Who Knew School Supplies Could be So Different Between the USA & Germany?! 🇩🇪 SCHOOL SUPPLY Shocks

[@123derkai]

Grayson‘s pronounciation of German words is 100% perfect and without any English accent. I could never tell that German isn’t his first language.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Wow thank you!

[@pfalzgraf7527]

He even has an audible Bavarian accent. Not too strong but you can hear where he learned his German.

[@samanthawho9591]

I know so good.

[@annaluisevogler9175]

Yes, but also without any bavarian accent :)

[@Chrischi3TutorialLPs]

Kids this age will devour languages. Growing up in a bilingual enviornment, it makes perfect sense he would speak both of them on a first language level.

[@wrayoflighttube]

I’m an art teacher in America. It’s great that they have their own brushes and paint. It would be great to have students be responsible for their things.

[@jacquelinek9975]

Yes! I‘m a German Art teacher and we don‘t buy brushes because they tend to get ruined almost immediately if we provide them. Students treat their own stuff better compared to something they think is „free“…

[@Baccatube79]

The reason for having two Hefts is that the teacher can collect the ones with the homework and look them through, correct them, and/or grade them, and the pupils still have another notebook to take notes in.

[@kathrintaraba3274]

It's forbidden to grade homeworks.

[@chgr4674]

@@kathrintaraba3274 they might not properly grade it but just check on your progress. And we had to hand in our Heft on per semester so teachers could grade how orderly it is. Are there dates and headlines? Is it dirty or is the paper crumbled up? Is your handwriting legible?

[@SharienGaming]

@@kathrintaraba3274 that would be incredibly counterproductive, so im calling nonsense on that the point of homework is to practice and assess where you are making mistakes... that requires feedback, so its necessary for the teacher to go over it and mark what is correct and what is wrong while that wont result in anything that ends up in the end of semester grades, its still the same process its essentially the difference between "Bewertung" and "Korrektur" but i think both of those translate to grading in english

[@katjathefranknfurter2374]

But the plural of "Heft" is "Hefte"... 😉

[@andreea.andreea]

The same habit in Romania too.

[@Mangafan47]

The fountain pen is used all over Germany. It's usually mandatory sometime between around grades 2-5, depending on the school. When I was a child they told us multiple reasons for that. If you can write with a fountain pen, you can write with every other pen (without destroying it), since they don't require pressure to write it's better for your hand (like how you hold it, how to deal with writing over a long time by hand etc) and your handwriting is way more readable, since you usually write a bit slower with a fountain pen - being the three most common reasons I heard.

[@larsradtke4097]

As a lefty, I despise fountain pens wholeheartedly.

[@sherrycohen1824]

@@larsradtke4097 They make fountain pens for lefties.

[@sherrycohen1824]

I wasn't required to use a fountain pen in the New York schools I attended, but I used one in perhaps the fifth or sixth grade. I still love them and turned my brother and husband onto them. Between the three of us, we can open a fountain pen store.

[@SilenceHurtsMore]

@@larsradtke4097 in Slovakia we have also used fountain pens, but lefties could get the fake fountain pens that would not smudge as much.

[@larsradtke4097]

@@SilenceHurtsMore the "fake" ones still did spill.

[@t.b.9198]

Being a Realschullehrerin in Bavaria I laughed so hard about your video. It was like comedy especially for a teacher seeing you looking at these things from the "outside". It´s really challenging what we expect from parents... But... I think the reason is really that we try to find a system for the kids that gives them the most structure in their learning process. So the intentions are good. Some things to mention: Arbeitshefte are often Hefte with exercises in them, and are supposed to be written in. Bücher are not. These are by the way free in Germany. Teachers are not forced to buy stuff for their students. They have a budget at school to buy certain things. But there is also a list, what we are allowed to buy and what not. For example we cannot buy Hefte or a whole set of literature books for a class. Therefore this has to be paid by the parents. But we can buy posters, Paper, certain Pens like Eddings... Apart from that many teachers still buy stuff for their students just because they want to. And I think we are better paid here than in the US, not sure though. Concerning the Essay writing vs. Multiple choice: in the last 15 years or so, the system kind of changed. Knowledge is not the most important thing anymore (at least it shouldn´t - still depends on the teacher), but "Kompetenzen". We all know, we lose many things we once knew when leaving school and then there is google which kind of makes learning things by heart unnecessary. So many teachers try to teach life skills. Like: you do not have to know the life dates of a certain german author, but you have to know where to find it. Or when it comes to essay writing: how to be creative, how to convince people ("Argumentiern") and so on. Because these things you have to practice and cannot learn by heart. And this also cannot be testet by multiple choice. Which makes correcting essays a lot of work for teachers. Greetings Sandra

[@eisikater1584]

> Which makes correcting essays a lot of work for teachers. That's true; I didn't envy them, also as my handwriting grew more and more illegible to others with each year at Gymnasium. I remember my Erdkunde teacher saying in 4th semester, "Now that I can almost read Eisi's handwriting, he's gonna leave us." - I replied, "Oh, not yet. Guess what I chose as subject for my written Abitur?" - Everyone laughing. Except the teacher. (He was very nice, btw. Lots of video stuff where we had to take notes, lots of map work and analysis, almost university-style.)

[@juttapopp1869]

Yeah, and that's why young people know nothing and are basically incompetent in almost anything relevant these days. Also, teachers seem to teach WHAT to think, not HOW to think these days, judging from many examples I meet.

[@buckzero6854]

tmtr

[@alicemilne1444]

@@juttapopp1869 Sorry, but I don't think that's a fair comment. I'm 66 years old and I have experience of being at school in the UK (Scotland) and in Germany (Niedersachsen) back in the 1960s and 1970s and of tutoring German schoolkids in English from back in the 1980s to today (in Bavaria and Nordrhein-Westfahlen). I've also worked with young people in industry in Germany and talk to young people I meet in all sorts of work and social settings who could be my kids or grandkids. I don't consider young people in general to be any less knowledgeable or competent than people I knew when I was a teenager. Conversely, I don't consider them to be any more knowledgeable or competent than then either. The ratio seems to have stayed just the same. And anyway, what do you mean by "relevant"? People may be extremely knowledgeable or competent in areas that are not relevant to you but are extremely relevant to them or to other spheres you may not be interested in. Also, things that were relevant 50 years ago are not necessarily relevant today.

[@Ul.B]

@O. B. Lernmittelfreiheit (freedom of study) means, that necessary learning materials are always to be provided free of charge. Books are usually borrowed from the school. You borrow them at the beginning of the year (you get them) and return them at the end of the school year. Of course, this also means that you are not allowed to write in. There is also the possibility to buy these books. Workbooks and worksheets are usually intended for consumption. Best regards from Baden-Württemberg.

[@wizardm]

Your children will become truly bilingual. This is great and greatly expands the possibilities for their lives.

[@Baccatube79]

The "Schnellheft" is actually a "Schnellhefter". "Heften" means to baste or to staple things together. "Ein (Ge-)Heft" is, therefore, a collection of sheets stapled together (while a book is always bound). "EIn Schnellhefter" collects loose papers and staples them together quickly and reversibly.

[@petraw9792]

This. And the kids call the Schnellhefter Mappe anyway.

[@pfalzgraf7527]

@@petraw9792 not everywhere … And therein lies a problem: there are differences in vocabulary even from teacher to teacher.

[@karlfahrt344]

... and 'Schreibwaren' are actually the goods (Heft, Füller, Schnellhefter, ....). The shop, after good German tradition to combine words, is a 'Schreibwarengeschäft / Schreibwarenladen'. ;-). Fun video!

[@petraw9792]

Müller and (larger) Rossman have really good Schreibwarenabteilungen.

