you can get the dots.
For a long time I’d get the whole roll thinking I was thrifty, but then I would have to cut little pieces off of it, and my scissors got really gummy from the adhesive.… so I had a special pair of “velcro scissors” just for that messy task.
So personally I found it’s just easier to get velcro dots. (Work smarter not harder).
stick, restick, stick, restick
Picture Frames Are Great Literacy Center Materials
I love using these to label my stations! Later on, when my kids know where to go, I will slide in instructions and set them in each center! You can put anything in here. If you’re at the spelling center, you can add your spelling words for the week! Such a great multi-purpose item.
These are the ones I use - and a great price
These actually come from Ikea – I LOVE IKEA (that’s another issue) Click here to go there!
Laminators and Laminating Sheets
This is more of an investment item. If you can laminate things at your school, that’s great! I found that our school’s laminating rolls would make for a pretty flimsy piece and sometimes it would peel from the edges.
This laminator makes a pretty sturdy activity. These cards are durable and don’t peel.
The cost that you’re going to incur later is the laminating sheets. But the link I’m going to give you is for 200 sheets for around $20. Which, if you’re thrifty and you make sure to fit as much as you can into one sheet, it makes it last a lot longer.
I laminate EVERYTHING that goes into my literacy stations. Unless a student is going to write on it or needs to cut and paste something, it gets laminated. And then I can use it over and over again.
I always get the 200 pack
I don’t usually laminate the sight words or fluency phrases, because my kiddos are pretty “handsy” with them and they tend to bend them a lot. So I have regular cards for those.
A laminator is the only way to go! Trust me, you NEED one!
I hope these supplies will be helpful to you! What are your center must-haves? I would love to know!
Please leave a comment below. And don’t forget to check out the Teaching Firsties YouTube channel here!
Check out my Summer Series
To get you ready for Back To School 2021, I've organized all the best literacy station ideas for you! This past year was rough so let Teaching Firsties do the work for you this summer so you'll be confident and ready to begin school in the fall.
