BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — As the kids head back to school, we know families spend a lot to get them ready. So we wanted to ask teachers what school supplies they thought were best to buy the name brand of, and which families could spend a little less on.
They say when it comes to curbing the price of back-to-school shopping, they understand.
"I have two girls going into fourth and second. So I'm doing the parent side of it also," explained Robin Domogala, who teacher in West Seneca Schools. "I'm trying to be savvy on my price, but also know which ones I want the "good stuff" for."
The teachers say the first item they'd suggest buying the brand name for - Crayola Crayons.
"The generic have an extra layer of wax on them," explained Julia Hagadorn, who teaches in the Williamsville District.
"There are so many brands that tend to be more waxy, break easier than others," said Tina Battaglia, who teaches in West Seneca.
Next, they say spend the extra couple dollars on Ticonderoga Pencils.
"They work so much better. They don't break when you sharpen them," said Karen Losi from the Williamsville District.
"The Ticonderoga are the best," echoed Battaglia. "I would stay away from the designs and pictures. They tend to have a plastic covering, and when the students go to sharpen them they tend to jam up the pencil sharpeners."
"And then they play with them because they pull the covering off," said Domogala.
Lastly, they say spend on a good set of scissors, like Fiskars.
"The Fiskars scissors work so much better. I think it's essential for kids to have a good pair of scissors especially when they're starting so they don't get frustrated. The cheaper scissors will turn the paper sideways," said Losi.
The teachers say the brand names don't matter as much for folders - but they *do recommend plastic folders over paper ones, because they hold up much better. They also said most marble notebooks are the same, but make sure you watch the prices, because some are much more expensive, and not worth it.
They also say if your kids use a dry erase board in class, Expo Markers work very well - but skip the red, because sometimes that color doesn't erase like it should.
