Music & Math: A Winsome Combination
By Kayla • April 3, 2018
Matt, kindergarten teacher and creator of Look At My Happy Rainbow, has it right; coins can be rather confusing for children. What we learn about size (i.e. the greater the size, the greater the value) and uniformity (i.e. we group like things together) is completely thrown out the window in relation to coins. Even though the penny and nickel are worth less than the dime, they're bigger in physical size, a confusing conundrum. And while all coins have the same function and are all 'part of a whole', the penny is obviously different than the others and solicits the question, why is the penny, worth a mere one cent, set apart from the others?
Fortunately, Matt doesn't just bring coin confusion to light, but also provides a wonderful idea for helping your kindergartners keep their coins straight! A simple song, set to the tune of Frere Jacques, that will aid your students in remembering coin values.
Penny one cent, penny one cent,
Nickel five, nickel five,
A dime is worth ten cents, a dime is worth ten cents,
A quarter twenty-five, a quarter twenty-five.
As your students learn these rhymes, they become ingrained in their memory and can be fallen back on even in the most difficult situations.
Look at my happy rainbow!: Coins.
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About the Author
Kayla Johnson
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