This grade 2 money lesson explains money: dollars and coins in one printable page, with definitions, a method and a worked example.
Money is what we use to buy things. In the United States, a penny is 1¢, a nickel is 5¢, a dime is 10¢, a quarter is 25¢, and a dollar bill is $1, which equals 100¢. To find a total, count the biggest coins first, then skip count and add the rest.
Grade 2 Money Lesson: key facts
- A penny is worth 1¢, a nickel 5¢, a dime 10¢, and a quarter 25¢.
- One dollar is the same as 100¢, so 4 quarters or 10 dimes make $1.00.
- Count the biggest coins first and say a running total.
- Use the cent sign for amounts under a dollar and the dollar sign with a decimal point for dollars and cents.
- To find change, subtract the price from the amount paid.
What are the coins worth?
Money helps us buy things. In the United States we use four coins and several bills. Each one has a value, and the value is not the same as the size. The dime is smaller than the nickel, but a dime is worth more.
A penny is 1¢. A nickel is 5¢. A dime is 10¢. A quarter is 25¢. The symbol ¢ means cents.
How do you count a group of coins?
Put the coins in order from the biggest value to the smallest. Then skip count, and add on the next coin each time.
- Sort the coins: quarters, then dimes, then nickels, then pennies.
- Start with the biggest coin and say its value.
- Add each coin and say the new total out loud.
- The last number you say is the total.
Example: two quarters, one dime, one nickel, and one penny. Say 25, 50, 60, 65, 66. The total is 66¢. As a number sentence, \(25 + 25 + 10 + 5 + 1 = 66\) cents.
How do you write dollars and cents?
A dollar bill is worth 100 cents. When money is more than one dollar, we use a dollar sign and a decimal point. The decimal point separates the dollars from the cents.
Use the cent sign for less than a dollar, like 35¢. Use the dollar sign for dollars, like \(\$2.35\). The two bills are \(\$2.00\). The quarter and dime add 35 cents. So the total is \(\$2.35\), read as 2 dollars and 35 cents.
How many cents make a dollar?
One dollar is 100 cents. You can make a dollar with 4 quarters, with 10 dimes, or with 20 nickels. There are many ways to make the same amount.
How do you solve a money word problem?
Read the problem. Find out what you know and what you need to find. Draw a bar model if it helps. Then add or subtract.
Example: Maya pays 100¢ for a toy that costs 64¢. How much change does she get? Subtract: \(100 – 64 = 36\). Maya gets 36¢ back. Check it: \(64 + 36 = 100\), so the answer is right.
| Coin or bill | Value | Number to make $1.00 |
|---|---|---|
| Penny | 1¢ | 100 |
| Nickel | 5¢ | 20 |
| Dime | 10¢ | 10 |
| Quarter | 25¢ | 4 |
Money: Dollars and Coins: frequently asked questions
How many pennies are in a dime?
There are 10 pennies in a dime because a dime is worth 10¢ and each penny is worth 1¢. You can skip count by ones ten times to check.
What is the easiest way to count mixed coins?
Put the coins in order from the biggest value to the smallest. Say the value of the first coin, then add each next coin and say the new total. The last number is the answer.
How do you write 3 dollars and 5 cents?
Write $3.05. The 3 is the dollars, the decimal point separates them, and the cents need two digits, so 5 cents is written 05.
How many quarters make a dollar?
Four quarters make a dollar. Skip count by 25: 25, 50, 75, 100. Since 100 cents equals $1.00, four quarters equal one dollar.
How do you find change?
Subtract the price from the money you paid. If a toy costs 64¢ and you pay with a dollar (100¢), the change is 100 – 64 = 36¢. Add the change to the price to check.
How to use this grade 2 money lesson
Use this grade 2 money lesson before the worksheet, then check what you learned with the quiz.
See every chapter on the Grade 2 math page.