[@MsLarrythegreat]

Fountain pens are a still a thing in school all over Germany. I like to think it's similar to why we learn to drive manually as well. Yes it's a bit more complicated to begin with and technically you can do without, but once you are competent with it you can handle most everything else too. (I additionally prefer avoiding what feels like a set back of being a beginner again when "leveling up".) Also might as well learn how to do more complicated stuff when one has the best access to skilled teachers.

[@looopers5764]

I am a techer and I like fountain pens because you have to write more precise the with a normal pen so I can read better what the children wrote.

[@Mysterios1989]

Also, depending on what you study, a fountain pen can be a blessing. I recently had my legal state exams here in Germany, and it is so much easier to write 30 pages of legalees in 5 hours 8 times in 2 weeks if you have a fountain pen in contrast to a ball pen. It is simply easier to write with less pressure and a better flow when you can use a fountain pen.

[@babe8917]

Man schreibt so viel schöner mit einem Füller.

[@Hanmacx]

As lefthanded, I hate them with every fiber of my self

[@Bunny_Aoife]

@@Mysterios1989 exactly, I write a lot by hand, and while I do have an emergency ballpoint pen in my bag, I write with my fountain pen exclusively, unless I forgot to fill it. And I can write all day with it, without my wrist hurting in the end, which I can't do with ballpoint.

[@Opa_Andre]

At 5:00 Sarah having small difficulties to pronounce "Stichpunkte". So Grayson jumped in: "Good enough" - made my day. 😂 Love the video - especially the sidetrack about Sarah's fear of a possible rat in the house which turned out to be the missing hamster.

[@christiankastorf4836]

"Stichpunkt" is one of the words that are worth to think about. "Stechen" means to prick with a needle. So, the word means to come to the point exactly. And in a discussion or on the stage you have the "Stichwort", the very word that tells you that it is now your turn to take over.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Hi Opa Andre! ❤ Yeah so funny that Grayson said, Good enough!! 😂

[@Kram1032]

Ch is always tricky for English speakers. I think they might not even properly hear the difference?

[@bellpepperknight809]

@@Kram1032 depending on the surrounding vocals the pronunciation differs even in German into 3 different sounds.

[@Kram1032]

​@@bellpepperknight809 Talking about ich, Ochsen and Achtung? Or if it's not Ochsen, what would the third one be? Technically it's usually just a devoicing of the sound before it, and shifting it into the throat. Not always (Ochsen doesn't follow the rule at all), but ich and Achtung definitely follow that pattern. The reason it's one for ich and another for Achtung is that i is a closed vowel whereas a is an open one

[@earthiusproject]

fountain pens force you to have consistent and neat handwriting... once you settle on a grip, there is no other variation and having to "pull" and never push means you establish and maintain a consistent style... this leads to being able to write neatly and legibly and so much faster Also, having to factor in the ink drying means you pay attention to what angle the paper lays and you take the time to check spelling and grammar.

[@inka87871]

very out dated almost everything is digital at least in the US 🤣

[@SuperSampling]

@@inka87871 It's not outdated. Almost every programmer and computer scientist has a notebook right next to the keyboard.

[@kathilisi3019]

@@inka87871 there are benefits for brain development as well. Learning how to write cursive with a fountain pen users different areas of your brain than learning how to print letters or type on a keyboard. And kids in Germany learn how to use digital media as well as using fountain pens, it's not like they're confused by computers just because they learned how to write in cursive.

[@undertakernumberone1]

well, never worked for me then :D

[@transatlanticize]

@@inka87871 thats why the US has such a low level of education

[@LCamp-cr7fs]

I am 71 year old, which explains that I started school with a „Schulranzen“, a „Schiefertafel“, a very progressive chalk pencil. My indeed small Federmäppchen actually contained „Federn“ and „Federhalter“. Ink was in a bottle that fit into a slot in the desk. There were two „Hefte“, one appropriately „liniert“ for beginning writers, the other kariert for math. The Tafel was for practicing, actually a good idea because it saves paper. Graduating from one kind of lining to the next was standard as fine motor skills developed. Jumping ahead, there were always just two kind of Hefte, liniert or kariert, except for vocabulary Hefte. They just got bigger to hold more content. In the end, it didn’t matter anymore. I preferred the equivalent of composition books. Oh yes, fountain pen always! I nearly forgot the „Malkasten“, which accompanied me throughout school since you could replace empty colors. The good old, easy days! 😆

[@geneviere199]

The supply list of my son (now 31) for the first grade consisted of a little portable chalkboard with chalkpencils in different colors, too.

[@SusanneMBarrett]

I always wanted one of the ink bottles that fit into a slot in the desk. :D (In fact, at age 56, I *still* want one, LOL!)

[@rosesylt7276]

I love how Grayson said that during class, they would 'copy off' what the teacher had written - he was probably thinking of the German wording 'abschreiben' (adding the 'off' because of the German 'ab'). He is totally German already :)

[@robopecha]

that is english too.

[@gluteusmaximus1657]

The difference between a Buch and a Heft is the way the pages are put together. A Buch is bound, usually with some sort of glue. A Heft is "geheftet". Put together with a thread or staples.

[@helloweener2007]

Yes and no. When you talk about books yes. But what about Leitz-Ordner or Ringbuchordner? You have lose papers that are fixed with the brackets. Or the Collegeblöcke with the ring system and perforation lines on the papers? And Hefte for writing are also glued, they are just thinner.

[@gluteusmaximus1657]

@@helloweener2007 As a former bookbinder i learned that. It might have been changed. A Leitz-Ordner is neither Buch or Heft. Collegeblöcke are, who would have guessed : Blöcke! A newer way of binding books is "Lumbecken". Cold glueing the binding side, meant to stick together permanently. The opposite to a "Block" wich is meant to get page after page torn off. Have a nice sunday.

[@helloweener2007]

@@gluteusmaximus1657 "Leitz-Ordner is neither Buch or Heft." Yes, it is usually an "Ordner". But when you take the soft cover ones you will find that people use different words for the same thing: Ordner, Hefter, Mappe You can buy the paperblocks also under "Ringbucheinlagen". I won't question your competence when this is your profession but we are talking about Schreibwaren and not books and most people will not use the correct terms a professional will use. Slang and common language are not the same as the language a professional uses. "Collegeblöcke are, who would have guessed : Blöcke!" "The opposite to a "Block" wich is meant to get page after page torn off." Thx, I really appreciate this. But this is also the source of the confusion I guess. First you (your profession) defines the thng on the type of binding. The other is if you can take single pages out or not. The "Colkgeblocks" comes in different styles. Some are glued, some have this metal rings, you have some with holes for putting it in a Leitz-System, some without. You can buy just single filler paper with holes which is sometimes also called a block although the paper is not connected. No wonder that people will mix up the words.

[@alichakaroun9235]

Chapeau to Grayson German accent. I am already 2 years learning German and my accent is absolutely not comparison to Grayson pronunciation. Just amazing.

[@pyrointeam]

It's incredible how perfect your sons german and english is. Of course sometimes one word is stronger remembered in one language with struggling to find the word in the other, but that's the minor issue in comparison to value bilingual raising has. I bet he has no idea how handy this is in life. I really enjoy seeing your intelligent son growing to be an awesome mature human being.

[@sia9907]

Kids' brains are amazing. They just soak up all kinds of information, and they learn language like it's nothing. It's so cool. All children should have access to more languages when they're young so it's effortless.

