Tips for Programs To Boost Kids' Financial Smarts
April is National Financial Literacy Month, a great time to help kids learn about money management. With fun programs, you can get kids interested in basic transactions, entrepreneurship, and even investing.
Apri
il i
il is National Financial Literacy Month, a great time to help kids learn about money management. With fun programs, you can get kids interested in basic transactions, entrepreneurship, and even investing.
Here are some ideas to consider for your school:
Here are some ideas to consider for your school:
- Real World Math - Many parent groups operate a school supply store. Why not train students to run it? Kids can manage inventory, track profits, and handle scheduling. The school supply store
can become a student-run small business and reinforce basic math concepts younger students are learning in the classroom. Don’t be surprised if the kids come up with great ideas for increasing sales! - Junior Achievers - Bring a Junior Achievement program to your school. Junior Achievement is a respected organization that teaches kids about business and finance through hands-on lesson plans delivered by parent volunteers. The West Elementary PTO in Andover, Mass., used a Junior Achievement lesson plan to run a program teaching 3rd graders how to operate a restaurant. Parents say they love interacting with kids in the classroom and teaching them how to be financially responsible.
- Wall Street Whizzes - Try a stock club with older elementary students. Find a stock-savvy parent willing to teach kids some basics of the market. Set up groups of student investors who need to work together selecting a few stocks to invest in with pretend money (see how many pick Apple!). The students then follow the real market for a period of weeks and track the performance of their stocks. Challenge the investors to figure out when or if they should buy or sell.
