Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Teacher Tricks Tuesday...My 2 Cents on Coin Counting

Hello! We started back to school this week after a fabulous spring break...and boy did we have to hit the ground runnin'!  Next week is testing!!  Eeek!

For those of you under the common core standards in K-1, you know that money is NO LONGER in the math curriculum for us ( I have mixed emotions about this!).  But, until we do away with the current standardized tests, I still feel the need to teach them at least some basics- so I address this briefly during our calendar time every day.

Teaching coin counting can be a pain because not only do students have to be able to identify which coin is which, then figure out how much it's worth, then count it all together- but they have to switch counting patterns....first by 25's, then by 10's, then by 5's, then add ones at the end.  CONFUSING!! But last year a colleague taught me a teacher trick for counting money that I just LOVE!

Teach your students to tap the coins when they count.  Tap the quarters 5 times, counting by fives.  Tap the dimes twice, counting by fives.  Tap the nickels once counting by fives.  Then add one more for each penny. 







This way, they're only counting by FIVES instead of constantly switching the counting patterns!! Genius!   I had never heard of this, but it has changed my teaching and definitely has given my students confidence in such a challenging area!

So if you've never heard of this trick, I hope it makes teaching coin counting a little easier like it did for me!  I love hearing awesome ideas from colleagues and teacher friends across the globe!  Any other great tricks for coin counting out there that you use?  Share your ideas!

15 comments:

  1. Great idea, probably starting in Grade One-my kinders can barely tell the difference between a nickel and a quarter!

    ReplyDelete
  2. We use this idea in my class. It is called "touch money." It is a lot like Touch math. We actually put dots on our coins, though, to help the students remember how many 5s to count. They touch the dots and count. It's great! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. We use Harry Hairs(the same concept). Five hairs on the quarter, two on the dime, one on the nickel and the penny is bald.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great idea we were just talking about the CC and no money today. I am your newest follower.
    Tammy


    First Grade @ Klinger Cafe
    dtklinger@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Love the ideas, ladies! Thanks for sharing! And thanks for following, Tammy! Looking forward to sharing ideas back and forth! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is how I taught my SPED kids to count money. It is really helpful. I would start by having a set with dots on them, then they would "graduate" to ones with no dots.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I also use the Touch Money in my 1st grade room and love it. http://ericabohrer.blogspot.com/2011/03/touch-math-touch-money.html

    ReplyDelete
  8. We use pictures. A quarter is a turtle (head and four legs), dime is a ladybug(two antennae), nickel is a lollipop (one stick) and a penny is a cat eye. We draw the pics on the coins and count by fives.(all but the pennies, of course)

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a wonderful idea! I wish I had thought of that when I taught 2nd grade, sure woul dhave made it much easier!

    I am your newest follower.

    Brian
    http://www.hopkinshoppinhappenings.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Been using touch money for years(like 20) I taught it to an aide who worked with illiterate adults and the woman she worked with was able to get a cashiers job within a week. Have used it from k on up

    ReplyDelete
  11. This is great. I am homeschooling my son who is in Kindergarten and he and I are really loving it! I dread every time I bring a new concept to him because I'm afraid I'll mess up and he won't get it. I have been lucky enough to find lots of different blogs on various things and using imagination on my own part. This is genius! We're about to learn to count by 5's next week and I think learning to count money that's in his piggy bank will be great fun for him!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow, just saw a link to this on Pinterest. I'm going to try it for our two firsties. They are having a hard time remembering the coins, but they can count by fives. They get the penny and can count of course by ones. This might just do the trick!!! Thanks so much for explaining visually (helps this visual learner:).

    ReplyDelete
  13. Also pinning to my Math Ideas board. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  14. this is a great blog=D

    ReplyDelete
  15. Great idea!
    Kids need to handle money a ton in order to master it. I love that you are continuing to press on!

    ReplyDelete