2nd grade · Math · Unit 10 of 14
Dollars & Cents
Count coins and bills
What your child practices
US money: pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and dollar bills. Counting a handful of coins, making an amount, and word problems with the ¢ and $ signs.
Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards benchmark: 2.2.3.7 · finding the value of a group of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- Penny 1¢, nickel 5¢, dime 10¢, quarter 25¢, dollar $1 (100¢).
- Count the biggest coins first.
- Then count on with the smaller coins.
Example: A quarter, a dime, a nickel and 2 pennies. How much? 25¢, then 35¢, then 40¢. 2 pennies more: 41¢, 42¢. Answer: 42¢
Dollars & Cents in Minnesota
In the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards, this is unit 10 of 14 in 2nd grade Math, after Skip Counting and before Inches, Feet & Yards.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Make 88¢.
88¢
Hint: Use the biggest coin that fits, then add smaller coins. A quarter is 25¢, a dime 10¢, a nickel 5¢, a penny 1¢.
Question 2
3 dollar bills and 1 quarter. How much money?
- $4.25
- $3.50
- $3.10
- $3.25
$3.25
Hint: Count the dollars, then count on 25¢ for each quarter.
Question 3
How much is one nickel worth?
- 50¢
- 1¢
- 25¢
- 5¢
5¢
Hint: A penny is 1¢, a nickel 5¢, a dime 10¢ and a quarter 25¢.
Question 4
Sam has 1 quarter and 3 pennies. How much money is that?
- 28¢
- 4¢
- 33¢
- 23¢
28¢
Hint: 1 quarter = 25¢. 3 pennies = 3¢. Add them.
Question 5
Amir has 75¢ and buys a pencil for 25¢. How much is left?
- $1.00
- 50¢
- 60¢
- 40¢
50¢
Hint: Take away: 75 − 25.
Question 6
How much money is this?
- 33¢
- 38¢
- 34¢
- 32¢
33¢
Hint: Start with the biggest one and count on: 25¢, 5¢, 1¢, 1¢, 1¢.