Teaching Money to Kids

In the TIME magazine article “Is Cash the Answer?” four different cities were given four different ways to bribe their students.  The intention was to see if cash could be an incentive to get students to raise their standardized test scores.

The Dallas study focused on the reading scores of second graders.  The students were paid $2 a book and the results were described as very positive, meaning reading comprehension skills dramatically improved.

Well, I love the concept but I have several issues with both the process, and the reading of the results.  Maybe it’s because I have a background in education.

1. What’s the big deal with Standardized Tests.

The nice thing about them is that they are, well, standardized.  But it’s the only thing in education that is, so why do we worry about it so much?  Does it test a kids abilities to thin on their feet?  Does it test how kids analyze and understand new information? No, it tests how well students do on standardized tests.

2.  Second Graders will do anything.

This study had too many variables.  The youngest age group had the biggest positive result.  If there had a been a control group that received stickers, or bubble gum instead of two dollars, you might have seen similar results.

3. They were tested on a computer.

The results don’t really seem to apply to standardized testing at all.  The point was to improve test scores, which are usually done with a pencil and given by a teacher verbally.  Yet the comprehension tests here were done on  a computer.

4. The tests were given immediately after reading the book.

Most standardized testing happens in the fall, within weeks of the start of school.  And right after summer vacation.  over information that was learned months ago.  How is this fair?

5. The tests were only about that book.

Standardized tests usually cover a variety of topics, not just reading.

6. The tests covered material the students actually had access too.

Many standardized tests ask questions they only assume the kids have been exposed to.

7. The tests only took minutes to complete.

Most standardized tests take days to complete.  Any students with test anxiety will not perform well on these test for this reason alone.

8. They haven’t compared these tests with their standardized test scores.

Which means we don’t know if reading those books will carry over into improved reading skills.

9. The average amount earned was only $13.81.

I know this is only an average, but that equates to only 7 books read.  That is less than one book a month.  I am skeptical that reading less than one book a month could have such dramatic results.

10.  The $2 was given immediately after completing the tests.

It is presumed that having the money right away is one reason why it was a positive result.

11. What if they had received positive feedback without money right away.

How do we actually know that it was the money that brought the turn around?  Usual standardized tests take months to get the results.

12. Did the computers give feedback about right or wrong answers while students were taking test?

The feedback from Standardized tests are usually vague.  Many adults cannot read the scores, let alone students.  And if you don’t understand your score, you will not know how to make improvements.

13.Could the practice of taking the tests have helped improve test results?

Second Grade students have had little practice with taking tests.  Is it possible that just taking the comprehension test was the practice that the students needed to improve their results?

These are all questions that leave me doubting the validity of the test.  I think bribing can work, but I am not sure that this test laid out a strong case for its use in the classroom.

This test was the cheapest of the four employed, and the results were positive, so schools may decide to continue this practice even though I don’t feel that he, the economist, proved it was the bribe that inspired the changes.

So if you are considering bribing your kids for improved test scores, you may want to consider the variables first: how much, how often, and for what.

What do you think?

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• Thursday 13

Posted in Motivation | 4 Comments »

Along with the start of school, comes the start of negotiation between parents and kids.  Get to school on time, do your homework, study hard, and pay attention.  If only we could pay kids to do good in school.

Well, some parents do.  Mine did.

When parent/teacher conference time came around we (My two brothers and I) would all gather around the  folks to see what the verdict was.  We were pretty competitive when it came to schoolwork.  So getting the money was less a bribe, and more a reward for getting good grades.  Better grades, than my brothers, of course.

In early elementary, we each earned $1 for every A or A- that we earned.  We got nothing for bs, or cs, and we owed my parents money for Ds or Fs, which would have been unthinkable.  As we got older, and the classes harder, the money went up.  I think $5 was the most an A was ever worth.

We didn’t get an allowance, or money for chores, so besides birthday money, this was the only pay check we would see from our folks.