[@MhLiMz]

I love Grayson‘s mixed English/German, e.g. „she gives us mostly just Arbeitsblätter“ or „I think it‘s mostly like…you know…Hefteinträge“

[@dude988]

Hefts, Hefts, Hefts! :D

[@annachristinanotyet4678]

Just billingual things, I guess, but I always kinda envied that as well. It's especially funny if you've even more multicultural based families and they mid 3+ languages together like this. :D

[@davielawrence3773]

Common known "fun" fact about the German school system is the ongoing fight whether Mathematics (Heft) is blue and German (Heft) is red or if it's the other way around. I had whole arguments in different friend groups about this topic! And also there are the people who had a completely different color (like yellow for German) and thus are considered completely insane by their friends 😂

[@Eekary2]

Math is red of course.

[@Tom-ku8bu]

Don't you have to cover it it with gift wrap? Aka: Heft einfassen. We mostly had to do that and add a name tag.

[@davielawrence3773]

@@Tom-ku8bu the book had to be covered in whichever wrap could protect it. The Heft had do be in a certain colored cover, mostly the were plastic and reusable

[@cr1tx]

Math is green. German is red.

[@Erikaowlette]

Oh we had the same argument when I was in school in Sweden! We got notebooks from the teachers of each class in different colors like pink, yellow, red, blue and green and rare but very loved Color light blue. But everyone ended up switching their books for different classes. Like I always had red for English and light blue for science and yellow was always for my Swedish class. for social studies dark blue. The only class everyone had the same was in math and that was often a green Color. I used pink for Spanish class

[@berlindude75]

You can almost _hear_ Sara mentally shutting off mere 30 seconds into Kevin's thrilling 5-minute presentation of the Hefte system. 😂

[@winterlinde5395]

😂… and when she tries to give the conversation another direction, he comes back to the Hefte later. That was fun to see!

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

😂😂😂 oh man, I couldn’t hide it! My mind was wandering!

[@cosmos60]

😄

[@Herzschreiber]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife well, he's a scientist and engineer to the bones! Haha. And above, where you answered a comment with "Kevin will love this comment", I had exactly the same thought while reading it, right before I read your answer, hahaha *winks

[@sarahlemke9803]

Just don’t get discouraged, we (a native German family) used to buy the wrong notebooks all the time in the beginning… 😂 my mom never understood why we needed no. 27 notebooks for English classes and no. 25 notebooks for German classes, but only no. 25 notebooks for tests in both languages and so on… we all figured it out after some time though 😅

[@CediEntertainment]

I am impressed of Graysons perfect pronounciation of difficult german words like Stichpunkte

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

And funny that it took me forever to pronounce it correctly! Kids pick up languages so much faster than adults.

[@StellaTZH]

Haha, you can see the actual moment Grayson realizes his pronunciation lessons are just too advanced for mom and dad, so he decides this is about as close as they will ever get 😂

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

I know 😂😆

[@petrameyer1121]

I look forward to Kevin explaining the Geodreieck and its uses to your American Audience. :)

[@sweetheart082009]

Oh, Yes this will be interesting

[@LythaWausW]

I was waiting for the 2-ring binder explanation - how to operate one, for Americans like me. I've destroyed two of them so far but now I get it, I hope.

[@sabinedalianis2629]

Yes please!

[@davielawrence3773]

Wait, there are no Geodreiecke in the US? How do they do Geometry, then?

[@noano]

@@davielawrence3773 they use these round protractors I think. It's basically the same though... images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81eqbgD4G0L._AC_SL1500_.jpg

[@marinae4672]

I'm from Austria, but most things are pretty much the same here and in Germany, so concerning the Arbeitsbuch vs. Arbeitsheft: the Arbeitsbuch is usually the main book where things are explained. Sometimes there are a few exercises in it, but mostly those that only give you instructions and you have to write them in a separate notebook, like instructions for essays. The Arbeitsheft is an addition with the main point of doing exrcises - usually directly in the book - to practise or deepen the knowledge learned in class and via the main book (Arbeitsbuch).

[@jenniferh1416]

In the U.S. we'd probably call this a workbook, which is similar to the Austrian word. When I attended a year of high school in the Netherlands, we purchased thin notebooks for lectures and exercises in class or at home. Textbooks were much thinner than in the U.S.

[@Neashadia]

Yes on the fountain pen! I am still using mine 30 years after graduation and I love it. If you buy a good brand of fountain pen you can safe yourself a lot of trouble. A good fountain pen is mess free if handled correctly and should last for years. They do not have to be expensive, a Lamy fountain pen for example should work great for school. I admire you for handling all of this like champs. You´re doing great! You got this!

[@Freaky0Nina]

Omg your child's pronunciation is amazing. Even the 'r' and the 'z' and the 'ch' is spot on. He must have very good hearing if he learnt this this 'late'.

[@jgr_lilli_]

My parents were both teachers. From my experience, they buy a lot of stuff, like teaching materials and stuff for the classrooms, from their own money, but they can get the money back from the school admins and also from tax. It's usually easier that way rather than waiting for the school to finance stuff. They don't buy supplies for individual students though, because that's generally the students' job.

[@looopers5764]

Yes thats true, but every time I did that I had to wait about half a yoear to get my money back so I tend to not do that anymore. *in Germany

[@marjanpel1563]

Ich bin Lehrerin und gebe so zwischen 100-150 Euro im Monat alleine für Materialien für die Schule aus. Naja, man kann es bei der Steuererklärung angeben. Die Gehälter sind ja auch entsprechend, so schlecht verdienen wir nicht. Immerhin habe ich von der Schulbehörde ein Dienst-Ipad erhalten.

[@Nofinofnof]

Hey guys, so actually the difference between an "Arbeitsbuch" and an "Arbeitsheft" or workbook is that you are not allowed to write in your "Arbeitsbuch", but the workbook has blank lines so you can solve the tasks right inside. So the "Arbeitsbuch" is lend to the pupils and will switch the owner every year, whereas every pupil has to buy his own workbook to write into.

[@marionbauer4566]

"Arbeitsheft" (= a workbook, a softcover) is usually for additional exercises. The "Arbeitsbuch" is sometimes called "Schülerbuch" as well. It is a hardcover. It contains lessons and some exercises. The students have to write down the answers outside of the book, often in their "Schulheft". In contrast to that, the solutions are written into the gaps in the "Arbeitsheft". : )

[@charlotteschriener8739]

We had to use fountain pens until 8th grade. In the Oberstufe (11th - 13th grade) we only had to use fountain pens when writing exams. Our German teacher gave us a good reason for this: exams are often long. 8 pages and more are not uncommon. At some point, the hand tires and the writing becomes increasingly illegible, especially with the use of ballpoint pens. However, writing with fountain pens makes the writing appear more legible, even when tired. Special document-proof ink had to be used for the final Abitur exams. The ink must be neither correctable nor removable. (North-Germany)

[@DADA-ir6kq]

i'm so glad that we could stop using fountain pens in "highschool". As a leftie it was practically impossible for me to write legible in tests because of the speed. and i always had to turn my wrist/hand around to not smear everything. so after an hour of writing i was so cramped that i had to stop

[@Ul.B]

@@DADA-ir6kq Well, as a left-hander you can also write legibly without having to cramp your hand. Incidentally, I noticed that many left-handers use a cramped hand position when writing, which I cannot understand. When I was learning to write back then, being left-handed myself by the way, I developed a writing technique similar to right-handed writing and it worked as long as I used a fountain pen and it was always legible. Perhaps this is also due to the fountain pen used. Mine was consistently a Lamy fountain pen, simply because back when I was in primary school there was only one manufacturer of left-handed fountain pens.

[@Randleray]

@@DADA-ir6kq Despite the many good sides of fountain pens, I had a friend for most part of school that was a lefty. I saw first hand what you going through... I still prefere them over ball pens simply, because it is just so much more relaxing for the hand in general.

