[TeacherLisa1st]

I'm tutoring 2 of my first graders this summer. No matter what I try, I cannot get them to count combined coins!! Before second grade they are supposed to know how to count combined amounts of dimes, nickels and pennies. However unrealistic this is, it has to be taught and they are just not getting it. Neither one understands how to start with dimes counting by 10's then switch to nickels by 5's and so on. Do you have any suggestions for me?

Thanks!

Lisa

[Hokie Fan]

Are they able to count by 5's? If so, this may help. If using a worksheet, draw legs on the coins. If using real money, draw coins on scrap paper and add legs.

A quarter gets 5 legs-"5,10,15,20,25"
A dime gets 2 legs-"5,10"
A Nickel gets 1 leg-"5"

Start with the dime, count each leg, then move on the nickels, counting each leg by 5's. After counting the pennies, put a slash through them.
I hope this makes sense and can help!

[kali]

Use a 100s chart to teach them how to count coins, it really helps!! It also gets them thinking of counting money just like counting anything and thinking about base 10.

Practice with a few pennies first...heres six pennies each is worth 1 cent so put them on the chart and once you get to your last penny, the number underneath is how much you have..6 cents!Then do dimes and then do like a few dimes and a couple pennies.

It really has helped my kids when they are tangled in counting coins!

[dtrabilsy]

I used Touch Money with my fourth graders this year. This is where you give the coins touch points and count by 5's. It really worked.

Check this out:
http://www.coleman.k12.wi.us/StaffWe...ouch_money.htm


Nickel - Touch in middle
Dime - Touch top and bottom
Quarter - Touch in five places Top Left, Top Right, Bottom Left, Bottom Right, Middle

Penny - Make line under count 1

Basically what you are doing is breaking everything down into fives.

[speeder1]

I used touch money with my life skills class and they picked up on it real fast. All of my students are on a 1st to 2nd grade level and are in high school. Once they could count by 5's to 100 they were ready.