Sweet Coin Counting Practice

Coins are TRICKY for first graders, but many are already motivated to learn about money.  For those who aren't, I introduced one thing that no one can resist.  SWEETS!  

 I use 4 different menus that students can "buy" from.  There's the ice cream truck, ice cream shop, candy store, and bakery.  There are about a dozen sweets in each menu, and each item has a different price. 

To start the lesson, I tell the kids, "Thanks for coming over so quickly.  Today we're going to pretend to buy some treats!  First we'll look at a menu for the candy shop.  Then you'll each get a "pocket full of money."  I'll show you how to count the coins.  Today the coins will be nickels and pennies.  Then you can choose one of the sweets that you can afford."

What will this teach them?  Well, they will need to learn and practice counting coins.  They will compare numbers to 100 to determine what amount is greater (the treat or they amount of money thy have).  Then they will need to use mathematical reasoning to determine if they have enough money to buy the treat they want.  They might even get into some discussion on saving versus spending on something they don't really want!  

Next I hand out their "pockets full of money."  Sure, a handful of plastic coins works well for this activity.  But if I want them to work on this activity independently later in the week, the pockets work much better.  They won't spill, they won't end up lost, we won't end up with 4 separate cups worth all dumped into a single cup that needs to be redistributed after each rotation.  And I have an answer key that lets me keep tabs on if they're counting accurately.  

But the best part about the pockets is they are differentiated.  I color code each set.  The easiest set has just dimes and pennies.  The hardest has all 4 types of coins.  I can decide for students which color I want them to work on.  Later in the unit, some students start making their own good choices about which color to grab (I love when they take ownership over their learning). 

The final tool in my coin teaching tool belt is the set of coin counting mats.  This system helps those students who forget how to count by 5s and so on.  The charts can be used with or without plastic coins.  I demonstrate like this:

"I'm going to start with the dimes.  I have 6 dimes, so I'm going to count by tens.  This mat will help me if I forget.  10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60.  If you need more help, you can put these 6 plastic dimes right on the mat as you say each number.

Now I'll take that 60 and move it over to the nickels mat.  I have 3 nickels after the 60, so I say 65, 70, 75.  I have 75 cents in my pocket. 

Now I'll compare.  I have 75 cents, which is more than the 40 I need for the cotton candy.  So I can buy it!"

Finally, students fill out the shopping list.  They write the item they want, cost (from the menu) and amount in their "pocket."  Then they write "yes" or "no" if they can or can't afford it.  For kids ready for a challenge (or 3) there are differentiated shopping lists that involve making change and adding items they want to buy.  

The materials were quick and easy to prep and the kids ate this activity up!  The colors were enticing and they could really see themselves as consumers making choices about what they wanted to buy and how to do it independently.  It was like their whole year of math culminated in this activity. 

You can get Sweet Coin Counting Practice for your students on Teachers Pay Teachers.  Check out the preview to see every included page.  If you have questions, let me know in the comments. 

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How to Organize Classroom Library Shelves: Top 5 Tips

Figuring out how to organize classroom library shelves for a new grade can be daunting.  And even veteran teachers have years when they look at their bookshelves and think, "There's got to be a better way."  Since I've experienced an evolution of my library over the years and grade levels, here's how to organize classroom library shelves in first grade.

1.  How to Organize Classroom Library Shelves:  Determine what you have and what you need.

Do you have limited space to organize your library?  I mean, obviously you do.  But is there a possibility that you could expand your shelf space?  Is there a top shelf that you want to utilize or one that is too cluttered that you need to clear off?  I had to get creative with my library organization part way through my year and switch a tall shelf for a short one.  Do you have limited books?  Check out this post from the Brown Bag Teacher on where to find cheap books!  

2.  How to Organize Classroom Library Shelves:  Measure and buy bins.  

For an organized classroom library, I like to have all my bins the same color and size.  You may find you need to adjust later on (more on that later).  But start from a place of consistency.  The bins you buy are an investment.  Personally, I find dishpans from Target or Walmart are durable enough to last without being too pricey.  Some people buy from school supply stores because they are more durable, but they are expensive (worth it in the long term, maybe?).  Dollar Store bins are cheaper but I find they break too quickly.  So weigh your options and then start shopping.  

3.  How to Organize Classroom Library Shelves: Sort your books into categories based on what you have.

Everyone's classroom library is different, but some of my labels include:

Science, social studies, nonfiction, math books, poetry/song books, Animals Fiction, Animals Nonfiction, Realistic Fiction, Winter, Fall, Back to School, Summer/Spring, and Encouragement.

A few authors each have their own bin too, of course.  I inherited a ton of Mercer Meyer books, so I have a dedicated bin for that.  I don't have as many Pigeon books, so it doesn't make sense to have a single bin just for them.  They are grouped into a boarder category of "Animals Fiction."  [As an aside, this works well because then kids discover related books].  In fact, I have a LOT of fictional books about animals.  I actually have 5 bins worth.  When you find you're getting a huge pile of one category of books, you need to go through them again and sub-categorize them.

4.   How to Organize Classroom Library Shelves: Sub-categorize huge piles for yourself and match labels for your students

My first year, I tried putting subcategories such as "Animals, Nonfiction, Furry" and abbreviating it as ANF.  Then the rest were ANNF because they're not furry.  

I can laugh about that now.  

Of course that was too confusing for 6 year olds.  What I do instead is make sure there is a kid friendly coded label on each book.  I have 5 Animals Fiction bins, and each has a different colored label.  For my colorblind students, I also have a system of numbered dots and rings.  This way I know all my purple have talking animals, all my blue are realistic fiction, all my green are my favorite 4 authors in one.  But the kids can match the color more easily.  

5. How to Organize Classroom Library Shelves:  Check your piles before printing and sticking labels.

Finding your balance is not a science; it's an art.  I hope you find my tips on how to organize your classroom library to be helpful.  But it's probably not going to be perfect your first time.  You want each bin to be between half full and almost full.  You want to make sure all the bins fit on the shelves.  You might need to run back out and get a couple smaller bins because your heart tells you you REALLY want to have Mo Willems on his own for easy access.  You might find you have too many books and you need to store some in the closet to rotate through the year.  And all of these situations are FINE.  You might find you like it better than a totally uniform, static system.  As long as you start with a plan for how to organize classroom library shelves that makes sense for your room, you can break the rules to make it livable.  That's the teacher life, after all!  

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