[@SusanneMBarrett]

I have rheumatoid arthritis but love to write by hand. I can write so much longer and more neatly with a fountain pen than with a ballpoint or even a gel pen, mostly because I don't have to press down much, if at all.

[@flycrack7686]

multiple choise test like you do in the USA should be a rare exception, its so much better for learning to actually write down. It forces your brain to think more and it definitly has a huge benefit for the hand eye coordination and the whole thinking process in general.

[@SharienGaming]

yeah multiple choice tests are honestly horrible for learning or for verifying that understanding has happened... all you need to get them right is a reasonably good guess and you will forget most of it after the test while when you have to write down your process and reasoning, you have to actually confront the problem and think your way through it... and as an added benefit, you can get credit for partially right answers AND you will get feedback on where you went wrong and what was correct one of the most important lessons on especially math tests (though it applied to many others as well) is that even when you dont know the answer or how to solve it... trying and writing down as much that makes sense to you as you can really score you a decent amount of the points for it because you show the beginnings of the process and for example when your answer is wrong, but your process was mostly right...the teacher can see that your idea was correct and give you almost full marks and then mark down what caused you to get the wrong answer... because understanding the process is much more important than getting the correct answer multiple choice only tests whether you get the right answer...not whether you understand the problem... but multiple choice is incredibly easy to grade... and being cheap and ineffective is sadly kind of the goal of a lot of US education

[@tnit7554]

👍

[@nadineschulze8914]

Arbeitsbuch: you usually dont write in it, Arbeitsheft: exercise book where you can/ must write your exercises especially for the Arbeitsbuch. The lines differ for class 1 to 4, from 4 on you use the one line. Its for making it easier for the kids to learn to write.

[@franhunne8929]

Exactly, handwriting/cursive is learned in class one with a three part line - you have one part for all those loops like in a cursive L or a G, and other extensions from capital letters, like the lines in the A, the F or the W and V etc, you have the middle region, in which you mainly write all non-capital letters and parts of the capital letters, like the lower loop of the cursive L, and you have the lower space where the lines from th q or the loop from the G/g or the Ys goes.

[@ct3950]

I had to click "Like" when I heard your statement at 23:30 that we foreigners have the responsibility to find out. That is a superb attitude, and thank you for sharing what you learnt! I have to check back again in a couple of years when it is my turn to experience Einschulung!

[@kerstinklenovsky239]

Grayson's German sounds seriously Bavarian. He's a cool dude! 🤩

[@philippbock3399]

You really have become "Bavarianized" - no doubt 🙂 Lots of Love to you all, Philipp

[@danyvorphal]

I’m from Chile, South America… and I went to a German school there. We were taught to write in a pencil first, and in a fountain pen after. We were not allowed to use regular pens until we were older. The fountain pen doesn’t easily “slide” everywhere, so you have to really train your hand and wrist to do the proper movement

[@zakiraperkovic6221]

Yep that is exactly the reason why the use the fountainpen.

[@michaelutech4786]

It's amazing how Grayson speaks without any accent after just one year in Germany. Wow! Btw., there is an easy way to pronounce the German 'ch' (for the parents): say the letter 'e' (english) or 'i' (german). That's exactly the configuration of the mouth you need to pronounce the 'ch'. Instead of using the vocal cords, just push air out and you get a near perfect 'ch'. From there, you just need to learn to push up the center of the tongue a bit increasing the tension slightly so that you need less air pressure to get the ch out. The German 'ich' is perfect for training. If you try transitioning from the 'e' sound to leaking tire, you probably do that tension thing I described automatically. You get the rasping ch sound very similar by saying 'a' or 'u' using the same trick but also contracting the gorge a bit (the more air pressure the less tension you need in the back of your mouth. The good thing about that is that you also know when you need to make the leaking tire or the farting balloon sound, i/e is tire, aou is balloon.

[@XynxNet]

Regarding the Watercolors: Buying a quality brand really pays off. Their colors have more pigments. Because of that they last longer and are easier to use. Quality brushes also help a lot.

[@justacatwhocantype]

Schools here typically demand that kids use flimsy 100gms drawing pads for art class, and most school art teachers do not provide kids with any useable information on the use of opaque watercolors (or any watercolors for that matter). To top it off, the flat brushes, with hard bristles, something that would complicate matters for absolutely anyone, are mostly mandatory. There is a reason why so many people in Germany, even those who otherwise like art stuff, have a deepseated hatred for these kinds of gouache boxes. Hate to say it, but there is zero reason to buy higher quality paints if they are just for school, the experience will be horrible one way or another. If a kid enjoys art, then it would make sense to buy them some nice paints, papers and brushes for at home, and teach them properly.

[@ladyinblack3398]

German opaque watercolor boxes are vastly superior to the American junk Crayola, Rose Art boxes that they sell here in the USA. Myself ynd my kids were grateful for relatives who sent them thise things for school. The problem of hatred towards watercolor boxes in Germany did not exist when I went to school, nor hace I ever heard of it frim anyone in my circle who gave kids. But I can tell you as an artist that most US K-12 teachers don't even know how to use and work with watercolors properly. Art education is at an all time low in US schools.

[@cloverzouzi]

When you break all the different Hefte down like that it makes us (Germans) sound a little insane 😂 But they all have a specific purpose, it's not just to mess with the parents

[@melboom2994]

In the Netherlands we are taught to write with a fountain pen actually, and you are not allowed to use a ball point pen till you go to highschool

[@Stephstar80]

As a half German, born in Germany but raised in Ecuador, I truly relate to Grayson.... I sometimes have difficulty to find the word in Spanish, right away... Sooooo my husband always looks at me funny! At my parents home, it wasn't a deal because my Ecuadorian dad spoke German and my German mom. Spoke Spanish... So we spoke in both lenguages at the same time! 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 By the way... Grayson's german pronunciation and accent is awesome!!!

[@jjjjjjjj56374]

Could a son look more like his father?!! Wow.

[@Baccatube79]

The demands as to which Heft is needed in which class recede as they progress. In years 10 and higher, you just go with a college pad and a binder. But in the first three years you have, in fact, different lineage in the German classes because they support the handwriting differently. The margins are for teacher's marks and really important, and handwriting gets WAY neater with a fountain pen - if you handle it correctly.

[@christianoster_sole]

Fountain Pen = Füller diese sind in allen Schulen in der Grundschule Pflicht, weil man mit diesen am besten schreiben lernen kann. Später in der weiterführenden Schule kann man schreiben womit man will.

[@klotz__]

In Hamburg fountain pens are mandatory until a certain class (I guess 7th). In my school we weren't allowed to use ball pens at all. In later classes we could use a blue fine liner instead of a fountain pen. About Heft: we used to have only one Heft per subject plus a Mappe (Schnellhefter).

[@gesinedrager6118]

According the newer "Bildungsplan" fountain pens are no longer mandatory, the focus shifted from writing with fountain pens and a clearly defined font to the more general goal "Kids can write texts in a readable and swift way".

[@peterbruells28]

@@gesinedrager6118 Which makes it easier for teachers and parents, but harder for the pupils, in the long run, because they will tire earlier when writing long texts by hand. Which happens during the Abitur and in quite few majors. Law comes to mind. Basically everyone I know who has a neat handwriting by using ballpoint does so by drawing single letters. Legible, but slow. When it’s only for a few works or sentences, it’s doable, but it does add up.

