Seventh grade is a time of growth and transition for students, as they begin to leave their childhood behind and burst into their teenage years. Not only is there a lot of personal change during this formative time, but academic expectations also begin to climb as the student prepares for rigorous high school curricula. In this post, we’ll go over the top school supplies your 7th grader will need to succeed in an increasingly challenging school environment.
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Writing Tools
If there’s only one school supply a student needs to show up with everyday, it’s something to write with. Writing tools are must-haves for students in any grade, from Kindergarten all the way through college. Stock your 7th grader up with a trove of pens, pencils, highlighters, and markers so they’re ready to tackle any assignment or activity that might come up. Once they’re good on the essentials, don’t forget to throw in extras to make writing fun and easy…think erasers, pencil grips, pencil sharpeners, pencil boxes, and pen and pencil toppers.
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Paper, Paper, and More Paper
Now that your 7th grader has their pencil box full of writing tools, what are they going to write on? A variety of paper products are needed for the different tasks they’ll be faced with each day, like notebooks, composition books, loose-leaf paper, graph paper, sketch paper, copy paper, and more. Students with an affinity for art will need even more types of paper depending on the mediums they prefer, such as archival paper, multimedia paper, watercolor paper, or paper with glossy or matte finishes.
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Binders, Folders, & Dividers
Most 7th graders have 4+ classes to attend each day, which can make it difficult to keep their work and assignments separated. That’s where binders, folders, and dividers save the day! We suggest a separate binder for each class, with folders and dividers clipped inside the binders to split sections and help keep things more organized. Notebooks and composition books can also be contained within the class binder as long as they have the three holes punched already. Teaching students how to keep their work arranged not only makes it easy for them to look back and study, but will also give them a major advantage once they’re in the working world.
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Organization Aids
What good is a binder with 10 sections if you have to flip through each one to see what that section is about? Instead of wasting time and energy flipping pages, use organization aids like divider labels, section cover sheets, and sticky notes to make class binders easy to navigate. We also suggest incorporating a planner or agenda sheet in each class binder so it’s easy for the student to keep up with due dates and other important dates for that class. Some students prefer keeping all their upcoming dates in one centralized planner instead of splitting it between binders, and that’s okay too! Everyone is different, so whatever works best for the student is the way to go. We even see 7th graders who opt to use a digital planner to track their assignments and dates, which is a great skill to learn in today’s increasingly online society.
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Art and Project Supplies
Projects and presentations are a big part of most middle and high school classes, so staying well stocked on art and project supplies is a must. Basics will include colored pencils, markers, crayons, scissors, glue, rulers, and various types of paper. While the student may not need to carry these supplies back and forth to school each day, they’ll be glad they have them once that first presentation is assigned. Students who choose art-based electives will need an even bigger arsenal of art supplies, possibly including paints, watercolors, pastels, chalk, graphite, and more. Art supplies can also be a way for some students to relieve stress and unwind, both at school and at home.
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Technology
Technology is no longer a fun extra that only interested students need to learn. All students must become tech-literate to survive in today’s digital world, and teachers need to incorporate technology into their lessons to help prepare those students to be competitive in the adult world to come. Calculators have been a classroom tech staple for many years, but 7th graders will likely need to upgrade to graphing calculators for their math lessons and assignments. Online classroom platforms like Google Classroom give teachers and students an easy way to share information, provide instruction, and submit and grade assignments without the need for keeping up with tons of paper, plus online platforms often include digital planners (mentioned above) along with digital notifications to remind students of upcoming due dates. Even using a simple USB flash drive to store assignments can eliminate a lot of paper in the classroom…and one USB drive is usually easier to keep up with than dozens of sheets of paper. As technology continues to grow and evolve, we’ll see even more ways that it can be used to help teachers and students in the classroom.
Preparing for Success in the 7th Grade
Being prepared for school is about more than just acing assignments…it can also make or break a student’s motivation, confidence, and self-esteem. Students who are well prepared for their daily school tasks perform better academically and show more developed social and emotional skills, which will set the stage for their functioning for the rest of their lives. Parents and teachers can encourage and support 7th graders by helping them acquire the supplies they’ll need, pushing them to stay organized, and requiring that they be accountable for their own belongings.
GEDDES has been a mainstay in the school supply game since 1924, with an unwavering commitment to providing affordable supplies for all. From writing tools to art supplies to novelty items, we have the school supplies every student needs to be successful, build confidence, and have fun!
