The start of the new school year means that it is time to stock up on stationery supplies. Be sure to buy your back-to-school essentials early to avoid the last-minute rush.
Outlets such as PNA stock a wide range of school stationery that will help make sure your child is ready for the academic year. First take an inventory of the stationery returned at the end of the previous school year to avoid buying unnecessary supplies, especially if your budget is tight. Also, consider generic brands if your child is not taking a subject that requires a particular brand or product. If in doubt, speak to a shop consultant to find out which brand is most suited to your needs.
PNA suggests the following tips to ensure the year gets off to the best start possible:
Mobile homework station
Set up handy caddy that will hold all your children’s supplies, so that they can move around to do their homework at the kitchen table or in their bedrooms. It is also a great way of keeping their school supplies tidy and organised.
DIY clock
It’s so easy to lose track of time once the school year is in full swing, as you struggle to remember extramurals, assignments and social activities. Create a DIY clock to help you organise your evenings and make your life less stressful. Schedule time for sport and other activities, for homework and for family time.
Read more abut how to help your child transition from Foundation to Intersen Phase.
Shop smart
Back-to-school shopping can be chaotic, especially if there is a long list of stationery requirements. Tell relatives to include quirky and stylish stationery items with their birthday and Christmas gifts to lighten the load at the start of the year.
Neon for the win
Older children can use highlighters to transform their note-taking and learning process. Label the highlighters so that there is a colour for each subject or theme. Start this colour-coding strategy to focus from the beginning of the year, so by exam time, this nifty study practice has been perfected.
Save the lids
There’s nothing worse than ending up with dried-out markers because you mistakenly misplaced their lids. A simple solution is to duct tape them together. Line up the set of felt-tip pens and wrap the lids in duct tape to create a felt-tip pen mass that makes it impossible for a lid to get lost.
Daily reminders
Use a whiteboard marker pen to write reminders on your mirrors. Different coloured dry erase pens can be divided among family members so that each person has their own message colour.
