This question was asked of us this week while in our Daily Five™ Kindergarten Workshop in San Antonio, Texas. School Supply Catalogs and Teacher Supply Stores can be a vast temptation ground for purchasing new and improved supplies, materials, or the latest and greatest manipulatives. However, we alleviate some of the temptation by zeroing in on what we really want our students to be doing during the literacy block; reading and writing. Good readers read voraciously….and so do good writers. Therefore, the most important materials we can provide are books, books, more books for reading, and paper and notebooks for writing.

We have a menu of supplies available for word work, but the greatest majority of time is spent reading and writing. So, the best materials to add to your classroom are books. Keep your eyes open for garage sales and used book sales at public libraries throughout the summer. You can inexpensively add new and exciting books that will support student learning far beyond lone activities we could create here and there.

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