Lakeshore Learning Store

Elite '08

7

102

Valerie L.

San Jose, CA

Lakeshore Learning has the best selection of teacher supply goods in this area. Things are rather pricey, so get on their online mailing list so that you can get some coupons or go to their sale in August when most everything in the store is 20% off. They also have an outlet in San Carlos, but I find it to be hit-or-miss, except if you want a big teaching carpet. Lakeshore also has an online presence, so if you don't find it in the store, you can always get it online.

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Elite '08

914

1924

Kristina R.

San Francisco, CA

Ok, I'm just gonna blurt it out for all to criticize, but...

TEACHER STORES SHOULD BE CHEAP AS MUD.  

There.  Let the dog-pile commence.

But having said that, I must say Lakeshore does offer a great variety of resources.  I'd hesitate to say K-5 benefits more than the upper grades, because I didn't see a lot of middle/high school materials.  

But even with their slightly inflated price tags, I still love all teacher stores, just for existing.  

Frankly, I'm wary of online shopping for my resources, since I can't fondle and molest them before plunking down my credit card...

...my faded, warped plastic, overused credit card.

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5

52

Sarah S.

Burlingame, CA

Love to shop at the shore of the lake! Great quality products, very professional and friendly staff, and super-accomodating. They'll special-order stuff for you. They will take your laundry list of items you want over the phone and check their stock to be sure they have everything before you drive all the way over there. They also have free craft workshop events where kids, teachers, and curriculum design specialists (like, um, me, myself and I) can come in and work with new materials in new ways, new materials in old ways, or old materials in new ways, or even old materials in old ways. That's a lot of ways, folks!

They have a "Teacher's Club" where you get random perks - occasional discounts, a steady discount on bulletin board stuff and other paper products for displays and record keeping.

As an early childhood professional, I love their selection of multicultural stuff, as well as open-ended items. And their stuff tends to not break as fast as toys from other educational retailers. It's expensive, though. You get what you pay for, but it's expensive and we all know how little teachers, especially early childhood teachers, get paid, and how tiny supply budgets are, and how teachers pay for a lot of stuff out of pocket. It's a quandry, though. Do you want cheaper products that break faster, or something more expensive that lasts longer?

Anywho, it sure is fun to browse around and get new ideas and inspirations for the classroom!

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28

181

Carly M.

Sunnyvale, CA

My sister was shopping here for her classroom stuff and I decided to tag along so I could dream of the day I would have a room all to myself...

Anyhow, everything was 20% off in the store, and things were so useful and cute, I could see how any grade school teacher could lose control. I even found a couple of items I considered putting on the wish list at the organization I work for...hey, we should have a budget for toys in the teen department, don't you think?

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Elite '08

76

174

kris h.

San Jose, CA

What a kewl store! Though it may be intended for teachers and parents, i think it's a great place for kids and the kid in all of us.....I love all the their educational products that you will definitely not find in Toys R Us.  

They have a pretty good selection of multicultural products such as basic language materials, CDs, and even Asian dolls.  Go figure!  I  wish they had some Asian language materials to choose from.  It was limited to French and Spanish.  They have a pretty good selection of arts and crafts for the classroom.  Theres tons of stickers to choose from.

I was kinda shocked that "The Land Before Time" costs about $17 nowadays.  I love going down memory lane with all the Dr Seuss books.  But kids' books have gotten hella expensive!  Anyways, Im sure your kid will have as much fun as i did at this shop! =)

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5

11

Lupita M.

Sunnyvale, CA

This place I must say is a teacher's dream!!  I actually spent over 1.5 hours just browsing. I liked the variety of posters, lesson plan books, manipulative toys and just about anything a teacher can dream of using in the classroom. Today the store had a back to school sale(20% off) on MANY items. I can home made myself a list of what I need and will definitely return. By the way, for those in the education field, they have a teacher's club (which I HAPPILY joined for FREE) one can become a member of that gives you 15% off hundred of selected items every day and receive advance notice of upcoming sales and events.

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31

93

Emily H.

San Jose, CA

High quality educational toys affordably priced.  

I love that you can buy things here that are made for use in the classroom.  This means, generally, they may last ten minutes instead of five in my home of toy destroying monkeys.  

I bought the greatest play food ever here and musical kits that come in a giant storage container.  (when they actually COME with packaging that nods to an understanding of parental toy storage nightmares, it's a shoo-in for product of the year.)

Go. Buy.

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