I struggled with Algebra, but today simply making change is beyond most people under the age of 45.
I helped out a youth group with a concession stand for the weekend of the County Fair. The kids were age 9-18 Several adults took turns supervising the kids throughout the weekend. We just used a cash box, no register. Most of the adults either told the kids what change to give back for each transaction or let them use a calculator. I was the mean one, I actually explained to them how to make change- how to count it back and how to total prices in your head. Only one girl all weekend already knew how to properly make change- she was also the youngest at nine. She said her grandmother taught her to make change.
My kids learned to make change before they went to school, I used to play store with them to teach them about money and prices along with some math skills. They had fun doing it and didn’t even realize what they were learning. I play money games with my grandson now.
I’ve enjoyed reading all the posts to this article. As a teacher and businessman, I can relate. However, the new math is now, ‘swipe your card.’. There is no math. Soon, swipe your card will be replace with ‘place your hand on the scanner so that we may read your implanted chip’. You will be assimilated!