Below is a playlist of songs about coins. A playlist means that one song will play after another and you do not need to click anything! Each song will teach you the names of coins and their values. Follow along and learn.
As you listen. Pause the video at the end of each song and put an X on the digital worksheet if you like the song or not. You need at least 5 songs on your playlist.
If you list all of them, pick your favorite 5 to make your own playlist with.
1 small container (Tupperware, gum tin, etc)
10 pennies, 5 nickels, and 5 dimes for each container
Start this lesson by placing a handful of coins in a spot in front of your child. Ask your child what they see. Continue the discussion by asking what we use coins for, whether they ever use coins, and when they have used coins.
Explain that over the next few days he/she will be looking closely at coins to learn how to use them correctly.
Give your child a box of coins with the stipulation that the box stays closed until all directions are given.
Give your child a box with 10 pennies, 5 nickels, and 5 dimes.
Show your child a penny. Have him/her take a penny out of the box and look at it.
Ask several questions and record their answers on a sheet of paper/web/graphic organizer.
What is this coin is called?
Just by looking at the coin, what can you tell me about it?
Whose face is on the coin?
What do you know about this person? (Build on this a little.)
For Lincoln Memorial cents: Have you ever seen the building on the back of this coin (reverse)? What is this building called?
For shield cents: Do you know what that object is? What is a shield used for?
Does this coin have writing on it? What does it say?
What does “Liberty” mean? Why might this coin say “Liberty” on it?
Direct his/her attention to where the coin says “One Cent” and explain that every coin has a value. Write "value" on the board and see if your child know what the word means.
Have your child put the penny back in the box and take out a nickel to examine.
Ask similar questions as asked in step 6, and chart the responses on a new sheet/web/graphic organizer. See if your child can find the value of the nickel. If a penny is worth 1 cent, and a nickel is worth 5 cents, how many pennies equal a nickel?
Have your child put the nickel back in the box and take out a dime to examine.
Ask similar questions as asked in step 6, and chart the responses on a new web. Mention that there is a memorial to FDR in Washington, DC, but it is not on the reverse. What is on the coin’s reverse instead? See if your child can find the value of the dime. If a penny is worth one cent, and a dime is worth 10 cents, how many pennies equal a dime?
Review the values of each coin and ask which coin has the greatest value? Which has the least value? Which is the largest coin? Which is the smallest coin? Does it matter which coin is biggest in size? Why or why not?
Have your child lay out all their dimes in a row and count them. How many do they have?
Now, have your child take out the rest of their coins and continue the row by placing the coins in order of the ones with the greatest value to the ones with the least value. What comes after dimes? How many nickels do they have? What comes after nickels? How many pennies do they have?
Together, count the value of all the pennies (1,2,3…10 cents). Do the same thing with nickels (5,10,15…25 cents) and dimes (10,20,30…50 cents).
Discuss the fact that even though there are more pennies than dimes in the box, the dimes are worth much more than the pennies. And even though there are the same number of nickels and dimes, the dimes are worth more money than the nickels.
Note: sing or chant on any and every occasion possible counting by 5s and 10s to strengthen this skill in playful, non-stressful way.