Kim,
I have taught elementary art for 5 years. When I started (3 different
schools) there was a hodge podge of different brands and I compared and
contrasted them to find the best materials.
Overall, Prang gave me the best results. They have a new crayon out that is
made especially for construction paper.
Tru-Ray construction paper is fadeless, costs more but worth it because so
many projects are saved for the art fair.