What is on the SEP school supply list for each grade in Mexico

What the SEP publishes, and when

Each summer the Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP) publishes a document called the lista sugerida de útiles escolares mínimos básicos, the suggested list of minimum basic school supplies for preescolar, primaria and secundaria. The 2026–2027 edition was posted on gob.mx on July 14, 2026 and announced in SEP Bulletin 237 two days later. The 2025–2026 list appeared on July 31, 2025, and the 2024–2025 list on August 7, 2024. For 2026–2027, the SEP's school calendar put the first day of classes on August 31, 2026, so families had about seven weeks between the list and the first bell.

The word that matters is mínimos. The SEP presents the list as the minimum needed for everyday classroom work and says the free textbooks (libros de texto gratuitos) and other materials produced by the Mexican state remain the main resources in class. The same document says teachers, in the exercise of their professional autonomy, may suggest other materials for projects or activities, while making sure that buying them is not an economic burden for families.

The 2026–2027 text also promotes responsible use and, when possible, reuse of what is already available at home, at school and in the community. Every notebook on the primaria lists is professional size (tamaño profesional).

Primaria, grade by grade

1º (first grade). Two large-grid notebooks (cuadrícula grande), one lined notebook (rayas), a pencil, an eraser, a sharpener, blunt-tip scissors (tijeras de punta roma), a glue stick (lápiz adhesivo), wooden colored pencils or wax crayons (pinturas de cera), and 50 white sheets.

2º (second grade). The same as first grade, plus a bicolor: a pencil with red lead at one end and blue at the other.

3º (third grade). The notebooks switch to small grid (cuadrícula chica): two small-grid notebooks and one lined notebook. The writing kit is a pencil, a bicolor and a ballpoint pen (bolígrafo), with a sharpener, an eraser, blunt-tip scissors and a glue stick. A plastic ruler is added, colors are wooden colored pencils only, and 50 white sheets complete the list.

4º, 5º and 6º. The three upper grades share one list: four small-grid notebooks and one lined notebook; a pencil, bicolor, ballpoint pen, highlighter (marcatextos), sharpener, eraser and glue stick; blunt-tip scissors; a box of wooden colored pencils; a geometry set (juego de geometría); and 50 white sheets. From 4º the list no longer names a separate ruler; it names a geometry set instead.

Secundaria and preescolar

All three grades of secundaria share a single list: one notebook for each subject (disciplina), with the type of notebook decided by each teacher according to the needs of the class; a pencil, bicolor, ballpoint pen, highlighter, sharpener, eraser, scissors and glue stick; a box of colored pencils; a geometry set; and 50 white sheets. Because the notebook count depends on the subjects and the ruling depends on each teacher, secundaria is the level where the SEP list leaves the most to find out once classes start.

For activities in healthy living (vida saludable), physical education and arts, and for laboratory practice, the SEP says teachers may request other materials according to pedagogical requirements and in agreement with families, again trying not to make the request an economic burden.

Preescolar has no item list. The SEP names the kinds of materials involved, such as different types of paper, paints, brushes, colored pencils, scissors, glue and non-toxic modeling clay, and says the educators will suggest them in agreement with families, considering the school's context and the projects planned for the year.

What changed from 2025–2026

Read side by side, the 2025–2026 and 2026–2027 documents ask for almost the same items. The one addition is a pack of 50 white sheets (50 hojas blancas), which now closes the list of every primaria grade and of secundaria. The secundaria notebook line also moved from one notebook per asignatura to one per disciplina, both meaning subject, with the teacher still deciding the type.

The preescolar paragraph changed in tone. In 2025–2026 the materials were to be requested (solicitados) by the educators in agreement with families; in 2026–2027 they are suggested (sugeridos), taking into account the school's context and the year's projects. The 2025–2026 document also said that the cost of these materials should in no case affect the basic family basket or put students at risk; the 2026–2027 text instead asks that purchases not become an economic burden and adds the call for reuse.

This guide summarizes the suggested list the SEP published on gob.mx. It is not legal advice, and the list your child's school and teacher hand out is the one to follow.

Common mistakes with the SEP list

Treating it as the whole list. The SEP calls it a minimum and lets teachers suggest more for projects, labs, arts and physical education. A teacher's list can arrive after classes begin, so buying the SEP basics first and waiting for the school's additions avoids paying twice for the same thing.

Mixing up the grid. First and second grade use large-grid notebooks; from third grade the list asks for small grid. Leftover first-grade notebooks are the wrong ruling for a third grader, even if they look new.

Buying new what is still good. The SEP's 2026–2027 text promotes reuse, and its 2024–2025 bulletin told families to review the previous year's supplies and reuse those in good condition. Scissors and a geometry set are the obvious places to look first.

Losing track across several store trips. A paper list works until the second trip. ListaEscolar loads the SEP list for the grade you pick, lets you mark each item bought, already at home or reused, and keeps a running total in pesos, so the teacher's additions can go on the same list later.

Frequently asked questions