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Learning how to add up small amounts of money to see how much we have.
Imagine you find a handful of shiny coins on the sidewalk. How do you know if you have enough to buy your favorite candy bar or a cool new sticker?
Before we count, we must know our coins! In the United States, we use four main coins. The Penny is brown and worth cent. The Nickel is silver and worth cents. The Dime is the smallest silver coin, but it is worth more than a nickel at cents. Finally, the Quarter is the largest silver coin and is worth cents. To make counting easier, we always look for the value of the coin first. We use the symbol or $\text{\textcent}$ to talk about cents.
Let's count three nickels together. 1. Identify the value: A nickel is worth cents. 2. Count by fives: . 3. The total is cents.
Quick Check
If you have 4 pennies, how many cents do you have in total?
Answer
4 cents
When you have a mix of different coins, like a quarter and a dime, there is a secret trick: always start with the coin worth the most money. This makes adding much easier! If you have a quarter ($25\text{\textcent}$) and a nickel ($5\text{\textcent}$), you start at and then 'count on' by . This is much faster than starting with the small coins and trying to add the big ones later. We call this descending order.
You have 1 quarter, 1 dime, and 2 pennies. Let's find the total:
1. Start with the Quarter:
2. Add the Dime ():
3. Add the Pennies ():
4. Total: $37\text{\textcent}$
Quick Check
Why should you start counting with the quarter instead of the penny?
Answer
It is easier to add smaller numbers to larger numbers than the other way around.
Did you know that coins can turn into paper money? When you collect enough cents, they reach a 'magic number.' That number is 100. There are cents in dollar. We write one dollar as $\$1.00425 + 25 + 25 + 25 = 100\text{\textcent}110\text{\textcent}\, you know Pile A is worth more.
Which pile is worth more?
Pile A: 3 Quarters Pile B: 7 Dimes
1. Calculate Pile A: . Total = $75\text{\textcent}$.
2. Calculate Pile B: . Total = $70\text{\textcent}$.
3. Compare: . Pile A is worth more!
$25\text{\textcent}$, a Dime is $10\text{\textcent}$, a Nickel is $5\text{\textcent}$, and a Penny is $1\text{\textcent}$.$\$1.00$).How much money is 3 dimes?
If you have pennies, how many dollars do you have?
A nickel is worth more than a dime.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow morning, try to remember the 'magic number' of cents that makes one dollar. Can you remember the values of all four coins?
Practice Activity
Ask a grown-up if you can count the change in their pocket or a jar. Sort them into piles from largest value to smallest value before you start counting!