Score Back-to-School Supplies for as Low as $0.25 (and Support Free Reading!)

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Every August, we hear from teachers gearing up for the first weeks of school — organizing classroom libraries, prepping Article-A-Day routines, and yes, making that trip down the school supply aisle. Anyone who has stood in front of a wall of folders and pencil boxes in early August knows the feeling: it's equal parts exciting and overwhelming. That's exactly the kind of stress Staples has spent the last two decades trying to take off everyone's plate — with school supplies starting as low as $0.25, and every supply you grab from our list also helping keep ReadWorks' literacy resources free for teachers and students everywhere. 

Staples has built its brand around one simple idea: getting what you need shouldn't be complicated — the whole promise behind their iconic Easy Button. Teachers may be reaching for paper over screens a bit more this school year, making Staples the ideal partner to bring you these Back-to-School essentials. Stock up on these supplies today because every purchase supports free literacy resources from ReadWorks.

Here's what's on our list this year:

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Stay Organized

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​Two-Pocket Folders in Assorted Colors — Color-coding subjects or take-home folders is one of the simplest ways to help students build organizational habits early, from reading logs to independent reading passages.

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​Jellygram Zipper Pencil Pouch — A colorful, functional home for pencils, erasers, and other small essentials that would otherwise disappear into the bottom of a backpack.

Write, Journal, and Reflect

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​Staples Wooden Pencils, 8-Pack — A simple, reliable pick for daily journaling, annotating texts, and answering comprehension questions.

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​Bluey Composition Notebook — Wide-ruled pages ideal for early writers working on spelling, sentence-building, and short reading responses.

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​Soft Romance College-Ruled Notebook — Plenty of pages for older students tackling extended writing, reading journals, and note-taking across subjects.

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​Toy Story College-Ruled Notebook — A dedicated space for reading response journals, so students can reflect on what they've read chapter by chapter

Spark Creativity

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​Crayola Crayons, 24-Count Box — Whether students are illustrating a scene from a story or mapping out a graphic organizer, having a full set of colors on hand keeps creativity — and comprehension — flowing.

On the Go

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​Stitch 4-Piece Backpack Set — Keeps books, folders, and reading materials organized for the daily walk to school, with some extra personality built in.

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​Jessica Simpson Strawberry 3-Piece Laptop Backpack Set — A stylish, sturdy option for students (and families) who want something a little different.

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​Vera Bradley Insulated Lunch Bag — Keeps meals fresh and leaves room for whatever a student is reading that week, since lunchtime is often the first real chance to open a book just for fun.

Shopping Helps Support Free Literacy Resources Here's the best part: any purchases made through these links help generate funds that go directly back to ReadWorks. That means every folder, crayon box, and pencil pack you pick up doesn't just prepare a student for the school year — it also helps us keep our research-based reading passages, tools, and lesson resources free for teachers and families everywhere.
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We're grateful to the ReadWorks community that shows up for literacy in so many ways — in the classroom, at home, and yes, even in the school supply aisle. Happy shopping, and happy reading!


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Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, ReadWorks may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. These funds support our nonprofit mission to provide free, high-quality reading instruction to millions of teachers and students. Thank you for supporting literacy through ReadWorks.
Staples Products Disclaimer: Offers valid through 9/12/26. Exclusions apply.