Art teacher Fran is painting kids' faces at the school fair for
50 cents each. But Jessie has only three dimes, a nickel and
four pennies, which is just 39 cents. So Fran puts out a "penny
pot" for spare change. Miguel has a quarter, a nickel, two dimes
and three pennies: 53 cents. He adds three cents to the penny
pot. All the other kids contribute, too. Soon there's more than
enough for Jessie. Learning what different coins are worth and
adding up change are important life skills. Illustrated by Lynne
Cravath. Place a handful of coins on the table and talk about
the value of each. Ask questions such as: "Which coin is a
dime?" "How many pennies equal a dime?" "How many nickels?" "Can
you combine pennies and nickels to make a dime?" Reread the
story together and ask your child or class to identify the
different coins in the story and tell how much each is worth.
Practice using coins in everyday situations: Help your child or
students choose the coins needed to buy a magazine or a candy
bar. Ask the child to h