Economics in the Elementary Classroom

You may be wondering why I chose to double major in elementary education and economics. I chose to take on economics as my second major because I became interested in economics at the height of the pandemic during my freshman year. Over time I realized that these two subjects complement each other. I completed a directed study in the form of a thirty-page research paper titled Incorporating Economics into the Elementary and Special Education Curriculum. While conducting this study I acknowledged the signifcance of teaching young students the importance of being informed about the economy and understanding basic economic concepts. This understanding will allow them to grow and develop into educated consumers and participants of the worldwide economy.

Incorporating Economics into the Elementary and Special Education Curriculum.

Final Draft

Main Points

Stanford Marshmallow Test

The “Stanford Marshmallow Test” measures a child’s ability to delay gratification. The study focuses on children between the ages of four and five. The procedure of the experiment is to leave children alone in a room with one marshmallow in front of them for ten to fifteen minutes. The children are told that if they wait until the conductor comes back in the room to eat the marshmallow, they will be given another marshmallow, ultimately leaving them with two marshmallows. If the child eats the marshmallow during the ten to fifteen period, they will not receive another marshmallow. They will be done after the first. The results of this study prove how children’s development of willpower, ability to delay gratification, and financial background or economic status affect their developing economic habits at this young age and that children can be trained out these bad habits to put them in a better position to be successful later in life.

Money Memories

Money memories are core memories surrounding money that stick in our brains, influencing our behaviors surrounding money later in life.

Spendthrift-Tightwad Scale

Be Relatable!

Get the Students Involved.

Classroom Economy

Finally, you may be wondering why it worth my time and energy as a teacher is to add economics into my already jam-packed curriculum and stressful schedule. There are mant reasons why it is important to educate the younf studnets on how to make smart economic descision, but here's a few:

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