We liked school, and consider reading a hobby to this day, so my parent’s motivation wasn’t so much a bribe to get us to learn.  I think they viewed school, and learning, as our job.  We were expected to go, and we were expected to do a good job.

A Harvard Economist did a study about bribing kids to do good in school. Read the complete TIME magazine article to see the results.  It is quite fascinating.  He tried 4 different methods of bribing, and discovered that immediate rewards were the most effective.  Apparently my parents were doing it all wrong.

Roland Fryer Jr., the economist turned scientist wrote a book to explain his findings, but coming from a teachers perspective I found his different tests interesting, and I will share with you later this week, why I think some worked and didn’t work .

But I highly recommend reading the article and getting a feel for what the experiment entailed.  If you have a kid who is a reluctant learning, you may get some ideas on what to do. Or not to do.

What will I do?

Miss Love starts Kindergarten this year.  Kindergarten doesn’t really get grades.  So I think I may just use the goals that we set.  If she accomplishes them, then I think it would be fair if she were paid.

What are you going to do?

This is linked in:

• Works for me Wednesday

Posted in Making Money, Out of Box Jobs | 2 Comments »

I know, I know, it should say welcome to the 21st century.  But I still have a hotmail account, have never tweeted, and still prefer getting birthday cards in the mail.  So despite feeling very cool that I have made the switch to Chrome (Google’s own new web browser) from Internet Explorer, I realize I have a long way to go.

Luckily, the internet is the great equalizer.  I don’t need to get into an ivy league school to learn new things.  Now that school is back in session, I am going to try to take advantage of that free education.

Here are the top ten goals that I want to accomplish this school year:

1. Have Teaching Money to Kids Facebook Page

2. Be active on twitter

3. Change all my contacts and subscriptions from Hotmail

4. Get advertisers

5. Be a guest poster

6. Get my photos to upload correctly

7. Get a gravatar

8. Use Chrome as my internet browser

9. Use Stumbl, diggit, linkedin etc.

10. Get 100+ subscribers

I know, this seems pretty ambitious.  But if we didn’t have goals, we would never get anything done.

When I was teaching, I would always start the year out by having my kids figure out some of their goals.  For some it would be physical: learn how to double dutch, or make a 3 point basket.  For others it would be mental: do their times table with in a certain time, or read 100 books.

My daughter will be starting kindergarten in January.  (An unusual time, I know, but we wanted to wait until she was 6.)  We will not be officially doing home school, not in the traditional sense.  But I still have some goals for what she will learn before she starts school:

1. Be able to tell time by a digital and analog  clock

2. Be able to read  a calendar

3. Identify coins and bills by name and denomination

4. Independently be able to measure dry ingredients with minimum spills

5. Be able to read measurements in a recipe

6. Be able to identify 10 local birds

7. Ride her bike without training wheels

8. Write her name left to right automatically

9. Write and recognize numbers to 100

10. Do her morning routine with out reminders

So there you have a double top 10.  What are your goals for this coming year?

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments »

Don’t worry, it’s just an expression.  It means I am feeling a bit behind. 

We just returned tonight from our adventure driving back from California to Michigan.  We took a quick detour through YellowStone.  We didn’t see much wild life, but I did run into the principal I used to work for.  They had just returned from Hong Kong, and we randomly met in Yellowstone!

Anyway, this is just to explain where I have been for the last week.  I hope to get my act together, my suitcase unpacked, and a back to school series underway.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

1. My Time

2. Talent

3. Energy

4. Money

5. Batteries

6. My Breath

7. Water

8. Food

9. Gas

10. Your Time

What do you hate to waste?

Welcome if you are new here.  I would love for you to leave me a comment, and stay as a subscriber.

Posted in Uncategorized | 13 Comments »

Welcome to the August Teach/Learn Blogging Carnival.

