Teaching Children With Coupons
Children learn in many ways: by talking with parents and teachers, by observing the world around them, and by participating in everyday tasks. Children like to try new things. Coupons can be a fun way to help a child learn to read better and gain knowledge of math, money and the calendar.

Listed below are some coupon related ideas for teaching children as they grow. Best of all, everyday chores such as shopping with coupons can be turned into quality time and learning, while you save money!

Teachers: National Coupon Month Lesson Plan

Pre-K: Introduce reading as a source of pleasure and information.

Read:

Read books, colorful magazines and coupon inserts with your child.

Point out and name familiar things, and play a game to encourage the child to spot them first. Look for:

• Colors
• Faces ("eyes," "mouth")
• People ("baby," "boy," "daddy")
• Animals ("cat," "dog")
• Fruits ("apple," "banana")
• Toys ("balls," "doll,")
• Grocery items ("juice box," "milk," "toothpaste," "Cheerios^®")
  
  

Practice Counting:

Look for and learn to recognize numbers, first single digits, then combinations ("a two and a five make twenty-five").

Learn at the supermarket:

• You have to exchange money to buy things.
• Name the items you buy.
• Let them hold your coupon organizer and eventually ask them to find the coupons you are looking for.
• Show them a coupon for an item and ask your child to find it on the shelf. Start doing this when you are in the correct aisle and, as they get older, ask them to look for it as you enter the supermarket. This really helps reinforce memory.
  
  

Grades K-3: Reinforce reading, introduce money and dates.

Reinforce counting

• Look for numbers in magazines and coupon inserts.
• See who can find the biggest number. Count up to that number together- then count by twos, then by fives.
  
  

Talk about money

• Where it comes from, how we get it, what it's for.
• Look at it, first in your pocket book. Then look for the "$" symbol in magazines and on coupons.
• Introduce working with decimals.
• Talk about how to spend money wisely because it has to be earned. Perhaps they could earn money by doing special chores for you.
• By using coupons, we can pay less for items at the supermarket. This is saving money, and this is smart!
• Discuss giving them an allowance. What would they like to spend it on?
  
  

Look at coupons together

• Find coupons for items they like to use, eat, and drink.
• Look at the money saved written on each coupon. Try to match that, using coins from your purse or pocket.
• Start to add up how much you could save by using coupons this week. Compare that with their allowance. Don’t be afraid to use a calculator.
  
  

Clip together, carefully- children love to use scissors

• Discuss why you are selecting the coupons you want to use. Is it to try a new product? Or is to save money on something you always buy?
• Why do you choose one product and not another?
  
  

Look at dates

• Learn and repeat the months of the year and recognize the year we are in.
• Look at a calendar. What month are we in now? Find today’s date on the calendar.
• Find the date written on a coupon, and then find it on the calendar. Count how many months, weeks, and days the coupon can be used.
• Compare different expiration dates. Which coupons last the longest?
  
  

Learn at the supermarket

• As you go in, ask your child to find 2-4 items you are looking for by showing them the coupon. Remembering lists is a very important skill. Associating pictures and words with items reinforces reading skills.
  
  

Grades 4-6: People use math all the time.

Teach responsibility

• Give your child(ren) the responsibility for clipping coupons!
• Ask them to file the coupons by category in your organizer.
• Offer to split the savings with them if they can figure out how much you will owe them. Or, even better, offer to split the savings you actually obtain on your register receipt. That way, they will remind you to take the coupons to the store.
• Discuss what items you want them to look for, and why.
• Talk about double and triple couponing. Practice multiplication.
• If your child asks for a certain product, have them find a coupon for it.
  
  

Learn at the supermarket

• Create savvy shoppers!
• Compare prices before and after using coupons.
• Introduce the concept of unit cost. Are big boxes cheaper than smaller ones?
• Look at labels, especially for nutrition information.
• Discuss the environment and study recycling potential.
• Practice percentage savings.
• If you use coupons on different sized boxes, which is the better buy? (You will need a calculator and patience for this!)
  
  

Teachers: National Coupon Month Lesson Plan

If you have a great tip for teaching children with coupons, e-mail us now.