not understanding the concept of "how much" (money)

[kissingfrogs]

Dd2 age 5 can not grasp the concept of counting money. She counts the number of coins but does not understand the concept of "how much" - that the number on each coin needs adding to the number on the others.
e.g to her 2p+1p+1p=3p (because there are 3 coins).
I've tried playing shops, playdough money-making, stacking counters, coin rubbing.
There has to be a way of "showing" this concept (dd is bright but has language difficulties).
A friend's dc age 9, poss AS, is still grappling with the same concept.

Any off-the-wall ideas much appreciated.
Pleeeese.

cuisinairre rods are good for teaching value

thanks
off to google these rods (sounds like something from a french kitchen!)

number shark is very good actually - it's a PC programme -about £60 but very visual

googled the rods but so far not found any info on how to actually use them (hmm, maths was never my strong point). Hoping if I buy some that they'll come with instructions.
Apparently they're good for the concept of multiplication too (dd struggling with 2 times table).
PC games - ofcourse! Dd loves IT, certainly could help.
I knew someone out there would have a brainwave or two - thanks cornsilk.

Try www.topmarks.co.uk (or possibly com.) and the look up bingo counting. They have money games on there.

This is very normal in my experience, so try not to worry too much. A tip that I use with my class is, when they count their money, they tap the coins the same number of times as their value.

So, if they have in their hand -
2p + 2p + 1p they would count them like this
1,2 3,4 5, tapping with their finger twice on the 2ps and once on the 1p.

Does this make any sense?! It's very difficult to explain in writing! Some children get the idea very quickly and some take a little longer.

HTH a little

You could try some 'spending' type activites with counters - allow the counters to be traded for something (one counter equals one smartie, perhaps).

Then try some 'trading' activities, perhaps with where he collects, say, red counters - when he has ten, he can trade it for a silver/big/special counter or something, so that he gets the idea of an exchange. But he can still 'spend' the big counters to buy ten smarties; you can suggest that it's just easier to carry around one big counter worth ten smarties in one go, than lots of little ones.

When asking 'how much' he has, you can then ask, not 'how much money', or 'how many counters', but 'how many smarties can you get'.

Hope you don't mind me saying, but she's only 5 so why are you worried?? DS is 6 and he gets it now quite easily, so why not wait until she clicks with it. She will in time.

Try playing "at the bank" where you come in with a pile of 2ps (start with only one or 2)and ask the cashier to change them for 1ps and vice versa. When your DD has got the hang of this then introduce other denomination coins for an exchange.
Keep playing at shopping, showing her the correct amounts using different denominations. It may just take a while to "click"

I also think Cuisenaire rods are good. With your DD I'd do lots of exercises games where you find 2 rods that equal the length of another rod, eg red 2 rod and light green 3 rod are the same length as the yellow 5 rod. Also make staircases lots of times so she gets the increasing value of each rod. Once she is really familiar with the rods and their values you can start to say things like "2p is like the red rod - it's worth 2" etc, but she will need to be familiar with the rods first. Not a problem as they are great for all sorts of maths - even letting them play and make pictures, patterns buildings etc with the rods is a useful exercise.

The Dycalculia Toolkit by Ronit Bird is a good book that has lots of Cuisenaire Rod activities in it and the activities would be great for any young child, not just one with dyscalculia!

I agree with Sararararah

I teach children to tap each coin the number of times to show its value IYSWIM.

Also, don't start mixing values of coins until she is really secure about recognising each individual coin, and able to count a single value of coin.

ie. don't do 1p+2p+2p

Stick to: 2p+2p+2p

Is she able to tell you what is special about each coin ie. 1p is small and brown, 2p is large and brown with a 2 on it etc.

Thanks, some good tips here. The tapping is so simplistic, I must try this.

Counting money was set as her homework (how many ways to make 6p and then try 7p). She is expected to understand.
Dd2 is hearing impaired with receptive/expressive language difficulties. She is also very bright. She is in mainstream. This is why I'm trying my best to get advice on concepts like this that she can't grasp without difficulty. Value is one of many abstract concepts that she struggles with. I know she's only 5, still wee, but I know that if I can represent these concepts in "her" way of thinking then she'll master them. That's why I'm asking all you wise ladies!

Thanks again for the tips x

There is a game called 'pop to the shops' by orchard toys, that may be worth a look.

She "got" the tapping! Big kisses to Sarahrrr and littlefish xxxx
(freud: will google orchard toys for that game thanks)

woohoo!

Must try the tapping too, or the smarties - DS doesn't get money yet.

Great news kissingfrogs. Well done to your dd.

Sometimes the simplest strategies really are effective.

Generally - lots of just letting her help you pay for things at the local shop and the like work wonders too. Money can be surprising which kids get it and which don't - taught a traveller community member child once who was, well let's put it frankly, diabolical at reading and writing but he was absolutely cracking when you got onto money! Seems to be those who actually get to USE money with their parents who get a head start on it - as opposed to those who always pay by card.

Of course the time we were singing Five Currant Buns and a very wise little girl (with a brilliantly dry sense of humour at the best of times) was picked to come out and "buy" a bun (in that very sad way you do things with littlies) and piped up with "do you take Switch" absolutely reduced me and the TA to fits of giggles. She's also the kid who, when I told her she didn't have to write that much until she was Prime Minster, looked me up and down and very calmly said "I wouldn't want to be Tony Blair Miss, the man's an idiot"... she was SIX!

Ds1 has only just got the concept and he is 6. Once we started giving him pocket money it seemed to focus his attention.