Learning to save money is an important life skill. During America Saves Week (February) or Financial Literacy Month (April), I like to have small groups of students rotate through the Money Jar Center. I’ve also done it as a whole class activity with second grade and up. Students do have the option of using a hot glue gun. I go over the rules very carefully. Even so, there are usually a handful who choose not to use the glue gun….
The best way to teach kids financial literacy is in the context of their everyday lives. Here’s this month’s teachable moment: The season for gift buying and giving is behind us and we’ve headed into the season of returns and exchanges. Admittedly, not as exciting as shopping for great deals on presents, the mundane tasks that are required in order to effectively manage money need to be addressed for a solid financial foundation to be built. Enter receipt management. The…
Ryan just sent me this text message: “Do you think the people I gave money to this morning scammed me?” Ryan went on an early 8-mile run with a group of people this morning. On his way home, he stopped for gas. While filling up, he was approached by two very distraught females saying they had run out of gas. They asked if he had any money they could use to buy some gas. Ryan gave him all the change…
Ah, New Year’s Resolutions. Most of us make them. But sticking to them… Here’s an idea. Get the kids involved. They love to know what’s going on in your life. They’re snoopy that way. Actually, they’re just curious about how adults work. So let’s use this opportunity to teach them about New Year’s Resolutions…which is simply a fancy beginning-of-the-year way to say ‘goals’. It’s usually not too difficult for adults to come up with goals. Most of them have been…
Turns out, we can actually teach in a way that’s compatible with our brain. And when we do, interest level increases, retention improves, and confidence builds all leading to more complex learning. That’s the conclusion of decades of research about how our brain works. The good news is, brain-compatible teaching is not that difficult to do. It all begins with designing an effective learning environment. Here are 5 easy steps you can take to create an environment conducive to…