Financial Literacy In 4th and 5th Grade
Be weary of borrowing money from a KAS 4/5th grade student. They might start charging you interest or they might lecture you on the importance of establishing good credit. This is what I learned the other day as I visited Ms. Jody’s classroom.
Besides a math class, maybe an economics course, and the Game of Life or Monopoly, that was the extent of my learning about the world of finances. I could have used a class like Financial Literacy after listening to Ms. Jody’s 4/5th grade classroom discussion on Banking Institutions, Mortgages, Loans, and Interest. I was impressed to hear the kids connecting new vocabulary to what they already knew and watching them learn and apply new concepts to things either familiar or unfamiliar to them.
This year, Ms. Jody’s class is piloting a new learning experience for 4th/5th graders at KAS. Through Junior Achievement, JA BizTown fits right in with what KAS represents. Mini lessons build on the concept and the classroom activities enforce what they are learning, to their visit to a simulated town where the students have the opportunity to apply what they have learned and gain exposure to the real world of finances.
Financial Literacy might seem like a heavy subject at their age, but it is never too young to start learning. Pennsylvania will become the 25th state to offer Financial Literacy as part of the high school course requirements. It will go into effect with the 2026-27 school year.
In the meantime, it’s only a matter of time till KAS students can open a bank account and really start applying what they have learned to real life.
To read more about Financial Literacy or JA BizTown click on the links below.
