Stories by Storie

Everyone has a story to tell. What is yours?

  • Stories by Storie
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
    • Book Activities
    • Book Lists
    • Classroom Management
    • Freebies
    • Math
    • Reading Tips
    • Writing
  • Free
  • Shop
    • Teachers Pay Teachers
    • Amazon
    • Bookshop
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

Counting Money

September 7, 2014

One of the things I have become confused about with the new Common Core standards is why there is only one reference to money: 
CCSS.Math.Content.2.MD.C.8
Solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, using $ and ¢ symbols appropriately. Example: If you have 2 dimes and 3 pennies, how many cents do you have?
This comes with a BIG assumption – that 2nd graders know how to identify coins and their values.  Hmmm…..does this mean 2nd grade teachers must take on those two key skills, or are first grade (and possibly K) teachers taking on this task, too?  Also, in the age of technology, is counting money becoming a skill that may be phased out altogether (along the same lines as handwriting vs. keyboarding)?
Needless to say I have always evaluated this skill with my 2nd graders within the first month of school.  First, I have a volunteer work with kids one-on-one to test them on coin identification, coin value, and coin combination skills.  Once I know this, I know where to start.  Often I find that the skill level is crazy different and I use a lot of guided math & math stations so I can work with the struggling students more often.
One of the first things we do is a coin sort (I have blogged about this before – click here to see the full post).  At this point I am also introducing my students to games.  While students are playing games, I can pull my struggling students to work on identification through directed games/activities.
Once I have established that (most) students can identify the coins, it’s time to work on counting coins.  Most students can successfully count dimes, nickels, and pennies when reminded that they should start with the largest coins first and then work down to the pennies.  One strategy that my colleagues and I have found successful is introducing touch money (something I learned about several years ago).  I must warn you – this strategy works if students can successfully count by 5s and then add on 1s.  If a student cannot count by 5s, start there).  

**sometimes I will teach my students to draw a line horizontally under the penny so they can see the mark better while counting.
Once we’ve learned the touch points, it’s time to practice:
As students see the coins, they tap the coin where you see the red dots and say the numbers you see written on the coins.
After practice, practice, and more practice, eventually the students get to a point where they are ready to count coins in any order: 
Since counting by 5s is something most 2nd graders can do, I teach mine to save the pennies until the end.  So in this case, we worked from left to right, top to bottom to count and skipped the penny until the end.  Again, students tap the coin where you see red dots and say the numbers you see written above.
After practice, my students feel much more successful with counting money.  By the end of the year, some second graders have transitioned away from needing the touch points, and others stick with them all year long.  Either way, the kids are counting money and able to apply these skills to the new standards.Eventually, we get to the point where we can use these skills to solve word problems.  For example, some of my students will tackle the following problem in this way:
If you have 2 dimes and 3 pennies, how many cents do you have?
One student might draw this on his paper:
D D P P P
Then that student would tap the letters in the same way he did on the coins in the example above (2 taps per dime, 1 swipe per penny).  You would hear a student count: 5, 10, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23.
Another kid might say, “Two dimes is 20 cents.  Three more than 20 is 23.”  The answer is 23 cents.
Is money an easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy skill?  No way, but it is less frustrating to teach them a strategy they can use, right?

signature

Related posts:

No related posts.

«
»

Filed Under: math Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Categories

Latest on Instagram

Took a quick trip to the local library after volun Took a quick trip to the local library after volunteering today. Here’s what made it into the bag. Which titles catch your eye?

#librarylife #libraryhaul
Whether you’re starting a plants & garden unit o Whether you’re starting a plants & garden unit or just looking for an entertaining book to share this spring, grab a copy of Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!

This story follows Mr. McGreely as he finally starts the garden he’s been dreaming about for years. He plants lettuce, carrots, peas, and tomatoes. But after he goes to bed, a trio of hungry bunnies sneaks into the garden: Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!

Frustrated at the sight of gnawed sprouts, Mr. McGreely places a wire fence around his garden. But after he goes to bed, a trio of hungry bunnies sneaks into the garden: Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!

