Real Teachers Learn: Let's Talk About the Money, Money, Money

Financial literacy is a pretty big deal, yet we don't really tackle it as a topic in schools. Some high schools (maybe some middle schools?) do offer a basic finance class. Not many people have experience learning about real world finances until they are in the real world.

The thing is... we are in the real world all the time. Why not have kids learn some important financial tools young and then grow with them?

We do money word problems in school. We add and subtract decimals. There are some financial concepts that are being taught there, but I'm not usually teaching about money. We teach economics and how money works on a large scale. Students make and sell products and learn about supply and demand. But what do we teach them about their money?

I like to offer parents some resources through our class website to put a friendly little bug in their ear to talk about money with their kids. Some parents don't need that kind of reminder. Some do. I like to have my classroom website set up as a resource for both parents and students, because sometimes a teacher's job is to share resources with parents as well!

I found a great new resources that fills an otherwise empty niche as far as education goes for elementary-middle school kids, and I got a tiny bit excited (free resources do that to me...)! Time for Kids just came out with a new monthly magazine all about financial literacy for kids. It gets kids thinking about money. Spending, saving, and lots of other things where money is important. It's a really cool little resource. They've provided a fourth grade level magazine, but also the same magazine for 5-6th graders, which is another awesome component! I think it comes with a Time for Kids subscription, so if your class has that, then you may have seen it already! The cool thing is, though, that the digital issues are up on their website totally free!

The monthly magazine is called Your $ and it just started in January 2015, so there are only two editions out so far. Complete with teacher guides for each level if you use it in class!

In my quest to find some great resources, I gathered a few and put them here. I've also added the teacher resources to my Social Studies page under the Websites/Resources tab up above. Dive in!

$$$ Resources for Parents:

Money As You Grow

Teaching Financial Literacy to Kids: Introduction

S'mores or Sums? Next Year Send Your Kids to Financial Literacy Camp

$$$ Teacher Resources for Kids/Students:

Your $ Magazine

Moneypalooza (A printable board game)

Economics/Money Vocabulary Cards

You have hit the economics vocabulary motherload here, download and print right now!

$$$ Just for Kids:

Rich Kid Smart Kid (games)

H.I.P Pocket Change {U.S. Mint for Kids}