Canadian Money: Counting Coins and Bills

Money is one of the first pieces of math children use outside school, and this pack gives them plenty of practice with Canadian coins and bills, with nothing to prepare except the printing. Students learn the names, values and designs of the coins and common bills from a poster and a short reading, sort and match them, and then count collections at three levels: coins to 50¢ for Grade 1, coins to a loonie and beyond for Grade 2, and bills and coins to $10 for Grade 3.

Everything is written in words and tables, so there are no pictures to squint at and nothing depends on colour. A class store game with price tags and a recording sheet turns the counting into shopping, and Grade 3 students go on to make change and to round a cash total to the nearest 5¢, the way Canadian shops have done since the penny left circulation. A short set of exit tickets and a complete worked answer key finish the pack.

Print the pages you need, use real or play coins, and teach tomorrow. The teacher notes page gives timing, differentiation by grade and a note on the outcomes each page practises. The free sample is the teacher notes and the Grade 1 coin-counting page.