One great thing about money is that I usually have some with me.  So when we find ourselves waiting somewhere, like the airport, or the Dr.’s office, we have entertainment on hand.  Even if it is just a small handful of coins.

Classifying money can bring hours of fun.  Well, atleast 15 minutes.

Sorting the money into different piles is great for many ages. Sort by:

• size
• color
• denomination
• year
• design elements: buildings, animals, faces, plants, etc.
• words

Paired with a Venn Diagram (fancy name for overlapping circles used for sorting), you can do some more advanced (higher order) classifying.  For example: this circle holds dimes, this circle holds shiny coins.  The area in the middle, where the circles overlap, is reserved for only shiny dimes.  Everything that is not shiny, or not a dime has to go outside the circles.

When first learning how to sort and looking for a variety of attributes, you can tell your kids what groups to use.  But after they get the hang of it, you can extend the activity and make a game of it.  Have your kids sort the coins and then see if you can guess what attributes define the groups.

I know my kids love sorting money in our change jar.  If only they knew what great science practice it is. 

Thanks for joining me for this months Teach and learn Carnival.  I hope you subscribe and come back for more at Teaching Money To Kids.

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Visit Science@home to find out more about the Teach/Learn Blogging Carnival.

Please take the time to visit the other participants and check out their posts on “Science.”

• CatWay at Adventures With Kids is Magnifying It by playing with magnifying glasses and microscopes to help your child explore the world of the very small.
• Deb Chitwood from Living Montessori Now was never very scientifically minded. One year, though, we participated in a homeschool co-op science fair. Two months later we moved and didn’t have the opportunity to participate in a science fair again. But that experience was a great learning opportunity – and, yes, it actually was fun!
• Monique from Your Cheeky Monkey is commencing on the road of learning about the Human Body (both inside and out). Find out a few of the things we are doing to learn about our amazing bodies!
• SMMART Ideas shows how you can enjoy making these sticky spiderwebs with your child, learn how spiders actually make their webs and other arachna-facts!
• Amanda B at HomeAge says that science is not her forte, but for young children the world is one big science lesson. How do we answer all their questions so that these answers are meanings rather than facts?
• Narelle from A Bunch of Keys has some simple kid friendly activities to do to help attract birds into the garden.
• Deb from Science@home’s daughter has decided to be an alienpologist, and she’s reflecting on all the different ways kids are exposed to ideas and fun activities.
• Staci at Teaching Money to Kids has a simple sorting activity that kids can do anywhere to get them to observe and compare.
• Ash from Mm is for Me have been running their own family Science Week with lots of fun activities.

Thanks for visiting our carnival, we hope you find some interesting new blogs.

Posted in Activities | 8 Comments »

Meet Samantha: An American Girl is book one of the American Girl’s Samantha series.  Our Library had this series on CD, so we listened to it in the car, which was great for our trip driving to California. 

About the Series:

Samantha is an Orphan in 1904, who lives with her Grandmary (grandmother).  Samantha makes friends with a poor girl named Nellie, who is working to support her family, though she is only nine.  This friendship brings her many adventures.  And Samantha learns about life without privilege, quite different form her own. 

There were many times that Samantha complained more than I like to hear.  It’s one thing to read, but another to have to listen, too.  But I also know that the reader’s voice on the CD may have added a bit more whine to the story than the author intended.  Samantha usually came around to a deeper understanding of what real life was like, so the complaining may have been intentional, to allow for growth as a character.

I like the message that the books try to instill in girls: thinking for themselves, doing good for others, and being polite ladies that still have fun.  Sometimes Samantha seemed a  bit too independent, and her twin cousins were definitely a bad influence.  Luckily, my daughter is only five, and innocent enough to be scandalized at her daring behavior.

Using this book to teach kids about money:

Comparing the lives of Samantha and Nellie would be great substance for discussion.  They end up both being orphans, but their lives have such a different path. 

