Using Play Money
Lesson preview: the Mini Lesson and Vocabulary are open to everyone. Guided practice, exercises, the parent checklist and the printable PDF worksheet come with full access (free 7-day trial or membership).
What you will learn
- 1Count a small group of coins by starting with the highest-value coin
- 2Add each coin’s value to find the total in cents
- 3Show that the same total can be made with different coins
Mini Lesson
Now that you know each coin’s value, it is time to put coins together and find the total. We use a strategy called count on — start with the coin worth the most and add each coin worth less, one at a time.
How to count on
- Sort your coins: biggest value first.
- Say the value of the first coin out loud.
- Add the next coin’s value and say the new total.
- Keep going until all coins are counted.
- Write the total with the ¢ symbol.
Example: Count a quarter, a dime, and a penny
- Quarter → say "25"
- + Dime → say "35"
- + Penny → say "36"
- Total = 36¢
Same total, different coins!
- 10¢ can be: 1 dime, or 2 nickels, or 10 pennies.
- The total is the same — only the coins are different.
Words to know
Count on
Start with the biggest value and add each next coin’s value
e.g. 25¢ → 35¢ → 36¢
Total
The full amount you get when all coins are added together
e.g. 36¢
Always start with the coin worth the most — it saves time and keeps your count accurate!
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