Year 2 explorers count dollar bills and US coins, learn how many coins make $1, make exact amounts in cents, decide whether they have enough to buy something and work out the change from $10.
What your child will learn
- Count a mix of bills or a mix of coins
- Know that 4 quarters, 10 dimes, 20 nickels or 100 pennies make $1
- Choose coins that make an exact amount in cents
- Decide whether there is enough money to buy something
- Work out change from $10 for whole-dollar prices
Counting mixed coins
Sort the coins first, then count from the biggest value: quarters in 25s, dimes in 10s, nickels in 5s and pennies in 1s. 25, 50, 60, 65, 66 — that’s 66¢.
Writing money
Amounts under a dollar are often written with the cent sign: 75¢. Amounts of a dollar or more use the dollar sign: $3 or $3.75, with the cents after the dot.
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. Which coin is worth 25¢?
- Nickel
- Penny
- Quarter
- Dime
Show answer
Answer: Quarter. A quarter is worth 25 cents. Four quarters make a dollar.
2. How many cents are there here altogether?
- 35
- 3
- 36
- 37
Show answer
Answer: 36. Start with the biggest and count on: 25¢, 35¢, 36¢. That’s 36¢ altogether.
3. How many cents are there here altogether?
Show answer
Answer: 35. Start with the biggest and count on: 10¢, 20¢, 30¢, 35¢. That’s 35¢ altogether.
Tips for grown-ups
- Use real or toy coins and ask for exact amounts: “Can you make 40¢?”
- Practise saying amounts out loud: “three dollars and seventy-five cents”.