Cool school supplies help fulfill a child’s basic needs for learning, but they can also encourage a student’s behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement in the classroom. The right tools enable a child to complete learning activities, practice assignments, and final assessments, but cool tools make each of these educational experiences more meaningful to each child. Just as every child learns differently, each one has his or her own opinion about what makes something cool. To find out which kind of supplies resonate with your class, introduce students to a variety of supplies with mega kid-appeal.
Some school supplies can grab kids’ attention right away. When shown certain supplies like multicolor pens or double-ended highlighters, kids are captivated with wonder. They want to know how the device will work. They will feel a strong desire to try out the unusual product. Teachers often find it is easier to get kids started on a new or difficult task when those students are eager to use a cool, new school supply. When a lesson itself does not seem to grab everyone’s attention, try getting the job done by introducing an unusual supply that will be used during the lesson’s learning activities.
Familiar Brands
While cool school supplies can serve as potent motivational tools, what is already familiar to students can have the same kind of power. Many cool school supplies are decorated with characters familiar to students. You can find Disney characters, Hello Kitty, Peanuts, and superheroes on nearly every type of school supply imaginable. Since the Cat in the Hat, Horton, and Thing 1 and Thing 2 are straight out of books by Dr. Seuss, it is no wonder why their images appear on notebooks, bookmarks, pens, and pencils. Their pictures on these supplies can be great motivators for children. The images strike a chord in young learners. If the characters are those the children like already, then children are apt to like using the cool supply on which their favorite characters appear.
Batman and Supergirl may have special powers that resonate with your students, but even commonplace creatures and stock characters have the power to engage some students. Children can find inspiration in unicorns and mermaids. Typical animals or dinosaurs have the power to motivate, too. Whether from fantasy or reality, living or extinct, kid-favorite characters and creatures may be just what your students need on their school supplies to become engaged with daily learning.
Bold Patterns
Hip patterns and eye-catching colors are another characteristic that kids are drawn to. When kids like how a school supply looks, they are likely to try it out on the task at hand. A student who has access to school supplies that he or she thinks are cool can be willing to make an initial attempt to complete a difficult assignment. Cool school supplies are inspirational. They encourage students to try new skills. Kids find them meaningful because they get the work done that students are expected to do. Plus, students will see that cool supplies are not limited to classroom use. Students will see that the same kind of tools are just as useful at home as well as in the workplace.
Cool and Engaging
The tactile features of a tool for school also make an item cool as well as useful for engaging students in learning activities. Squishy toppers and foam grips for pens and pencils can also help engage children in their learning throughout the school day. These accessories are two types among many that can help a child keep focused on their work and improve their ability to correctly use instruments for writing. A multitude of school supplies have these kinds of features that kids can’t wait to get their hands on. To add to the experience, many manufacturers have even created useful supplies that are scented. This is kid-appeal that cannot be resisted!
Teachers who use positive reinforcement with students who display appropriate behaviors and make commendable achievements will find that giving students a cool school supply has beneficial effects. Cool pens, pencils, unique erasers, and bookmarks are great tokens to give to students to show them how proud the students have made them. Many of these types of items are the perfect rewards for a job well done. Some even include a special message for the child. They may say congratulatory remarks like “You did it!” or “Way to go!” These are extremely special to children when they receive them, but they are also inspiring reminders for later when the children benefit from recalling how their hard work and best efforts paid off. Sometimes all students need to get engaged with their education is a cool school supply.