What’s on your list of back-to-school supplies?

School is open and although Darla and I can’t actually go to school we can help you learn some Italian words for forniture (for-knee-tor-a) supplies you and children in Italy might need.

In Italy teachers send or parents ask for un elenco del materiale (oon a-len-ko del ma-tear-e-al-a) a list of materials students will need. Children who attend un nido or scuola materna (oon knee-do o scoo-ola mah-tear-na) learn through creative activity with songs, poems, crafts, and school trips so they don’t need all the materials required in la scuola primaria (la skoo-ol-a pree-mar-e-ah) the primary school.

Teachers in primary school (here we call it elementary school) will send a long list of items i genitori (e jen-e-tor-e) parents must buy for their children. First they need un astuccio (oon as-stew-cho) a pencil case to fill with matite colorate (mah-tee-tay col-or-ah-tay) colored pencils, una gomma bianca (oon-ah go-ma bee-ah-ka) a white eraser, and tre penne cancellabile (tray pen-a can-chay-lah-bee-lay) three erasable pens nei colori blu, rosso e verde (nay co-lor-e blu, ros-so, a vair-day) in the colors blue, red and green. Gli studenti (ye stoo-dent-e) will also need un righello (oon ree-gel-o) a ruler, forbici con punta arrotondata (for-bee chi con poon-ta ah-ron-tone-da-ta) scissors with round tips and una cola stick (oon-ah co-la stick) a glue stick. And that is just part of the list. It sounds like they will need lots of space in their “pencil case!”

Just like you, Italian students will also need materials for each class, but their list is very specific. They will have to buy several types of quaderni (kwa-dair-knee) notebooks. One has to have le righe (lay ree-gay) lines and another is a scelta (ah-shel-ta) at the choice of the student to use in their tempo libera (tem-po lee-bear-ah) free time. We know what that is! We have plenty of free time at home to play and learn.

For books students must provide copertine colorate (ko-pear-tea-nay co-lor-ah-tay) colored bookcovers so they are different for each of their classes. They also have to buy a plastic sleeve with a button closure to carry photocopies and notices home. Another important item is un diario con giorni definiti (oon d-ar-e-oh con jorn-knee def-e-knee-tea) a diary with dated pages. We learned they also need uno zaino (ooh-no-zigh-no) a bookbag. We have one of those for when we travel! Of course, there are other items on the list but I think we have learned enough for today.

We asked mamma if she had to buy anything when she went to school and she said yes but said her shopping list was not as exact. But she did tell us it was very precise when she had college classes in Italy.

We are so happy we don’t have to worry about shopping for things we need! We just tell mamma and she goes to the store or we sit by the window and wait for a box on four wheels to come to us with treats and more toys!