Teaching children about financial literacy can be a difficult task, but it is a necessary one. However, parents don’t have to go it alone. From kindergarten to high school, according to the experts, here are five books to teach kids about finances at any age.
Preschool/Kindergarten
Money Math: Addition and Subtraction By David A Adler
According to Amazon’s description, in this fun introduction to American currency, a variety of past presidents introduce themselves and their denominations. Children will learn who’s on each coin and bill, and what they’re worth– and how many of one it takes to add up to another. Dollars, cents, and decimals are explained in accessible, kid-friendly language, with tons of examples and try-it-yourself problems and activities. The mathematical concepts of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division become hands-on in this innovative math book.
Elementary School
Finance 101 for Kids: Money Lessons Children Cannot Afford to Miss by Walter Andal
In Finance 101 for Kids, both children and parents will be able to explore and learn: how money started; how to earn and make money; saving and investing; what credit is and the dangers of mishandling credit; what the stock market is; economic forces that can affect personal finance; what currencies and foreign exchanges are; the importance of giving back to the community, and much, much more!
Middle/High School
I Want More Pizza by Steve Burkholder
Jake Hill, CEO of DebtHammer, told Parents Magazine in a recent interview that he recommends I Want More Pizza for high schoolers. “Don’t let the name fool you: It’s a fairly comprehensive book with lots of great lessons about money management,” he said. “Unlike typical finance books, it uses very practical applications young adults will face in high school, college, and beyond. It focuses on the things that will matter to them, like saving for a car or covering college tuition. It also doesn’t talk down to them. It treats young adults with the respect they deserve and imparts its wisdom, secure in the knowledge that they’ll be able to follow it.”
Show Me the Money by Alvin Hall
According to Show Me the Money‘s, official description, this book is divided into sections that focus on economics, business, personal finance, and the history of trade. This amazing book takes technical jargon and breaks it down with easy-to-understand text, diagrams, and illustrations making a formerly dry subject interesting and relevant.
For All Ages
Rethink Money: for Children & Teens by Paul O’Mahony and Chris Farrell
This 300-page book can be downloaded for free as a part of the Funancial Freedom website. According to the website, the book covers wealth-building and ensures kids that time is on their side in doing so; if they start saving and investing early, becoming rich can be pretty foolproof.