[@starlenehoney]

Fountain pens in Germany and Austria are still normal and welcomed. It’s a bit like Chinese with their letters they have to write using a brush. First it’s a tradition. Second it forces you to have a better handwriting. A good handwriting is associated with a good personality so you want to have a beautiful one. Third when you are able to master a fountain pen you master everything. We tend to always learn the most difficult way first to be able to master everything else with ease. Federmappe = singular Federmappen = plural Federmäppchen = slang to cutify the word. Normally this is used for small cute versions of this thing. It’s slang and therefore not to use when you write something official like an essay for school. The difference between Buch and Heft is as you already figured out the hardcover = Buch and soft cover = Heft. The different versions of Heft should force kids to learn to structure things well and for teachers that they do not have to take home so much when they have to correct homework. But to be honest our countries overdo this far too much so the costs and the effort are far to high for the value you get from doing it like this. Everyone learns this in „Hochschulen“ later because there you can do it as you want.

[@magmalin]

No, teachers in Germany don't have to buy school supplies for their pupils. They only have to buy the supplies for their personal use.

[@loreley3126]

Aber in Privatschulen kann es sein, dass Lehrer auch alle Hefte für die Klasse kaufen…

[@cynthiacrumlish4683]

Love this so much! Reminds me of all the French notebooks designated for specific assignments. I taught French in a private school in nyc and had the kids practice their cursive in their orthographe notebooks. THEY LOVED IT and said it felt like art to them. Sigh.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Wow that’s cool! Yeah I think cursive is still probably important.

[@robopecha]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife it is. i can write way faster in cursive than when using singular letters. so it encourages you to keep handwriting things as an adult even if you could type them into a gadget. and we all know that writing things on paper is much better for the brain.

[@tomoarts_]

I moved to Italy so I can't be 100% sure what it's like nowadays, but back when I lived in Germany we did use fountain pens in the north too! In fact, they said they actively chose to still use them because they believe them to be better for the kid's handwriting :)

[@peterbruells28]

Unfortunately they do not insist on fountain pens at our kid’s current school. Because I can absolutely see that his handwriting is much better when using a fountain pen, even with the cheap steel nibs on cheap pens.

[@msgemsgems]

I think that its great. Helps to be more organized and prepared. I am blown away as well. I mean a art and music one as well. Brilliant!

[@julezhu1893]

When studying in America I was surprised that even in Maths classes regular lined paper was used, like graph paper was a very rare requirement and teachers would sometimes give out single pages of graph paper for certain homework. As for me I used graph paper for everything it's just convenient, even when learning to write Chinese characters :D

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Yeah now that our kids use graph paper they all really like it!

[@lijohnyoutube101]

Graph paper in US is significantly more expensive. Around 2.50 to 25.00 depending on amount and size of grid for a pad. Non grid /traditional lined is going to be 0.45 to 6.00 for a pad with the upper end volume the 4-5 subjects of 200-300 pages with pockets to divide subjects.

[@dasy2k1]

In the UK there is a difference between squared paper (mainly used for maths) and graph paper.... Square paper exercise books as shown here generally have 5mm squares (some have 7mm) Graph paper books have 1mm or 2mm squares in grey, with red heavier lines every 10 ticks (10 or 20mm) and often blue lines every 5 ticks They are specifically for drawing graphs in maths science and so on. Often that's handed out loose and then gets stapled into your normal exercise book

[@MatthiasRodel]

Hallo McFalls. Ich bin Deutscher, lebe schon immer in Deutschland und kam durch Feli auf euren Kanal und bin seitdem begeisterter Abonnent. Ich macht das so unglaublich toll, interessant und unterhaltsam. Und obendrein seit ihr auch noch so unglaublich nett. Macht genauso weiter. Liebe Grüße Matthias

[@kidu9443]

I'm french, not german, but I used fountain pens all my school years. And I certainly wasn't the only one, we were STRONGLY encouraged to use them. Ball pens had a very bad reputation, teachers said children couldn't grab them correctly and it led to them having a very illegible writing... It may have changed, as I rarely see kids use them nowadays. What surprised me is that though your children are encouraged to use fountain pens, they apparently aren't using ink eraser pens ? (a special pen with one point allowing you to erase the ink when you made an error, and another to write the correct form over the erased part). That was certainly a basic among my school supplies as soon as I began writing with a fountain pen ( in 2d grade).

[@traceymarshall5886]

We call them “copy books” in Ireland. We also have a Homework notebook. We have the same notebooks in Ireland for grammar, music, essays etc.

[@Baccatube79]

And there are copybook headings which have their own deities! They say stuff like "stick to the devil you know".

[@haselnussbrot]

One of the reasons why fountain pens are still used in Germany is the "Dokumentenechtheit" all tests and exams in school have do be done with a pen that can not be erased, the intention is to stop any kind of forgery (students changing their answers after getting their tests back for example). Fountain pens can be erased by ink-eraser (Tintenkiller) that allows students to correct their mistakes but it also leaves a slight mark on the paper, so the teacher knows that it was used. Some schools don't allow Tintenkiller. Teacher here from the "progressive" north ;) We also still use fountain pens. From their introduction in second grade the are part of the students federmäppchen up to class 9 or 10. The "Hefte for notes" as Grayson titled them are (from my understanding) for general rules in the subject. It is kept seperate from the normal exercises to make it easier to look up, if you are learning for a class test for example. The paying out of your own pocket is not as bad for teachers in Germany as it is in the US, but most teachers here in Germany will spend a significant amount of their pay on school supplies (at least you get tax refunds for those...) Please keep making videos, they are always fun and interesting to watch!

[@beckypetersen2680]

They would also be able to take it off their taxes in the US

[@peterbruells28]

Wether an ik can be erased depends entirely on the ink. I use a crazy waterproof black one, which take some time to dry - but after this, you can submerge the paper und water and it it will keep. The fast-drying blue on isn’t waterproof and bleeds rather heavily, but can't get erased either. And with ball point pens: No problem getting document proof ink for them, too. I like Schneider Gelion 39 - reasonably smooth writing, for ballpoint.

[@silviarojo6988]

As a teacher I can tell you, we don’t put the numbers on the shopping list because we don’t know them either 🤣🤣 In primary school most of the teachers do. Wait til Ella goes to school. You will get to know all the different types of “Hefts”. 😂

[@mariusa.5863]

I didn't know them either at first, but after year 1 as a teacher I started using them to make sure every student gets the right kind of Heft. Some still didn't, of course, but it helps a lot.

[@regenbogentraumerin]

Holy cow, all those Hefte would have confused me massively as well! We never had that many Hefte, one per subject plus a Vokabelheft for english and french and a Hausaufgabenheft. At about 10th grade we started to just have one single spiral note pad (Collegeblock) for everything.

[@petraw9792]

But a seperate Klassenarbeitsheft for each of the Hauptfächer, right?

[@JanasViLoegg]

They usually have two per subject in Grundschule so the teacher can take the one with the homework with them to correct and they still have something to write in. Later on the teacher usually doesn’t take the homework with them so there is no need for this.

[@jcs2012]

Yes that was the same in my school years during the higher classes. We only had a stack of karrierte and linierte Klausurbögen, for the exams and the Abitur exam. And you had to fold 1/3 of them to have a margin where the teachers could correct them. Anyway it's so interesting to watch those kind of videos after like not being in school for more than 10 years and still remembering so many stuffs.

[@Sleeping_Insomiac]

It's totally mind blowing how easily children pick up a language! His pronunciation is absolutely perfect!

[@miriamblanca]

I'm shocked you don't find fountain pens progressive. :) I love them. They're awesome. And more ecological than ballpoint pens. I still use one today. And yes, I believe they're used all over Germany. However, it's usually just in primary school and sometimes during the first years of secondary school. Supposedly, you get better handwriting using them. Older kids can usually use whatever they prefer. But a lot of people keep using fountain pens.

