The following is an excerpt from Hands On! A Collection of ESL Literacy Activities.1

MONEY

How much is it?

Objective

To introduce money and prices.

Goals

  • To recognize Canadian coins and their values.
  • To request information about money and prices.
  • To respond to questions about money and prices.
  • To introduce basic numeracy concepts.

Suggestions

  • When possible, use real coins and bills. Plastic Canadian money is available at educational resource stores.
  • Flyers are a good source for practicing reading prices.
  • It is important for learners to feel comfortable with numbers 1-100 before learning prices.
  • Collect the price tags from articles you buy.
  • Go to a store and practice reading prices.
  • Money stamps and money Bingo are available at educational resource stores.
  • When practicing to count and add, it is useful to use the 1-100 number paper on page 2.7
  • Introduce learners to the different ways to write prices ($.O5, 5'¢)

Activities

  • Have a variety of coins. Ask learners to match 10 pennies with a dime, two nickels with a dime, two dimes and a nickel with a quarter, etc.
  • Instructors say a price and ask learners to write it. Increase difficulty as learner is ready.
  • Have combinations of real coins or pictures of coins and ask learners to write the total values.
  • Pre-teach is/are. Practice asking and responding to the question "How much is/are ___ ?" using real items belonging to the learners.
  • Collect a variety of price tags. Say a price and learners choose the correct one. Discussion can follow as to possibilities of what item the tag came from.
  • Make a prices Bingo. Copy the blank Bingo card from this kit and write prices in the blanks.
  • Make money Bingo. Copy the blank Bingo card from this kit and put pictures or stamp of coins in the blanks.
  • Role-play buying items and practice giving change.
  • Practice giving change. Leamer has $10 bill and buys something from the flyer; another learner gives the appropriate change.

1 Kathy Burnett, Hands On! A Collection of ESL Literacy Activities. (Halifax, Nova Scotia: Halifax Immigrant Learning Centre, 1998.) Reprinted with permission.