Below, I’ve listed some of our favorite supplies that we are using to implement Learn to Read. I am including my affiliate link to these products, but you are welcome to use what you already have or purchase something completely different. It’s just helpful {for us Type A people} to know upfront what supplies might be needed. 🙂
Note: If you want just the basics, I consider the products with a (*) beside them essentials for the prep and implementation of the activities in the curriculum.
Learn to Read Curriculum Supplies
Supplies to Prep Activities
Cardstock Paper* – I mainly use card stock for the readers, word family puzzles, pocket chart cards, word family matching cards, word family sliders, word family banks, sight words for word wall, or any time we use dot paint {like the sight word mazes}. Otherwise, I use regular copy paper*.
Long Armed Stapler* – I print the books back/front on my cardstock paper, fold them in half, and staple the books together. I love that it looks like an actual book when it’s put together.
Paper Cutter – Many of the activities that require cutting the child can do. But sometimes the perfectionist in me comes out and I want the lines to be straight, especially if I’m going to re-use it. To save time, I like to use my paper cutter instead of scissors for the CVC puzzles, word/picture matching, pocket chart cards, and sight word cards.
Plastic Sleeve Protectors – These are great for the playdough mats and any other page that you want kinds to re-use, like the sight word mazes or word searches. Just slip in the page!
Laminator – This is optional, but such a helpful resource {and MUCH cheaper than going somewhere to get things laminated}. The only thing I usually laminate are the picture cards and word cards for the pocket chart, but if you’re using this with multiple children, you may need to laminate more.
Supplies the Child Uses
Dice* – There are a few activities that require a die. I think we bought ours at a local teacher store, but you can get packs online, too.
Coloring Tools* – My daughter loves to use either markers or colored pencils, but I’m partial to crayons. These are especially important for the Sight Word Rainbow Write pages and Color it Crazy Pages. We also use ours to highlight words on the 1-page poem and Roll, Read, & Find activities as well as color in the b/w readers from the bundled packs.
Dry Erase Markers – If you laminate or use the plastic sleeve protectors, dry erase markers are a must! I love, love, love the markers that have the erasers built into the end. Brilliant!
Letter Stamps* – We currently use Melissa & Doug’s stamps, but have used these in the past. We also have other ink pads we use.
Child Scissors* – If you have younger children {such as Pre-K} using this curriculum, we love these spring scissors.
Glue/Glue Sticks* – I much prefer the less messy approach of glue sticks, but glue will also work.
Letter Tiles – Lowercase letter tiles can be used on the sight word playdough mats and Just Swap 1 {found in review lessons}. They can also be used to spell word family or sight words any time or instead of stamps on the Stamp & Spell,
Magnetic Letters – While I don’t have any specific printables in this curriculum for magnetic letters, these are a great hands-on tool to pull out and use any time to spell word family or sight words!
Pocket Chart – I love using our pocket chart as it gives us another place to work besides our desk, tabletop, or floor. We have a standard pocket chart and a tabletop pocket chart, but I generally use our Standard Pocket Chart for this curriculum. The pocket chart cards, puzzles, and sight words can go in the pocket chart.
Playdough* – My daughter loves playdough, so playdough mats were a MUST with this curriculum. There are playdough mats for each word family and for sight words, too.
Power Magnets – We use the our Power Magnets mostly as markers for the games {more games are in the review lesson for each short vowel unit}. We also use them for the sight word mazes. I typically use our cookie sheet with these magnets, too.
Transparent Counters – We also use our transparent counters from time to time to highlight patterns, as markers for games, or for the sight word searches and mazes.
Clothespins – While these are only used a few times with the curriculum, I have tons of clip cards on the blog that you’ll just want to have these handy! 🙂 I prefer the wooden clothespins over the plastic ones {we have both} because they require more of the fine motor muscles.
Magnifying Glass – This is not a necessity because the words are technically big enough on the Color it Crazy pages that most kids could probably find them without one. But a magnifying glass sure makes the activity more fun! 🙂
Beginning Letter Sounds Chart – This is offered as a free download on my blog and is a great help when making new words with each word family. I refer to it quite often myself when creating phonics activities!
Printer* – While most all of the activities included in this curriculum are offered in color and in black/white, I’m often asked what printer I would recommend. While my own printer tends to guzzle ink, I have asked quite a few other printable makers/bloggers. Overwhelmingly, two recommendations were made: the HP Officejet Printer and HP Envy 7640.
Find out more about Learn to Read.
Enjoy!
~Becky