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With the New Year comes a fresh and renewed focus for students to dig in and work toward keeping, or getting, those grades up in the academia second half and school years beyond. Here are four fab productivity tools and homework helpers that can give kids a smart kick start:

Turnstone Buoy ‘Active Seat’ (www.MyTurnstone.com) – $199
Designed for today’s active person, the Buoy by office furniture and design company, Turnstone, is an active seat that helps encourage movement, which fosters increased productivity. Mixing up how students sit while they do homework and study can improve overall well-being, which improves the ability to think clearly and be productive. A riff on the stool, Buoy can tilt, swivel, wobble and adjust for height. It stands at a slight 5 degree angle and can tilt even further—up to 12 degrees—to lean into your work. Users can change the seat height up to five inches with a quick lever pull. Buoy is also customizable by color for both the base and the cap, choosing from a mix of bright and basic colors and fun patterns. Example colors are Wasabi Green, Picasso Blue, Chili Red and Element Grey.

Printed Lap Desk (www.Overstock.com) – $25.99
Students can work from the comfort of the couch, their bed, out on the lawn, in the car or just about anywhere else with this stylish printed lap desk. This decorative, portable desk features a cup and pencil holder while a soft bead-filled pad allows the lap desk to rest comfortably on the lap. This handy lap desk measures 17.29 inches long x 13.36 inches wide x 1.965 inches high–just right for a laptop computer, tablet, or even good old fashioned paper and pencil. Lightweight, the lap desk is made with MDF (Medium-density fibreboard), PVC plastic, polar fleece, polyfoam, and non-woven fabrics.

Photo Ownership/Copyright Credit: Turnstone

Acer Iconia One 7 (www.US.Acer.com) – $129.99
With Intel quad-core performance powering games, videos and web browsing, the Iconia One 7 will satisfy a student’s need for speed this New Year. Students also love that the device comes in a rainbow of colors and is light and easy to tote around. With neat features that create a bright and clear screen, speedy and responsive use, and great HD media playback, users get up to 7 hours of use in a slim package. The HD LCD with IPS1 technology brings out every detail of the display from any angle, and Zero Air Gap technology provides brighter and crisper images with higher contrast and notably good visibility in sunlight.

Five Star Folder, Notebooks, and Shelf (www.MeadOnline.com)
The Five Star line is rife with products helping kids be more efficient and organized throughout their school day. One great option is the Flex Hybrid NoteBinder, which acts like a notebook and works like a binder, creating a fail-proof system that helps students keep it all together. The unique TechLock rings in 1- and 1.5-inch sizes accommodate as much as traditional binders of equivalent sizes. Each Five Star Wirebound Notebook comes with uniquely designed features that enhance durability, including reinforced storage pockets that help prevent tears, and water-resistant front and back covers that protect notes and documents all year long. Five Star’s Wireless Notebook feature a durable one-piece plastic cover that opens to lay flat, making notetaking less cumbersome. The sturdy interior pocket allows for quick and easy paper storage and the Neat Sheet perforated, college-ruled pages make turning in assignments and tearing out notes simple and stress-free. Another great item is the Five Star Stackable Locker Shelf that fits securely in the bottom of a standard locker. Quick and easy to assemble, the shelf has a tall clearance designed to fit high-capacity and sewn binders. Students can use one shelf alone to create additional usable space within the locker, or stack two locker shelves for even more room to store and organize. The shelf is designed to withstand up to 150 pounds!

***Some or all of the accommodations(s), experience(s), item(s) and/or service(s) detailed above may have been provided at no cost and/or arranged to accommodate this review, but all opinions expressed are entirely those of Merilee Kern and have not been influenced in any way as per the disclosure policy on our “Legal” page***