K-5 friendly lesson
One small step at a time.Read the idea, try the activity, and celebrate each win as you go.

Count money - pennies, nickels, and dimes only

Time to count our coins! πŸ€‘ We'll focus on just pennies, nickels, and dimes. Let's learn the best way to count them up to see how rich we are!

Do this: Read the concept below, then try the quiz or activity.

Lesson 139 of 186

Concept

This is a great starting point for learning to count money because it uses the easiest coins to work with.

Coin Values Review:
*   Dime: 10 cents (Β’) - The most powerful of the three!
*   Nickel: 5 cents (Β’)
*   Penny: 1 cent (Β’) - The smallest value.

The Best Counting Strategy: 1. Sort the coins: Make a pile for dimes, a pile for nickels, and a pile for pennies. 2. Start with the dimes: Always start with the coin that has the biggest value. Count by 10s for all your dimes. (10, 20, 30...) 3. Count on with nickels: From the number you ended on with dimes, keep counting on by 5s for each nickel. (e.g., from 30, you'd go 35, 40...) 4. Finish with the pennies: From where you stopped with nickels, count on by 1s for each penny to get your final total. (e.g., from 40, you'd go 41, 42, 43...)

Example: You have 2 dimes, 3 nickels, and 4 pennies.
*   Dimes: 10, 20...
*   Nickels (from 20): 25, 30, 35...
*   Pennies (from 35): 36, 37, 38, 39.
*   Your total is 39 cents!

Key Idea: Sorting and starting with the biggest value (dimes) makes counting much easier and helps you avoid mistakes.

Try it

Practice: Count money - pennies, nickels, and dimes only.