There is also quite a bit of information shared about what progress means in America.  At first it is portrayed as being great and wonderful, but after Nellie shares her experience, Samantha sees how children were exploited in 1904.  This could be a very powerful conversation, since child (even adult) exploitation is still happening today. 

The Industrial Revolution was such a turning point in America.  Older kids could benefit from a discussion of the pros and cons of the changes that it has brought to our country.  For my younger ones, I focused more on how making lots of things at one time can make things cheaper.  We looked at how it is easier to do chores, make food, etc. when you can make an assembly line.  We also talked about how many things used to be made by hand, and how that took longer, so things were more expensive.  But now that machines can make many things, than they do not cost as much money.

The second book in the series is actually my favorite, but the whole series is worth the read, especially if you have young girls. The link below is an affiliate link. This is linked in:

Posted in For Kids | 3 Comments »

Dear Tooth fairy,

  Miss Love is about to lose her 1st tooth.  Before we introduce her to you, we have a few questions. My Thursday 13

(1.) How much do you leave? We kind of thought a silver dollar would be special, but (2.) do you do something different for the first tooth?  And if you do a silver dollar, (3.) Is it okay to spend it? or (4.) Do you expect her to save it?  But then, (5.) What would she save it for?

And while we are talking about saving things, (6.) What do you do with the teeth after you take them? (7.) Do you save them hidden somewhere?  (8.) Would it be weird to hang them in a pouch on our christmas tree?  ‘Cause that’s what we did with her final Pacifier.

I like the idea for celebrating rites of passage, which celebrating losing a first tooth could qualify for.  But, (9.) is there some way that we could celebrate this transition into big-girlhood better?

We have four kids now, so we would like a tradition that can be used for everyone. (10.) Any ideas?

I also wonder (11.) what is leaving money under a pilllow in trade for a tooth teach her about money?  By the way, (12.) How do you get into people’s homes?

Well, thanks for any answers you can give me.  Feel free to leave any ideas in the comments.

Love, Staci, a.k.a. Mommy

P.S. (13.) Do you know Santa?

• Thursday 13

Posted in Giving Money, Uncategorized | 5 Comments »

Visiting Nana’s house is when we catch up on our gorge ourselves on t.v.  Not only do they have cable, but everything is on DVR so we can watch it any time. or ALL the time, if it were allowed. 

I want to limit the amount of time my kids are watching.  I also like sleeping in while on vacation.  I want my cake, and eat it, too.

Handy Manny has easily risen to the top of my favorite kid shows. He has such a great work ethic and he helps so many people of different ages, races, and abilities.  The kids still learn counting and spanish, but do without the witches, dragons, and ogres. 

And this is one of his favorite sayings, “If you can, it is always better to fix something than to buy a new one.”

Yeah, Handy Manny! I like what you are teaching my kids about money.

Here’s the theme song you can watch on YouTubeor you can follow this link to play house disney and watch it online.  You don’t even have to be a cable subscriber, you just need fast internet.

Tell me what are your favorite kid shows.

This is linked in:

• Works for me Wednesday
• Things I love

Posted in Online stories / songs, Resources | 6 Comments »

What does learning how to share have to do with money? Well it can save you lots, if you do it right.  Here’s some ways:
• Why buy when you can borrow?  You can save your self plenty of money if you are willing to share things with friends and neighbors.
• Save on Lawyer fees.  Many lawsuits stem from grown adults who don’t know how to share properly, or take care of other people’s things.  Here again you could save yourself plenty of money by being able to settle disputes civilly.

 

Here’s my Top Ten Posts on Sharing:

1. Sharing Comes from the Heart
2. Learning to Share, a.k.a Teaching Respect
3. Things My Kids Share
4. Things My Kids Don’t Share
5. Mine-O-Saur
6. Swords of Sharing
7. I don’t like to Share
8. Like a Good Neighbor
9. Reasons for NOT Sharing
10. The Language of Sharing

 

So here’s to learning how to share, and saving money!

Posted in Saving Money | 8 Comments »