Are you teaching my favorite grade this year!?! There are some supplies for a kindergarten classroom that I think are necessary to have a successful school year. You’ll need books, manipulatives, toys, and more to run a safe environment where students can learn and grow through play!
Books
I think that books are probably the most important supplies for a kindergarten classroom. You want engaging picture books to read to your students every day. The more they are read to the more they will love reading and it will improve your classroom community, student language skills, and more! There are way too many books for me to recommend here but I have monthly read aloud posts where I recommend my favorite books every month!
These are some of my favorite decodable books for students to use when they are learning to read themselves. They are easy for students to read as they learn phonics patterns and gain confidence in reading. We use these in our classroom as well as send them home for students to read with their families.
Phonics Manipulatives
I try to engage my students with manipulatives as much as possible and this includes during reading and writing. Some of my favorite manipulatives when teaching phonics and word building include magnet letters, lacing letters, and even pipe cleaners to shape and build letters and eventually words. My students love using dry erase markers to write with when they are practicing letter formation and they also love putting together simple puzzles. What kinds of manipulatives do you have in your kindergarten classroom for reading?
Math Manipulatives
Kindergarten students love to play and learn through hands on experiences. This makes math manipulatives one of my essential supplies for a kindergarten classroom. I use math manipulatives to teach every one of the skills and standards my students will need to learn during the year. Whether it’s blocks to build towers representing numbers, cubes for one to one correspondence counting, cool animals to represent word problems, or pattern blocks to identify and create new shapes and patterns, these are probably one of my favorite things in my classroom.
School Supplies
At most schools, student supplies for a kindergarten classroom are brought in by the parents, but it’s always good to have a stock for those who don’t bring any or inevitably when some run out. For example, I usually give my students a box of crayons at the end of every quarter. You will be surprised at how many crayons are broken or missing during those nine weeks.
Students have to learn responsibility and how to take care of things, but it takes time. Some schools have supply closets where you can request what you need or parents bring in other donations. If you don’t have those options make sure you are shopping the sales during back to school season! I love to get the supplies I think I’ll need then because they get pricier during the school year.
All. The. Bins
I LOVE having an organized classroom. I need book bins for my classroom library, bins for student notebooks and folders at their tables, bins for centers, and more! I love buckets for holding manipulatives, buckets for holding bigger school supplies, and cups for pens and markers at my teacher table. If there is a way to make things organized so I and my students can access things easier then I want it!
This is one part of stocking a classroom that can get expensive fast, so I collected bins over the first couple years of teaching until I had all my bins like I wanted them. It’s ok if everything doesn’t match or look like you want it right away. Your students are not going to mind if everything isn’t coordinating as long as they can get to all of the supplies for a kindergarten classroom!
Planning Supplies
Out of all the necessary supplies for a kindergarten classroom, these ones are just for you! I love Happy Planners because they have tons of space to write and can be easily customized with added papers, stickers, and dividers. My favorite pens are InkJoy pens as I find they don’t bleed as badly as the Flair pens can.
Planners are one thing that is very dependent on the teacher as some prefer digital options or different kinds of notebooks. No matter what your planner preference is, this is definitely a necessity to organize your life and make sure your students are learning eveything they can!
Pocket Charts and Displays
When designing a kindergarten classroom, one thing you should consider are how to use your walls in your classroom. I love to use a single hanging file pocket chart for important and frequently used files such as emergency sub plans, modifications, rosters, etc. so they are available yet out of the way when not needed. I have another one that’s bigger for student folders which can hold student logins, work to go home, or even work to be saved for portfolios and conferences.
Magnetic file holders can be used on a white board to hold a class list, center groups, a class schedule, and important information needed visually throughout the day. I love pocket charts for table top centers to display things such as color by codes or writing prompts students need. An easy way to display student work is to use dry erase pockets to easily switch out your monthly bulletin board displays.
Toys
Toys are essential supplies for a kindergarten classroom? Yes! Play is extremely important for kindergarten and I think it should be prioritized as much as possible. I always try to schedule developmental centers or free play for the end of the day before dismissal. The students are exhausted from all their academic work and it’s a nice way for them to work collaboratively at the end of the day and wind down before it is time for dismissal.
Play helps students work on social skills, speaking and listening standards, problem solving, and more! I love to have dinosaurs, farm animals, tons of building options, puppets, and a kitchen set as some of my favorite toy options for kindergarten.
Necessary Supplies for a Kindergarten Classroom
Every teacher has their own style and every group of students will have different needs each year. These are the 8 necessary things I consider when I restock my kindergarten classroom yearly. Do you have an essential supply that I don’t have listed here? Send me a message at katie@littlecountrykindergarten.com and I can update my list!
Setting Up Your First Kindergarten Classroom?
If it’s your first time gathering supplies for a kindergarten classroom or you’re restocking one you’ve had for years, grab these first days of kindergarten lesson plans to help you out! You can either use them this year to make back to school season a little easier, or print a few of the print and go activities for your emergency sub plans or early finisher tub.