[@freibier]

Yes, when I was in school back in the 80s, fountain pens were required up to "Oberstufe", apparently to "improve handwriting". During the last few grades of Gymnasium, we were allowed to use ballpoint pens, if we wanted to. By then, teachers treated us more or less as adults and even asked us at the start of the school year, if we wanted them to address us as "Sie" or "Du". I still like fountain pens, now I collect them and own a few which are worth a couple hundred Euros :-)

[@Isabella-mc5cc]

Yes me too! Love them so much. I’m currently in the „Oberstufe“ and I keep using it in exams. I got mine in the 5th class I think and still have it in the 13th. I also always have a ballpoint pen with my if the ink cartridge gets empty in the exam (and I forgot to take a new one with me) but I always write with my fountain pen first.

[@lilibetp]

Didn't work too well for King Charles III recently...

[@jcs2012]

Hey I actually started using a fountain Pen again after using bald point pens. During my school time, we switched to ballpoint pens in Mittelstufe but that made my writing more illegible so I started to use a fountain pen again 10 years after leaving school and my writing got neater again 😊

[@karmacounselor]

Thank you! I want to add as an older teacher, I have found that the new messy writing (in the states where they are not even using lined paper) every letter can turn out a different size. It stands to reason that it takes more brain work to read. When the words have uniform letters and consistency the brain can recognize, identify, and associate with less effort and so they can enjoy learning with more energy.

[@cacklebarnacle15]

Given how many different fountain pens there are in the Schreibwarengeschäfte hier, most of them obviously marketed for kids, I think they are still very much in use here. Have you tried using your son's fountain pens? Try one and look for the differences to ball pens for example, required strength and fine motor skills and all that. I'm sure if you ask a primary school teacher about it, they can tell you about the benefits of fountain pens, because there are obviously studies about that.

[@Mysterios1989]

Jup. If you want a good fountain pen, it can cost quite a bit, but it is really worth the hassle. I use for years now a fountain pen from Faber Kastell during my legal studies and legal training afterwards, and it is something that really helps to write a lot in a rather short time with an appropriate neatness.

[@swanpride]

@@Mysterios1989 Never got a handle on it, but then my writing is messy in general and I tend to put too much pressure on the pen. I know people who use an old fashioned fountain pen with ink from an ink glass for ages.

[@dansattah]

@@swanpride Same, I was born with impaired fine motor skills in my fingers. That's why I switched to "Stabilo Move Easy" rather quickly.

[@SuperSampling]

@@dansattah have you tried making your hand rigid and writing with your arm?

[@dansattah]

@@SuperSampling No, but the metal feathers of the older pens always kept breaking under my pressure sooner rather than later.

[@e.458]

4:45 You do actually have the soft "ch" sound (as in "Stichpunkte") in the English language, you just haven't realised it, because it's "unofficial". German "ch" sounds like the exaggerated "h" sound of the word "huge": "And the beer glasses are HHHHUUUGE in Bavaria!" Maybe that helps.

[@chrissbayer9561]

I feel you! Even for me as a German mom in the Munich area it was a quiet difficult and overwhelming thing 🙈… Great video, as always 😊.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

That’s good to know!

[@lucaschlichter8531]

I've been out of school for a few years now, but we also had Arbeitsheft and Arbeitsbuch. As I understand it, the difference is that you can write in the Arbeitsheft and solve the tasks directly in there. In the Arbeitsbuch, there are only the tasks, which you then work on in one of the checkered or lined notebooks (usually you add a small reference as to which page of the Arbeitsbuch the task is from). Therefore, most of the time the Arbeitsbücher are only borrowed from the school and have to be returned at the end of the year, while you get to keep the Arbeitshefte.

[@lidahenche9173]

Diese Kinder sind einmalig. Darauf kann man richtig stolz sein.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Dankeschön ❤

[@caramelvictim193]

Grayson's German has gotten so good! 🤩 It's so impressive

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

That’s nice of you to say so! Thank you.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

That’s nice of you to say so! Thank you.

[@tanjasolerti4403]

I‘m a retired Austrian teacher. I bought lots of material for my class and my lessons with my own money. I once even painted the classroom because the walls looked so dirty 😂. But for decorations I asked my pupils. They should have some responsibility for their classroom and also the possibility to form it appropiate to their own taste.

[@Kram1032]

Where/When was that? At least in and bread Vienna, at least in my limited experience with the schools I happened to attend, that didn't seem to be the case. But I don't doubt that there are some schools out there that might be kinda worse off... I think occasionally a teacher did buy stuff out of their pocket for the class but it was never anything essential. Like one teacher bought chocolate bunnies for Easter or stuff like that

[@torkakarshiro5170]

@@Kram1032 I am a teacher in Vienna right now and I very often buy thing for school or pupils, though I am not supposed to. Many of us have painted classes themselves. Main reason fir doing such things: If I do not do it, it will not be done at all.

[@Kram1032]

@@torkakarshiro5170 that sucks. Sounds like a major funding problem to me

[@torkakarshiro5170]

@@Kram1032 Well, I think it sucks a bit, yes - and thank you for acknowledging that! But it could be much worse too. There is mostly enough money to fund seriously necessary things, and fresh paint and many other things are not a "need" but a "want".

[@EmilyEmilyEmily01]

I love seeing the neat notes! I'm amazed, glad it's encouraged

[@UnexpectedTurnOfEvents]

This reminds me of my school days as a child in Italy. For me, the main culture shock when I transferred to an American University was the multiple choice tests. The only multiple choice test I had ever encountered in Italy was the one for the driver's license. Everything else had been in essay format, which requires a good knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. On the contrary, a multiple choice test gives you the answers and you just have to pick the right one. Worst case scenario, you can guess.

[@Laura-Amara]

In my school the "Arbeitsheft" normally was a softcover book with exercises inside that you can just fill in. That means it can only be used once. The "Arbeitsbuch" normally was a hardcover book with the same or similar exercises but it was not made to fill out but rather to copy the exercise in your "Schulheft". It could be used for many years by many different students.

[@praiseprayerfan]

In Baden-Württemberg we call the „Federmäppchen“ just „Mäppchen“. 😊We also had to use fountain pens until 7th grade. I loved writing with them and (age 48 now) still do! My youngest son switched to an iPad in senior grades and needed his pen only for class tests. 😉

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Love it! I used tok do calligraphy as a kid and thought fountain pens were SO interesting. All of these comments today on the video about how adults still use them are inspiring me to use them again.

[@praiseprayerfan]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Fountain pens are great! Brands like Pelikan or Lamy have some fountain pens in really good quality not just for kids, but for adults, too (Mont Blanc is extremely expensive, but 😍😍😍). I’m sure you’re Schreibwarengeschäft 😉 has some in stock for you!

[@dieschachbrettfee2060]

When I was in school (beginning 2002) in Karlsruhe (Baden-Württemberg) we called it "Federmäppchen".

[@pythagorasmathematik9585]

I still use a fountain pen whenever I need to write something. You don't need to apply any pressure to the page for it to write, which keeps your hand from getting tired.

[@nilaa5]

We did use fountain pens in the north when I was in school, even had to get a specific type or brand when we started using it it 2nd grade and practice using it in a little exercise notebook called "Füllerführerschein" :D Not sure if it will be the same in Bavaria but all those rules got more lax the older you got, the teachers didn't really care that much about which pen or notebook you used anymore

[@agn855]

Well, finally your handwriting (AKA "Schönschrift") skills have been rated as well (while AFAIK, there is no more "Zeugnis" in the beginning but a formal statement of the teacher about the pupil and its over all learning status).