Mr. McGreely tries a tall wooden fence and a deep wet trench, but those hungry bunnies still manage to find a new way in. More furious than ever, Mr. McGreely builds a large creation. One that he’s sure will keep the bunnies out. But readers will delight in the final moments of the book as they discover one final surprise! 🥕🥕🥕 

This is one of my favorite books for spring. Swipe to see a peek inside along with a craft to pair with this funny story! The craft is just one part of my Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! book companion, which is available in my TPT store (tap the link in my bio). 

Have you read this story yet?

#munchamunchamuncha 
#springbooksforkids
Have you ever WANTED something so much that you fe Have you ever WANTED something so much that you felt like you NEEDED to buy it? Guilty! 

The concept of wants vs. needs can be tricky, especially for kids. So when I saw that Michael Rex wrote this new book, I knew I wanted it to have a home in my library.

The robots in this book need four things to survive:
- batteries for power
- arms to do work
- legs to move
- oil to run smoothly 

When one robot prioritizes wants before needs, it trades away its oil, arms, legs, and batteries for a pile of stuff that it can’t even enjoy. Fortunately, the author gives the robot a reboot. With a second chance, the robot is able to make better choices. In the end, the robots are happy to HAVE the things they NEED so they can ENJOY the things they WANT! 

🤖 Have you read this one yet? 

@fangbone_rex @penguinkids 

#kidlit #kidsbookstagram #classroombookaday #picturebooks #wantsvsneedsvsrobots
I am a BIG fan of fractured fairy tales! The Pois I am a BIG fan of fractured fairy tales!

The Poisoned Apple adds a dark, but humorous spin on the tale of Snow White. Like the classic version, an evil witch detests Snow White and plans to get rid of her once and for all with a poisoned apple. However, things take a detour after that.

The witch didn’t know that Snow White was on her way to deliver lunch to the dwarfs when she finally put the poisoned apple in Snow White’s hands. As a gesture of kindness, Snow White gives the apple to a dwarf. He ends up giving the apple to a hungry forest creature. Meanwhile, the witch watches her plot spiral out of control. Can she get the apple back before it’s too late? Or will this scheming witch discover that what goes around comes around?

What are your favorite fractured fairy tales?

#thepoisonedapple #fracturedfairytales #kidlit #picturebooks #classroombookaday @pagestreetkids
☘️One Week☘️ It was time to grab some St. ☘️One Week☘️

It was time to grab some St. Patrick’s Day books and get them on display. My kids may not ask for every single one of these for bedtime stories, but you can bet they will be reading their favorites on their own time.

☘️What is your go-to read aloud for St. Patrick’s Day?

#seasonalbookshelf #stpatricksdaybooks
EMPATHY We tell kids that empathy is being able t EMPATHY

We tell kids that empathy is being able to understand and share how others are feeling, or being able to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes to see things from their perspective. But how can we get kids to show empathy? One of my favorite ways is using books to share examples of empathy that kids can then emulate. When @hangingwithms.cooper told me she had a new book about empathy, I couldn’t wait to read it.

The Sunshine Rock: A Story About Empathy follows Alexis as she moves to a new city with her family. The night before her first day at a new school, her brother gives her a Sunshine Rock, which she can use whenever she needs more support. 

Alexis uses the rock to battle her nerves on the big day. After an embarrassing moment at the start of the day, the school counselor gathers the class for an important discussion about kindness and empathy. This challenges the class to find new ways to help Alexis feel welcome, included, and cared for in her new school.

This book would be great to share before welcoming a new student mid-year, but could also be read anytime your class needs a gentle reminder about showing empathy and kindness to others. A big thank you to Tahiya Cooper for sharing this new book with my family!

💛What are your favorite books about empathy?

#TheSunshineRock #picturebooks #empathy #kidlit #picturebooksaremyjam #classroombookaday
This may have been one of our shortest library vis This may have been one of our shortest library visits ever, but I still found a small stack of books to check out. See any titles that catch your eye?

#libraryhaul

Copyright © 2023 · Website Design By Jumping Jax Designs