As educators, we spend time thinking about how to best prepare students for the future. During my time as a teacher, I tried my best to make connections between content in our math curriculum and the world outside of our classroom. For many students, identifying the “why” behind the reasons they learn a particular strategy in a math classroom is a challenge. With financial literacy activities, we can help students see the why and build essential skills.
It is so important that students build financial literacy. Through classroom experiences like the ones described below, educators can prepare students to navigate a world of spending, saving and investing!
This month I came across T. Rowe Price’s Money Confident Kids®. I was excited when their team reached out to me since this topic is close to my heart. To truly prepare students for college and careers, financial literacy is critical. Students who understand the foundations of financial literacy can make smarter decisions as they spend, save and invest.
Build Financial Literacy for Kids
T. Rowe Price’s Money Confident Kids also includes resources for parents and educators. It covers topics like setting savings goals and creating a budget. Regular followers of the blog know how much I love sharing EdTech tools and resources. Especially those that incorporate authentic, relevant experiences for students. With these resources, students will explore topics like inflation and interest. They will better understand how these financial literacy concepts can impact their everyday and long-term money decisions.
I really like how the Money Confident Kids Middle School Teaching Guide and High School Teaching Guide have ready-to-use information for your classroom. The lessons are clear, connected to standards and provides lots of prompts and information for educators leading the lesson. There are options for differentiating the lessons and lots of ideas to bring into your classroom.
Although you could absolutely teach these lessons as is — since there are so many resources within the guide — I could also see this being adapted to connect to a project-based learning activity too. The objectives of each lesson are relevant to students’ everyday life. And they include skills they can put into action right away too.
Parent’s Guide to Financial Literacy
In addition to the classroom resources mentioned above, there is also the Money Confident Kids Parent Activity Guide. This resource is perfect for families looking for the best way to tackle this topic at home. And I’m sure there will be takeaways for parents thinking about their own savings and spending decisions too!
I could certainly see a group of parents coming together to discuss how to put these activities into action at home, on the weekends or in an after-school club. The tips are great for building confidence with all families’ members, and I love the inclusion of extra resources. The glossary is an excellent tool for families who may not use terms like asset allocation or diversification in their everyday conversations. This guide includes great visuals and lots of ways to spark discussions on this important topic.
Financial Literacy Game for Kids
The parent and teacher guides are fantastic resources for educators and caregivers. It can help them lead conversations and activities on financial literacy. The folks behind these resources also have a financial literacy game for kids! It’s called Star Banks Adventure®. You can access the game on a web browser, or download it to your mobile device.
Available on the web, Apple® App Store, Google Play™ Store and on Amazon, the Star Banks Adventure game lets users choose their own character. Students set a budget and explore some of the same ideas they will hear about in the Money Confident Kids activities. They practice saving and earning in order to meet their goals. If you are working through the Money Confident Kids activities in your classroom, this app is a great at-home extension to mention in a classroom newsletter or special message to families.
As you think about teaching financial literacy this year, these activities can supplement your current curriculum and make clear standards connections. I know you’ll certainly find lots of things you can use right away and plenty to share with families too! Head over to the Money Confident Kids website and dive into these great resources.
T. ROWE PRICE, STARBANKS ADVENTURE, AND MONEY CONFIDENT KIDS are trademarks of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. Used with permission.
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Amazon’s trademark is used under license from Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
