Q: I have the school supply lists for two of my three kids, and I am waiting for the third. Each year they get longer. One teacher wants five sticks of one brand of glue. When did teachers get so picky? What's wrong with generics? Why are parents responsible for so much of a room's general supplies? It's really expensive!

A: The days of grabbing a few pencils, a notebook and an eraser to stuff into a backpack are gone. School supply lists have grown longer and more specific in the past few years.

"Today, lists supplement class curriculum needs, such as art supplies, and provide for cleanup and classroom hygiene," says Tim Sullivan, president of PTO Today, an organization that supports parent-teacher groups. "Tissues and paper towels are among the top-five most requested school supply items."

Why is this falling on parents?

"Two reasons," says Sullivan, a former school administrator. "One, school budgets are stretched more tightly than ever. The average teacher spends nearly $500 of her own money (each year). In years past, they bought basic supplies; now they're purchasing books and resources to fill in gaps in learning materials.

"Two, we all want our kids' classrooms to have the supplies needed for a great, healthy year. You may send your child to school with tissues, but others may forget. Teachers appreciate it when parents pitch in on the basics."

Educators put a lot of thought into their lists. When it comes to generics versus brands, "teachers have preferences based on experience," says Sullivan. "Sometimes a certain brand fits exactly into a cubby, is more reliable, or works better for a project.

"Many teachers bundle supplies into shared buckets for all kids, so having just one brand helps eliminate dust-ups over who gets which glue stick. If it's a supply that's clearly just for your child, such as a backpack or a pencil sharpener, you're OK going generic."

Before you head out to shop, check TeacherLists.com, where you might find lists from all three of your children's teachers. (Teachers who post their lists here are eligible for free classroom supplies.) You can print the lists out or access them from your smartphone right at the store.

"Back-to-school is now the second-biggest retail event of the year (after the December holidays), and the good news is that stores want your business!" says Sullivan. "Sales on school supplies abound like never before, especially on common brand items.

"Check the Web and Sunday circulars through Labor Day, and you'll find one door-buster after another. Whether it's penny notebooks or half-off hand sanitizer, careful shoppers can save big."

If you can't afford the clothes and supplies needed for each child, most schools can direct you to funds through PTOs, area church or service groups, or local foundations. Call the school secretary to see what may be available in your district.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: My son starts community college soon and is worried about failing. He isn't a star student, but I know he can do this. How can I reassure him?

A: These fears are normal. Even with the excitement of oncoming independence, students still worry about flunking out, managing the workload, affording the costs and making friends.

Unfortunately, the fears aren't unfounded, says Carl Wahlstrom, professor emeritus at Genesee Community College in Batavia, N.Y. and co-author of the practical guide "Learning Success: Being Your Best at College and Life" (Wadsworth Publishing; 2002). He says the first two to six weeks are a critical time of adjustment if students are to succeed in college.

No matter how stellar a student was or wasn't in high school, success is his if he masters three key traits.

-- The first is staying power.

"Some really smart kids fail because they didn't have the persistence, commitment, focus and discipline necessary for achievement," says Wahlstrom.

His popular "First-Year Experience" course stresses persistence.

"It comes when students learn to take personal control and responsibility for their actions," he says. "Persistent students don't blame others for their results. They use strategies, such as writing down daily goals and reviewing them each evening, to move forward. Optimism, creativity and the ability to take psychological risks also help a student hang in there."

-- Second, become a mindful learner.

This is a big shift for most college freshmen, says Wahlstrom. They are used to searching for "the answer," yet in college, a professor might say, "That is one answer. What are others?"

A mindful learner is a critical thinker "who can create new categories of information in his head, is open to new information, and is aware of more than one perspective," he says.

Mindful learners are more engaged and remember more. "They are creative, alert to distinctions and open to novelty," says Wahlstrom. "They are aware of different contexts and perspectives, and oriented in the present. When they study a topic, they question, critique, speculate and hypothesize.

"For example, a student in world history will likely remember more about the date that the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Japan if he speculates on what would have happened if the U.S. had dropped the A-bomb on Germany first."

-- Third, master informational literacy.

"That means learning how to find, evaluate and use information of all kinds," says Wahlstrom.

This means knowing how to access "the Four C's: campus resources, community resources, computers and communications pathways such as the Internet. Students may know how to use Facebook, but have no idea how to do an Internet search for a term paper," he says.

Wahlstrom tells students to take full advantage of campus resources.

"That's a first stop!" he says. "There are many, and they lead you to others. Successful students aren't afraid to ask for information and put it to use for their benefit."

Give your son a copy of Wahlstrom's "Learning Success" before he heads to school. The self-directed exercises will help him have a more successful freshman year.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: I've noticed that my son, Garth, a rising third-grader, doesn't have a vocabulary as large as some of the same-age kids he's playing with this summer. Should I get some flash cards?

A: No. There are better ways to help a child develop a stronger vocabulary than rote learning of random word lists, says Tim Rasinski, a Kent State professor of literacy education. Any such learning is often quickly forgotten because the words usually don't connect to what the child knows or is interested in. So nix the flash cards -- ditto for writing words multiple times, copying definitions or filling in worksheets.

To expand Garth's vocabulary, help him "own" the words he loves and add those he wants to know. Find them in a book he enjoys or in topics he's passionate about.

For example, if he's a "Star Wars" fan, he probably has heard the following words, but he may not know them when reading: galaxy, armored, transmissions, intercepted, smashed, reactor. So when he encounters these in "Star Wars" books, have him focus on learning two or three at a time. Have him add the words to a vocabulary notebook under a "Star Wars Words" tab, writing each new word in his notebook, adding a short definition and drawing a picture as a visual reminder. Do this with other topics he's keen on. He's more likely to learn new words this way because they are meaningful to him.

Rasinski reminds us that just because a word is in a notebook, it doesn't mean it's in the brain: "Kids need multiple opportunities to see, write and use new words."

So add them to conversations and Post-it notes ("Garth, I intercepted a dirty sock in the hallway!"). Encourage him to write stories with these new words. Garth will own a galactic batch of words in no time.

This next suggestion may surprise you. In the Summer 2012 issue of Educational Leadership, Rasinski and co-authors Nancy Padak, Karen Bromley and Evangeline Newton make the case that primary-grade children benefit from being clued into Latin and Greek roots. So, for instance, by teaching Garth that the prefix bi means "two" (bicycle), tri means "three" (tricycle) or sub means "under" or "below" (submarine), you can give him a leg up. The authors' article, "Vocabulary: Five Common Misconceptions," concludes with a starter list of Greek and Latin roots. Find it at ascd.org.

Research shows that games are a wonderful way to inspire interest in words and develop knowledge about them, says Rasinski. Many folks learned new words at the kitchen table with Balderdash, Boggle, Buzzword, Pictionary and Scrabble. Kids still get a kick out of these games. Add them to your family's fun and everybody gets a chance to boost their word power.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)