Let's Learn About Money!
Hello, super students! Welcome to the amazing world of money. Have you ever used shiny coins to buy a yummy snack or a cool toy? That's what we're going to learn about today!
Money is super important because it helps us buy things we need and want. In this chapter, we will learn how to:
1. Recognise different coins.
2. Read price tags in a shop.
3. Count coins and understand their value.
Don't worry if this seems tricky at first. We'll go step-by-step, and you'll be a money expert in no time!
Section 1: Getting to Know Our Coins
In Hong Kong, our money is made up of dollars ($) and cents. Cents are the smaller value parts of a dollar. Think of them like little brothers and sisters of a dollar!
Let's meet the coins you might find in your pocket or piggy bank:
Cents Coins (The smaller values)
- 10-cent coin: This is usually the smallest coin you will see.
- 20-cent coin: This coin has a fun wavy edge.
- 50-cent coin: This is the biggest of the cents coins.
Dollar Coins (The bigger values)
- 1-dollar coin
- 2-dollar coin (It also has a wavy edge, like the 20-cent coin!)
- 5-dollar coin (This one is thicker than the others.)
- 10-dollar coin (This special coin has two colours! A silver part on the outside and a gold-coloured part on the inside.)
Did you know?
It takes 100 cents to make exactly 1 dollar! So, if you have one hundred 1-cent coins, you have one dollar. We don't use 1-cent coins much anymore, but it's a fun fact to know!
Key Takeaway
We use different coins that have different values. Some are worth cents (smaller value) and some are worth dollars (bigger value).
Section 2: Reading Price Tags
When you go to a shop, you see little tags on items that tell you how much they cost. These are called price tags. Learning to read them is a very useful skill!
Meet the Money Symbols: $ and .
The Dollar Sign ($): This symbol is always in front of the number. When you see $, it means we are talking about dollars.
The Dot (.): This little dot is a decimal point. It's like a wall that separates the dollars from the cents.
- The numbers on the left of the dot tell you how many dollars.
- The numbers on the right of the dot tell you how many cents.
How to Read a Price Tag (Step-by-Step)
Let's look at an example: $5.50
1. Look at the number to the left of the dot. It's a 5. That means five dollars.
2. Look at the number to the right of the dot. It's a 50. That means fifty cents.
3. Put them together! We read $5.50 as "five dollars and fifty cents".
More Examples!
- $2.50 is read as "two dollars and fifty cents".
- $8.00 is read as "eight dollars". (When it's .00, we just say the dollar amount).
- $0.50 is read as "fifty cents". (When there is a 0 before the dot, it means there are no dollars, only cents).
Quick Review: Watch Out!
A common mistake is just reading the numbers. Remember to say "dollars" and "cents"!
- Don't say: "five-dot-five-zero".
- Do say: "five dollars and fifty cents".
Key Takeaway
The symbol $ means dollars. The dot separates dollars from cents. We read the number on the left as dollars and the number on the right as cents.
Section 3: Using Your Coins in Daily Life
Now that we know our coins and can read prices, let's learn how to use them!
Counting a Group of Coins
Imagine you want to buy a sticker that costs $7. Let's check your piggy bank to see if you have enough!
You pour out your coins and you have:
One 5-dollar coin, one 2-dollar coin, and one 50-cent coin.
Here's the easiest way to count them:
1. Start with the biggest value coins. The biggest is the 5-dollar coin. So you have $5.
2. Add the next biggest coin. That's the 2-dollar coin. So, 5 dollars plus 2 dollars is 7 dollars.
3. Add the cents. You have a 50-cent coin.
4. Your total is: seven dollars and fifty cents ($7.50). You have enough for the sticker! Great job!
Trading Up! (Coin Exchange)
Sometimes you have too many small coins. You can exchange, or "trade," them for a single coin that has the same value. It makes your wallet feel lighter!
Exchanging Cents for Dollars
- Ten 10-cent coins are the same as one 1-dollar coin.
- Five 20-cent coins are the same as one 1-dollar coin.
- Two 50-cent coins are the same as one 1-dollar coin.
Exchanging Smaller Dollars for Bigger Dollars
- Two 1-dollar coins are the same as one 2-dollar coin.
- Five 1-dollar coins are the same as one 5-dollar coin.
- Two 5-dollar coins are the same as one 10-dollar coin.
- Ten 1-dollar coins are also the same as one 10-dollar coin.
Understanding this helps you pay for things easily!
Key Takeaway
To count coins, start with the biggest value. You can also exchange many small coins for one bigger value coin if they add up to the same amount.