By Tammy Cardwell, homeschool author and publisher

What do I buy? It's a question that both excites and intimidates the new homeschooler. Curriculum purchases are hard enough, but what about everything else? What will you really need in your homeschool?

One of the best tips I received that first year was, "Don't buy it till you need it." I didn't always heed this advice, but I saw it for truth early on. The boys' school desks lasted maybe three months, which is about how long the school room itself survived. To have a school room or not is the first issue you'll face and it's one you should face honestly. In my home, where refusing to answer the phone was not an option, a remote school room did not work. Having a 'school' desk separate from my 'regular' desk also proved impractical. School quickly became such a part of our everyday lives that setting it off by itself was a joke. Things may be different in your home, of course, but do not assume that a school room is an absolute necessity.

On the other hand, there are some things that seem universally necessary and still other things (sometimes surprising things) that, once we homeschoolers discover them, we find we could never do without them again. Rather than go on and on from my own experience, I decided to get with some fellow homeschoolers and gather input for a list of "necessary helpfuls." One thing they all agreed on, by the way, is the importance of quality. It seems we homeschoolers tend to shop office supply stores, purchasing commercial grade tools whenever possible.

Some of the these suggestions may seem absurd to you, or even excessive, but the list will give you a better idea of what experienced homeschoolers really find themselves appreciating.

(not necessarily in order of importance or reason)

	Bookshelves - everyone agrees on this one; you can never have enough
	Computer - in this day and age it's almost impossible to function well without computer access
	Printer - color if possible
	Scanner - an expensive extra, but one that gets lots of use
	Encyclopedia - get a good encyclopedia program if you can, but also have a set (even an old one that's missing a volume or two) of honest-to-goodness, pick-em -up-and-read books
	High Quality Pencil Sharpener --- manual or electric; buy one that will last
	Three-hole Punch This was the most popularly recommended item (after bookshelves). One lady even advised having a second one that fits in a binder/planner.
	Stapler - an absolute necessity, and several suggested a long reach stapler. It's one of those things you usually can't see yourself needing until you have one
	Dictionary - get a good one, and maybe one at your child's level as well
	Paper Storage - file cabinets, milk crates, cardboard boxes, some place to put all the paper you are about to generate
	Marker Board - shower board works well, and of course remember the wipe off markers
	Good Scissors - you may also wish to have a pair of fabric scissors, because the ones you use for paper will likely munch on fabric
	Rulers - I especially like my 18" flexible metal rulers. I often use them as straight edges when cutting with craft knives
	Cassette/CD Player
	TV/VCR
	Bookshelves - reminding you ... that books increase the R value of your walls is a common joke among homeschoolers...library building is something that just seems to happen
	World Globe
	Maps - especially US and world
	Spiral Notebooks - yes, they're basic school supplies, but new homeschoolers don't always think to have extras on hand. You never know when you'll need one. The same goes for brad and/or Pocket Folders
	Art Supplies --- quality and variety are the key words
	Field Guides - trees, birds, insects, wild flowers
	Binoculars
	Large Calendar
	Educational Games
	Packing Tape - clear, wide tape for repairing books, maps, game boxes
	Contact Paper - cheap lamination material
	Microscope - yes, a good microscope is something few people ever regret buying
	Index Cards - note cards, flash cards, games
	Paper Cutter - sturdy, and one that's large enough to be useful
	Camera Kids Can Use
	Pattern Blocks
	Cuisenaire Rods - I never bought these myself, but have heard enough about their usefulness that I regret the mistake
	Snap Lock Cubes
	Magnifying Glass
	Scale And Weights
	Flashlight
	Musical Instruments - piano or keyboard, recorder, guitar etc.
	Flannel Board - you can use it to display much more than flannel graph sets
	Cork Board - one mom actually glued cork to a whole wall and says it's the wisest move she's made yet
	Play Money
	Small Aquariums -- fitted with middles, you can raise a variety of plant and animal life in them
	Paper - all shapes, sizes and types
	Webster's 1828 Dictionary - invaluable when reading documents from early American history, and a fascinating glimpse at the way early American's looked at things (available in both print and computer versions)
	English Handbook
	Baskets - to hold catalogs and magazines
	Sheet Protectors - these sleeves are great for protecting papers you refer to often, special school work, ink jet printed photocopy masters, and more
	Kitchen Timer - timing tests, time outs, games