Money By All Means

I've seen Money by All Means by Jane Crawford for quite some time and it comes from one of my favorite publishers, Math Solutions but I didn't even look at it because it is written for grades first to second. I am writing today to caution everyone from making that same mistake, not looking at a great resource because it was written and intended for a grade level you may not be teaching. I have been working on a coin unit with my kindergartners and found several things that would fit my standards and goals for teaching.

The introduction provided some solid information that helped my understand the process children go through in understanding coin concepts. It also provided some helpful tips for implementation and organization. I think the first whole class lesson, Pennies in the Bank has potential in my classroom. The next whole class lesson, Coins and Magnifiers can be adapted to fit our room by looking at one type of coin each day and doing a shared writing. From the menu activity section I just loved the Matching Game and can use it as a Family Math activity to guide support from home. Scoops of Coins was similar to something I had done with sorting our coins but provided another step for recording our learning I think I can adapt.

There are many more activities that are geared for a first and second grade classroom but I would also caution third grade teachers to look at this resource for some reteaching ideas to help students who may continue to struggle with money concepts. I'm sure you can find either a whole class lesson, menu activity, or a literature idea to use.