Money. Money. Money. It brings out the best and the worst in people, doesn't it?
These days, I don't think anyone could argue against teaching children about the value and use of money. If adults are having so many problems understanding it, just think about how confused our children must be!
Money is a confusing subject, but it's also one that can be taught from a very early age. The more real world experiences children have with money, the better off they will be when they go off on their own.
Take coins, for example. I had to facilitate a unit on this topic when I student taught first grade. You'd think it would be easy to introduce, right? Wrong.
First of all, in my home state, by the end of first grade, students are expected to be able to identify and define not only pennies, but nickels, dimes, and quarters as well. They also have to be able to add up to 25 cents with different coin combinations. It may sound easy, but for children with no prior "hands-on" experience with coins, it's anything but.
The dime throws many students off. Why is it smaller than the penny and the nickel? Shouldn't a bigger coin be worth more? When all of these coins are introduced within a few weeks, students are bound to get confused. Sometimes teachers just have to get through a topic as quickly as possible, so they have no choice but to move on even when students don't have a full understanding of the topic.
What's a parent of a 4 to 6 year old to do? With some real coins and a few picture books, you can get your child off to a great start. The key is to proceed slowly. If you show your child all of these coins at once, he or she will most likely be confused.
That's why it's important to start with pennies. A great picture book to start off with is Benny's Pennies, by Pat Brisson. It's a simple, yet beautiful way to introduce the concept of money. The words have a unique flow and rhyming pattern that make them fun to read aloud.
Benny has five pennies, and uses them to buy five different things. Along the way, he learns that pennies can be traded for small items, and that sometimes it's better to give than to receive. He's not afraid to speak up for something he wants, and doesn't complain when there's nothing left for him! My only complaint is Benny spends all of his money, but that doesn't mean you can't discuss that topic with your child.
Young children will find it fun to read along and remember what was bought as the story progresses, and will probably want to act out the story when they're finished! Here are some ways to extend this read aloud into a "hands-on" experience for children:
- Take out a variety of coins and ask them to identify a penny. Ask how they knew it was a penny? Was it the color, the shape, the design? If you take out a large number of coins, children might even enjoy sorting out the pennies. Just be careful if you have younger children around, because coins can be a choking hazard.
- Children can count out 5 or more pennies. If they act out the story, they can play store and buy small items from family members. It will be interesting to see if they keep the items or give them away like Benny did! It could lead to an interesting conversation.
- Children can retell their own story, and recite what they bought each time they buy something new. It's a great way to reinforce literacy skills like speaking, storytelling, and listening. Learning to retell events in sequence is also an important skill.
- You could label items with a price, using the "cents" sign. If they seem to understand the value of 1 cent, you could label things as 2 cents, 3 cents, and so on. They're learning valuable addition and subtraction skills as well. Try to keep the total to 5 cents. Believe it or not, adding and subtracting to 5 is an important skill that takes time for children to understand. You can always increase the numbers after they have a basic understanding.
- Why not encourage your child to save one out of every 5 pennies? You could start a penny jar, and see how much it adds up to over time. Your child could save up for something, and even donate a portion of the proceeds.
I could list more activities, but there will be different picture books and activities in the next few weeks. The important thing is to make this fun. Don't worry about the history of pennies, or the technical details just yet.
If your child seems fascinated by pennies and asks a lot of questions, here are some great online resources:
- Did you know that the US Mint is issuing some new pennies this year, in recognition of the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth? You can find out more information, and even look at the new designs, at www.pennies.org. Your child might really be excited to look out for these new pennies when you're out shopping! You can also learn about the amazing things students are doing with pennies at the same web site here.
- Here's an Associated Content article about the History of the Penny.
- Find out even more at the US Department of the Treasury web site.
Children learn at different rates. While these activities may keep some children busy for days or weeks, other children will be anxious to move on. I will be continuing the topic of coins for a couple of weeks. While my posts will not revolve around this topic every day, I will certainly be adding more information at least once or twice a week over the next few weeks.
I realize that many of you may not use US currency, but a few of my posts will relate to coins from other countries as well. If you have any related books that you'd like to share, please do!
Here are some related posts:
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to share!