[@Marta-dy1uc]

Same in Baden-Württemberg! The older we got, especially from 5th grade on in Hauptschule, teachers didn't care (well, in that school they didn't care about lot of the sh1t they should...). We only had 2 rules regarding handwriting: 1) regular ball pens were completely forbidden - all had to be written in fountain pens, especially if it was stuff to be turned in to the teacher and 2) on those materials to be turned in - especially on essays + tests - absolutely NO fountain pen eraser (Tintenkiller) was allowed. If teachers saw that your work could be annulled.

[@ungerongt6033]

Grayson is so cute! Great family and I really hope you all feel welcome to Germany

[@Gatchiri]

The lineature is different for the first three school years normally. The first year learns how to divide the space and which letter goes where (usually there is a little house drawn next to the lines to symbolize roof, middle space/1. floor and cellar) to help distinguish between letters starting way above the base line or using the space under the line - in third grade they usually switch to two lines arranged like a very long rectangle or empty spaced bar where they have to recognize the use of the space above (roof) and below (cellar) on their own and then in fourth grade they switch to the single line to write on. The fountain pen is standard all over Germany. They can choose which pen to use in secondary schools usually, but the neat handwriting and control is best practised with the fountain pen, because it does not allow a lot of mistakes when correcting what you have written. There is an eraser for it, but the kids are usually not allowed to get one of those when they start using the fountain pen to make them write more carefully. And: Your plural forms are a bit off :D Heft- Hefte / Mappe - Mäppchen (no s anywhere in those words ^.^) Thanks for sharing your impressions, always great to watch.

[@jennyh4025]

I just want to add: the plural of Mappe is Mappen, while Mäppchen (the diminutive) stays the same.

[@yennileigh]

I cannot tell you how much I needed this video! We just moved to Germany and are getting our son started in first grade. They didn't give us a list we were just told go and get some pens and paper. Never knew I'd be so overwhelmed figuring out which notebooks (and folders) to get!

[@MhLiMz]

16:45 these days German stores print English phrases onto their shop windows (startup school). In former times it would have said „Schulstart“

[@peterpain6625]

Denglisch ist überall ;)

[@cailwi9]

Except that English does not use such words. What is a 'startup school'? A 'start-up' in the business world is a new company, started from the ground up - i.e. the infamous garage start-ups in Silicon Valley. So by that logic, a start-up school would be some kind of private venture to start a privately funded for-profit school or something like that. But again, it is not a term that is typically used. None of this has anything to do with telling time or defining a certain time on the calendar. Now, retail stores in America will advertise 'back to school sales', and that happens typically in August, shortly before the new school year starts, so that is probably what these German stores are trying to advertise on their windows. Kind of like Handy. Handy in English means 'convenient'. It can also mean 'close at hand'. It is not used to describe mobile phones or cell phones. As much as the German language evolves freely without anybody being able to control what happens, it is a bit of a problem, when Germans assume that what they have independently invented is actually English, or when they assume that their invention would actually be understood overseas. That problem does exist both ways though, Americans assume that their definition of Kindergarten is a school for 5 year olds - and 5 year olds only. They also assume that Biergarten means a place like a cafe, possibly inside a grocery store, where food is served cafeteria style. And the fact that it neither serves beer, nor is a garden, apparently seems of no concern in that matter either. So, these problems do go both ways, on occasion. Startup school, lol.

[@Markus-zb5zd]

yes fountain pens are used everywhere

[@SaRah-21532]

You guys made me giggle when you were explaining all the different Hefts haha I never realized just how complicated it is 😅 Honestly, by the time I was in 7th or 8th grade everyone just carried around one binder for all classes and one notebook that lets you tear out the pages (a 'Block' in German)

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Oh that’s nice! Our oldest is in 7th grade and he still has a ton of Hefte!

[@hannah-wj9ot]

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife depends . We had Hefte all through 10th grade and the start of 11th grade . It wasn't mandated but evetually one big binder for everything made more sense . It did rob me of one of my favourite ways to cheat on my German homework though . Everytime my Heft was nearing the end I would start my homework and then just rip out the last pages and pretend that I started a new Heft but forgot that at home . Also something about the binder for everything . I was messy and no matter how careful I was I could never get it to look as neat and tidy as some of my classmates and it annoyed me so so much . I wanted it to look good but it just never worked out .

[@RuuyG]

​@@MyMerryMessyGermanLifeyes for me they stopped requiring all that stuff in 8th-9th grade, but it was still definitely mandatory up to 7th, I know that because it was my first year in Germany.

[@Me-wk3ix]

Their son seems like a really bright boy. Great family!

[@rolandmerz8668]

Starting in fifth grade, I had a Schlampermäppche „Slob pencil case“ like the American pencil case. That was so cool and rebellious 😎 And Mäppchen is used for singular and plural👆. 😀

[@muulikas974]

27:18 Lovely artwork that is in every school

[@berndhoffmann7703]

OMG - I do not remember that "Heftschlacht" - the only relief I can offer is that it just goes on for the first years, after a while it is the decision of the pupil what pen and paper they want to use.

[@Raffael-Tausend]

Your son speaks perfect german! Nice Video

[@svengaefgen5909]

Schnellheft is probably a Schnellhefter (fast-binder). Nice video, thanks.

[@leighnisbett9691]

It's the same in the UK ,you have jotters that have three lines on the front of the jotter for name ,class and home room .You have to buy your own in A4 format with either lines or squares in various sizes depending on the class ,you also have to provide your own stationary and sketch pads for art class in secondary school ,in primary schools you are responsible for the same supplies but the jotter is of a slightly smaller size ,but everything else has to be provided by the parents .The school provides work sheets in secondary school or if your in primary school you get a work book and you use your jotters for homework or spelling exercises .

[@whitneymcmichael6431]

Hey Sara! I just moved to Bavaria a month ago, Nuremberg specifically, with my two sons and I am still sweating over these lists. Since we are in a bigger city there is a special class for foreigners at our Grundschule where they focus on learning the German language while also doing grade-level work. I would agree that the teachers in this program are accustomed to dealing with foreigners, they speak a little English and explain everything to the parents as simply as possible. My 3rd grader was asked to get the Federmäppchen and everything that goes in it, but the teacher just asked for cash to provide all the different hefts.. which I was fine with! I then went into the chain store Müller to try to get everything on my first-grader's list... you can imagine what it was like trying to comb through the rows and rows of hefts with two kids in tow... AH! We left empty-handed. Afterwards I figured out I could order most of his supplies on Müller's website for pick-up, but I will have to ask for help with the hefts when I go tomorrow because I couldn't figure out the hefts out on the website either. At least the kids will be in school this time!

[@danielastarly5803]

Find a specialized Schreibwarenladen (or maybe this is possible at your nearest Müller even!) and just hand the cashier a copy of your list and ask when you can return to pick up your stuff. Bring your kids with you for pickup since some items need the kid there for buying (like a fountain pen needs to fit the kid, the Zeichenblock (sketch block) has different motives on front usually, and kids like it when they like their motive). That is something even locals do. Do look into the Hausaufgabenheft before school starts, to familiarize yourself with its layout. Maybe you need to insert dates for the weeks beforehand even. Do get your kid a mini Schultüte (this cone-thing) prefilled with sweets from your local Müller (they should sell them now). So that he gets to experience this very german tradition at his very first day of german school.

[@katrinsu5156]

welcome to Nürnberg :))

[@susanned.2523]

Whitney Mc Michael "Saueracker" at Fürth, Phönixcenter is great and they have staff who'll help you with the supplies. For basic things you can also go to Rossmann or Kaufland. A few weeks before school starts, even Aldi and Lidl (discount supermarkets) often have special school supply offers. It's actually not that difficult to get the stuff together but maybe it is for someone who has never experienced this school system from the inside? Trust me, it'll get easier the older the kids get. My big son in grade 8 only needs two types of Hefte and Schnellhefter in all different colours. At Grundschule it is still more specialized because of the different types of lines for different age groups as the writing skills are still developing.

