• Email Page
• Share Page
• Comments
• Recommend (7)
• Print

Practical Money Skills Resource Roadmap for Educators

If you are looking to incorporate money lessons into your classroom, Practical Money Skills is a great place to get started. Use this two-page guide to help you navigate around the site and see what kinds of resources are available to help you. Whether you are introducing this topic to your students for the first time or want to reinforce what you are currently doing, Practical Money Skills offers a wide array of free lessons plans, online games, videos, calculators and much more. So, let's get started.

Homepage:

• Spotlights: Daily and seasonal updates and articles from Practical Money Skills.
• Learning: Educational and insightful articles to help you navigate through your financial life–be it saving for retirement, understanding your credit score, trimming vacation costs or even planning for a baby.
• Khan Academy: Watch these quick, informative personal finance videos from the Khan Academy to help you learn some of the basics of financial literacy.
• Radio Series: Based on the Practical Money Matters personal finance column carried by 500 U.S. newspapers, these weekly podcasts (broadcasts) deliver tips and information to consumers of all ages about managing their finances. The segments are hosted by Jason Alderman, Senior Director of Global Financial Education at Visa Inc.
• Innovative Educator: Monthly profiles of teachers from around the country who have found new and innovative ways to integrate personal finance into the classroom. Nominate yourself or a teacher you know who is doing great work teaching kids about money!

Personal Finance:
Click on this tab if you are looking to better understand some of the basics of personal finance, including saving, budgeting and dealing with credit. The topics are also broken down into "life events" that guide you through saving for college, getting married, buying a home, preparing for retirement and much more.

For Educators:

• Lesson Plans: Here you will find curricula for students of all ages – from pre-schoolers and elementary school students, to teens and college students. There are also unique course materials for students with special needs. Courses are age-appropriate and cover a wide range of topics, including: "What is Money?", budgeting, saving and investing, allowances and car loans, as well as the influence of advertising and issues of consumer privacy. Each curriculum includes lecture guides, worksheets, and ready-to-use quizzes and tests.
• Economy 101: Articles to help you and your students better understand the role economics plays in our daily decisions.
• Continuing Education (CE) Credits: Practical Money Skills has partnered with the University of San Diego to offer two online, CE money management courses for elementary and secondary teachers. These courses are designed to give educators additional tools and resources to help their students learn about money.
• State Standards: See how the Practical Money Skills program compares to your state's educational standards.

Free Video and Online Games:
Games can be powerful teaching tools, and Visa Inc. has been on the forefront of producing dynamic, educational video games that engage and motivate kids while teaching them important money management skills and values. Here's a sample of some of the games available for students of every age:

• Financial Football: A fast-paced, National Football League-themed video game available online and as a free app for iPhones and iPads on iTunes in both English and Spanish.
• Financial Soccer: A multilingual video game developed in partnership with FIFA that helps provide children and young adults with the knowledge and tools they'll need to maintain sound financial habits over a lifetime. The game has been localized in 10 languages and rolled out in over 30 countries.
• Money Metropolis: A game geared toward kids ages 7 to 12 that allows them to navigate a multi-dimensional world, making life decisions that will affect whether their virtual bank accounts shrink or grow.
• Peter Pig's Money Counter: This game helps kids ages 4 to 7 practice sorting and counting coins with the help of wise Peter Pig. It is also available for Android phones and tablets.

Online Financial Calculators:
How much can you afford to pay for a car? Should you pay down a debt or invest? How much money should you set aside for the holiday season? There's no need to speculate when you can insert actual numbers into an online calculator to help you better predict and assess your financial choices. These calculators are easy and quick to use.

Videos:
Videos are a great complement to your classroom activities. Here, you can: view short demos of how to play Financial Football, Financial Soccer and Money Metropolis; watch informative money lessons from the Khan Academy; and glimpse videos taken from the 2010 Financial Literacy Summit, co-hosted by The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and Visa.

Resources:
Peruse our polls and research, browse our newsletters, and access audio and video segments in the podcast center. Visit the Free Materials section where you'll find quick and easy downloadable financial literacy brochures, teaching materials and parent resources. And, don't forget to sign up for the Practical Money Skills e-newsletter to stay updated on the latest financial education news.

###

Visa Inc. believes the financial services industry has the expertise and the responsibility to empower our nation's citizens to understand personal money management and master their financial well-being and future. We began our financial literacy outreach in 1995 and have worked with educators, our nation's leaders, school boards, state leaders, parents, and financial institutions to reach our nation with this critical knowledge. Visa has invested $10 million and will continue to invest, to develop, and deliver engaging, relevant curriculum to support our nation's educators and leaders in their efforts to reach students and consumers who need it the most. Visa Inc. is a member of the national Board for the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy (www.jumpstartcoalition.org), a nonprofit coalition committed to advancing financial literacy among students in pre-kindergarten through college.