Ready or Not, it's

BACK-TO-SCHOOL time!

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A new school year means back-to-school shopping. What's on YOUR list? And how the heck can you afford it all?! Read more about my TOP 3 must-haves for back-to-school time, plus how to help afford all that shopping (and why book OWNERSHIP is important too)!

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When I was a kid I LOVED back-to-school shopping. A new binder, color-coded folders, pencil pouch, post-its, and all the pens and pencils galore! It was a fun family outing with my mom and younger siblings, checking items off the list, then going home to write my name on everything and organize my fresh, new supplies. Please tell me I am not the only one who loved this...

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This year, I have all three of my kids in school with my youngest starting Kindergarten later this month. I am sure others have noticed as well, that the cost of school supplies keeps going up. There are ways to help afford these supplies, and cut costs, like re-using backpacks that are still in good condition, looking up your local "Buy Nothing Group" on Facebook, or seeking help from your school or other local organizations.

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Quick Story.... Last year, the 5th graders at my daughter's school raised funds through the "Cards for a Cause" Fundraising opportunity PaperPie Learning offers, and used a large portion of the funds raised to purchase Target gift cards to give 40 families in need a little boost with back-to-school supply shopping. (Ask me about this easy fundraiser if you'd like to run something similar in your area)!

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School supplies are just 1 of the 3 must-haves before school starts. We all know kids grow FAST, so when the new school year rolls around, we are often shopping for new (bigger) clothes, in addition to all the needed school supplies. Clothes (and shoes) are the 2nd must-have... and similarly to supplies, you can find local resources and community closets to help. If you live in Beaverton, check out the "Clothes for Kids" program where you can make an appointment to shop for clothing for your school-aged kiddos here. And because kids grow all year long, you can shop 3 times a year (once every trimester).

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But just like a growing body needs new clothes, a growing brain needs new BOOKS too! Keep MUST-HAVE number 3 on your radar. BOOKS are very much needed, but easily overlooked!

Kids grow out of baby books, reading levels increase as they practice and get more proficient, and the comprehension level deepens as kids mature. The library is a wonderful resource to keep books flowing into the home, and to explore a wide variety to find the books that interest your kids most, but book ownership has been shown to have many benefits that can't be ignored.

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According to research by the National Literacy Trust, there are several key findings comparing children who own books of their own, versus children who don't. For example, children who own their own books are...

• Six times more likely to read above the level expected for their age (22% vs 3.6%).
• Nearly three times more likely to enjoy reading (56.2% vs 18.4%).
• More than twice as likely to agree that reading is cool (42.5% vs 16.6%).

(Stats quoted from LiteracyTrust.org here).

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This all makes sense! When kids ENJOY reading, they will pick up a book more often.... which means they are practicing reading more often, which in turn creates better readers! The cycle goes on!

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And the opposite is true too... when kids don't enjoy reading, they don't feel inclined to pick up a book, and therefore they don't read as much and don't improve as quickly, possibly forming an opinion of "I don't like reading." This is WHY it is SO important for kids to ENJOY reading, so anything we can do to encourage a love of reading is a good thing! (Do you know a kid who "hates" reading? Read my previous newsletter here for tips and tricks to overcome that common struggle).

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I get it though... When you add up the cost of school supplies, new clothes, new shoes, and whatever else is needed (and consider a household with more than one kiddo in school), it can take a small fortune to fund! So how can you possibly budget in new books too?

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Let me help you with that part! I love showering families with books to fill their home. Let's plan a quick online book gathering! I will show you and your friends which books are a good fit for your readers, and offer the opportunity to shop, share specific ways to save, and then you will earn free book rewards to build your home library.

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OR, if you want to activate your own account before your book gathering (for just $10!) then you will also be earning 25% cash back on all orders... which can really come in handy when shopping for those other back-to-school must-haves like new supplies and clothes!

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Quick Recap: The TOP 3 "Must-Haves" for back-to-school:

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1. School Supplies (my favorite)!
2. Clothing (and shoes)
3. New books to OWN (and I can help you find the EXACT books you need based on your kids ages, reading level, and grade they are entering). There is something for ALL ages, all grades, even teens! And for those little siblings, we of course have books for those newborns through preschool ages too)!

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Need help with back-to-school shopping "MUST-HAVE" #3?

I would love to help you bring more quality books into your home, and make it happen for FREE!

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Want to browse our TOP 40 "Back-to-School Books" right now? GREAT NEWS... we have our best 40 homework helper books on sale for 40% off this week only! (Sale ends 8/11/24 at 11:59pm CT).

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Let me help by making a simple shopping list specific to your school-aged kiddo. Click the "Let's Chat!" button above. I look forward to hearing from you! Happy Back-to-School shopping & Happy Reading!

-Jen

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Jennifer de Guzman, Literacy Advocate

PaperPie Brand Partner and Advanced Leader, PaperPie Learning Educational Services Representative, www.jenslittlebookstore.com​

PaperPie, formerly called Usborne Books & More, offers engaging and educational books and learning products for kids of all ages, newborn through teens. Browse the full selection anytime here: www.jenslittlebookstore.com

Read my previous newsletters including "The ABC's of Reading" and "Do you know a kid that hates reading?" for a few helpful and EASY tips to develop and nurture a love of reading, and what to do when you have a "picky" reader.

To schedule a personal shopping appointment or free discovery call, or to learn more about becoming a brand partner with PaperPie, send an email to: jen@jenslittlebookstore.com or text: 971-220-1678 Or click the link below to schedule with me on Calendly: https://calendly.com/jenslittlebookstore​