Kentucky Academy of Technology Education

Money Matters -- Teaching Money at the Primary Level

Core Connections

 By:  Teresa Avery, Morningside Elementary, Christian County Schools

As a second grade teacher for the past three years at Morningside Elementary in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, I have found that one of the most challenging subjects for primary students is math and money. Counting money has been a difficult concept for my young students to grasp. Students are expected to know how to count money up to one dollar and to recognize a penny, a nickel, a dime, a quarter, a half dollar, and a dollar and know their value.. They also need to be able to place the coins in order from least to greatest, to be able to draw the value of each denomination, and to make change.

 All of these skills need to be continuously taught throughout the school year to help the students maintain the knowledge they acquire when learning how to count money. It is very important that students are given every opportunity to learn, review, and practice these skills. One way to make sure that students are continuously reviewing money math concepts is to include the skills in every school day. In my classroom, I have a math center where students can manipulate and practice with plastic coins that look like the real thing. Parents need to know early on in the year that counting money is one of the most difficult skills for their child to master and they should help their children at home.

Using the Internet is an excellent resource for students, parents, and teachers. There are many wonderful websites that offer fun interactive games, puzzles, homework help, worksheets and resources for students, parents, and teachers to use.

Motivate Your Students With Blogs

Instructional Illuminations

www.blogging101.com/graphics/blogging-101.gif
 

"Never in 25 years of teaching have I seen a more powerful motivator for writing than blogs and that's because of the audience. Writing is not just taped on the refrigerator and then put in the recycle bin. It's out there for the world to see and kids realize other people are reading what they write." These are powerful words from Mark Ahlness of Seattle's Arbor Heights Elementary School. Ahlness like many other teachers are finding online blogs and journals useful tools for the classroom.

A blog is an online journal where students and teachers can post items and others can comment on the information. Blogs can contain random information and thoughts or serious research and educational information. Students are using MySpace and Facebook for social networking and fun so many educators are taking advantage of their enthusiasm and using blogs as an avenue for learning. Class Blogmeister (classblogmeister.com) is a blog service for teachers and allows security features controlled by the teacher. Edublogs.org offers free teacher blogs and can be used in a multitude of instructional ways.

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Springtime Weather

Core Connections

Spring is in the air!  With Spring comes blooming flowers, warm sunshine, flip-flops, and a much anticipated opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.  However, the warmer weather also brings an unsettled atmostphere and the possiblity of severe thunderstorms and even tornadoes.  As different weather patterns begin to unfold, there is no better time to introduce your students to one of nature's most dangerous phenomenon-- the tornado.

According to USA Today, "Tornadoes and the threat of tornadoes are a key part of the USA's spring weather because spring brings favorable tornado conditions."  The following link provides an in-depth look at  tornadoes the impact they have on our society: Tornadoes are Earth's Most Violent Storms.

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