[@rebekkadeforce8963]

I’m from Belgium and we had to use the ink pens as well

[@frankzerbe4992]

About fountain pens: if you only do multiple choice tests, it's ok to use anything else. But in higher classes they are having exams about hours and writing 10 pages. Try this with a normal pencil. And a fountain pen helps developing a cursive and fast and readible writing. I would always recommend them for school kids, it has noting to do with beeing less progressive. I used them in university as well (the good old days before power point).

[@cobba42]

Schulheft / Grammatikheft / Vokabelheft all act as a compendium of sorts. That are filled with a distilled version of what you learn as you learn it. I've had those as well, and I've kept them for a good many years. Was interesting to flip through after some time to brush up, but also remember. For some entries I can recall the scene in the classroom as well as the accompanying lesson that lead to an entry 35 years later. So I am convinced that having the kids write in those "hefts" in their own handwriting is a major boon.

[@ramona146]

Very interesting for me to see your reaction to all that stuff 😃 But one little correction for Kevin: It's not called Schnellheft, it's called Schnellhefter. A Heft always is a notebook, and a Hefter always is a folder 😉

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Ahhh okay! Good to know.

[@kevinmcfall5285]

Cool! Good to know.

[@antje8303]

I´m pretty sure fountain pens are used everywhere in Germany. They are very good to develop a decend handwriting :) And the difference between Heft and Buch is simple: Buch has a hardcover, a Heft has a soft cover and doesn´t contain text. It is only meant for the students to write in. I always found them way more practical as you don´t carry around loose paper that you need to put in a folder.

[@jaywincer7029]

We have stationery lists like this in NZ. Not so many exercise books for each subject, though. Big stationery stores also have the book lists and can fill them for you, online or in person.

[@juliamuller8895]

Vlt. wäre es auch mal ein Thema. Sozialversicherungen in Deutschland. Krankenversicherung, Arbeitlosenversicherung,..ziemlich starke Standbeine,meiner Meinung nach....ich finde Euren Kanal total interessant. Ihr sprecht auch ein ziemlich verständliche Aussprache, ohne "Dialekt ".Ich sehe Eure Videos sehr gerne an. LG

[@jgr_lilli_]

Shopping for school supplies was always one of my favourite things to do as the summer vacations ended. Deutschhefte, Hausaufgabenhefte, Mathehefte, Notenhefte, Vokabelhefte... It was so satisfying to me putting them all in the shiny colourful Umschläge and writing subject and my name on them.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Yes! I used to love that, too. It’s fun.

[@pfalzgraf7527]

Das Heft (sg/neutr) Die Hefte (pl./neutr) Heft: a collection of sheets of paper, stapled together (= geheftet) Der Schnellhefter (sg/m) Die Schnellhefter (pl/m) Schnellhefter: a device to quickly “staple” sheets of paper. For the “schnell” (= fast) part, it is basically a binder where you can take the pages out again. And the pages need binder-holes. Die Mappe (sg/f) Die Mappen (pl/f) Mappe: Usually a big(ish) thing where you loosely collect papers, for example your works of art from art class. Das Mäppchen (sg./neutr/diminuitiv) Die Mäppchen (pl./neutr/diminuitiv) Mäppchen: in School context used for the thing that holds your pens, pencils etc. The word “Federmäppchen” is even older than the fountain pen: It comes from the time when you wrote with steel “feathers” that held a drop of ink but you also needed an ink bottle (German: Tintenfass) to refresh that ink after a few words. The metal part of the fountain pen that you write with is still called “feather”. These things needed to be organized, to avoid them being totally smeared with leftover ink. The smaller, less organized Mäppchen like Ella has, are, at least in Southern Germany, called Schlampermäppchen. A “Schlamper” is a sloppy person who is not overly organized and often has to search for something in their chaos. Accordingly, a Schlampermäppchen is not organized, and you have to rumage a bit to find what you’re looking for.

[@DisturbedFox137]

Thanks. That was so well explained even I as a german could learn a thing or two 😊👍

[@pfalzgraf7527]

@@DisturbedFox137 Thank you! ☺

[@AGWittmann]

Please show the Geodreieck! :D Awesome flashback to my own schooltime, but i didnt have my brushes and Malkasten in my Federmappe, it was in an extra small Mappe, so i didnt ruin my mostly used pens/pencils.

[@sandyp4123]

Actually when I used to go to Gymnasium we did not have so many Hefte. So that might have changed.

[@somethingsmatter]

Love this video! I can relate to the difficulty of finding correct school supplies. I live in Austria and kids start learning to write with fountain pens here in 2nd grade, when they start learning cursive. Our local trafik also offers a school start service- just bring them the list and they’ll get all the materials. 😊 we call it a „Federpenal“ or „Federmappe/ -Mäppchen“. Life in southern Bavaria really is similar to life in Austria. Except you speak with far less Dialekt. Besides the writing and art supplies we also had to provide indoor Turnschuhe and of course all the outdoor weather clothing. Yes, it’s expensive to buy all the materials but We got a „schoolstart bonus“ - cash payment from the government to offset the cost. And kids can reuse a lot of items like the watercolors and paint brushes from year to year. Overall I feel like parents are asked to provide a lot more than in the USA but because of government support it’s affordable for everyone.

[@patmaurer8541]

In the US, it would be so much simpler if each school bought the supplies in bulk, then put each grade level kit together and parents able to could pay a wholesale price!

[@somethingsmatter]

@@patmaurer8541 Same here. But that would require a lot of coordination for teachers!

[@nenegrey2282]

Italy is very similar! In elementary school we have many different notebooks, one for Italian grammar, another for Italian exercises, another one for essays, English grammar, then English exercises, math rules, then math exercises 🤯 at times it's hard to keep track of everything my kids have to bring to school! We have basically no multiple choice tests (I've never done one, not even in university!). Since elementary school our tests are generally essays (for Italian) or open-ended questions (usually for science, history, geography, etc.). For maths and geometry we are given problems to solve using different formulas that we've learned. The "daunting" aspect of Italian school is the oral exams... which happen basically every day! The teacher calls you and asks you to talk about all that you've learned so far. You can be called in all subjects, every day 😭 once in high school I was called in Italian literature, Latin literature, English, Physics and History all in the same day (by different teachers of course). In high school these exams are quite long (20-30 minutes), happen in front of the class and you're given a grade that, along with the written tests, will determine your final grade. A teacher usually calls 2-3 students at the same time. Classical high schools (Liceo Classico) teach Latin and Classical Greek, and as tests we are given "versioni" aka long pieces of text from ancient authors that we have to translate ☠️🤕 Linguistic high schools (Liceo Linguistico) teach several foreign languages and literatures and the tests are usually about grammar, conversation, literature. In university too the exams are open-ended questions and oral. We don't have "finals" at the end of the year, we have different exam sessions throughout the year and can choose which exam to take when. Year-long courses have several exams (for example English is divided in grammar, linguistics, literature, writing/composition, oral/conversation) and the grades of each one will determine the final grade at the end of the year. It would be interesting to see how high schools and universities work in Germany compared to the US.

[@sandyp4123]

Loved your comments and experiences😅. For me as a German teenager it was so much easier in school in the US. Plus not so many subjects or how great to have exotic things like Far East. I was surprised that doing your homework was so important in regards to your grade. If you were diligent, it was almost impossible to get a bad grade in the end. GREAT difference to the German schoolsystem. Your family is a "Bereicherung " ❤ . Thanks for sharing. Blessings

[@paula975]

We have the same exactly sutff in Italy too!! 😉