How to Count Dimes, Nickels and Pennies for First Grade Math

Counting change is one of the key concepts to be taught during first grade math. By the end of the year, students should be able to count the change given to them in any variation. By carefully and systematically teaching how to count change, you can get your student counting change and handling money before he knows it!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A hundreds number chart
• Play pennies, dimes and nickels--or cleaned real ones
• Coin flash cards for reinforcement

How To Count Nickels, Dimes and Pennies for First Grade Math

1. If your student doesn't know how to count by one's, start there. One very easy way of doing this is pulling out your hundreds number chart and simply following along while you count out loud. Do this every day until your student understands and is easily able to count. Reviewing a calendar daily is another practical strategy to teach counting by one's.

2. Using your hundreds number chart, continue practicing to count except this time, count by tens. On the chart, simply have your student follow the right hand column and count downwards. Repeat counting by tens daily.

3. Once your student is easily counting by tens, introduce the idea that one dime equals ten pennies. You can do this by counting out 50 pennies and placing them in five piles of ten. Then one by one, switch the piles of 10 pennies for one dime and finish the exercise by counting the dimes. If the student is having a hard time grasping the concept slow down by showing that you can trade one dime for ten pennies, two dimes for twenty pennies, etc.

4. Work with only dimes and pennies for awhile until your student is clearly comfortable with the idea and is able to switch dimes and pennies easily. Help your student answer questions like, "I have 23 pennies and I want to trade some of my pennies for dimes. Can you help me do this?" Then count out ten pennies, trade for one dime and repeat the process.

5. Now that your student is comfortable working with pennies and dimes, add nickels. Begin again by teaching your student how to count by fives using your hundreds number chart.

6. Once your student is doing this, teach the idea that one dime is equal to two nickels or ten pennies and that one nickel is equal to five pennies. Similarly to how you did before, take 50 pennies and put them in stacks of five in front of the student. Then have the student switch the pennies for one nickel.

7. By the time you're finished with doing this, your student should be able to easily count nickels, dimes and pennies. To continue reinforcing the concept, give your student some change to count every morning for practice. Teach him to start with the dimes, then count the nickels and then count the pennies. A little practice every day goes a long way!

Tips & Warnings

• Do practice a little bit every day.
• One great game to play is pretending you're going to the store. Have the child gather toys, assign prices and then pay you, the "store keeper" appropriately.