Children’s librarians remain a vital necessity in the community, since most children are influenced by their local libraries. Children’s librarians are responsible for a wide range of responsibilities and must maintain and establish the skills necessary to provide the best services.
- Not only is life-long learning a main priority, so is the importance of technology and financial education.
- Financial literacy is important for a lot of reasons. Helping children spend wisely and invest in their future will prepare them for success as adults.
- Starting early will ensure life-long success in the financial choices they will make on a daily basis.
There are many ways financial literacy can be incorporated into your curriculum as a children’s librarian:
1 The Money Jar
A piggy bank is usually a great way for children to save money, but most of the time they may not be able to see their money increase. Explaining the importance of a money jar allows children to learn how to save. Make it a fun experience by having children decorate or label them using bright colors. Now they can see how money can grow over time! https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/9-ways-to-teach-your-kids-about-money
2 Game Night
Host a game night with games such as Monopoly and Pay Day, where they can learn how things are bought, traded, and the importance of money management. A lot of times in the real world we have to decide whether to buy or trade. Children will learn the value of spending wisely and making cautious decisions.
3 Storytime
Conduct a story time that consists of books for children that teach money management and saving. Here are some books you may find useful:
4 Budgeting
Explain the importance of budgeting money with printed out spreadsheets where children can write in dollar amounts. Have each child make up a fake career and salary. Create categories of what they will spend their salary on by the week or month. Use as wish list for the things they may want, but can’t afford right away. This project will show children how to budget their money and spend wisely.
5 Goal Setting
When managing money, goal setting is very important. In order to spend wisely, planning is very important. Give children an opportunity to write down what they would like to accomplish. Have them list the things they would like versus what they really need. Explain the differences.
Learn more great ideas at 9 Ways to Teach Your Kids About Money. How do you help children learn about financial literacy? Let us know in the comments below.
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Today’s guest blogger is Lanecia Smith. Lanecia is a blogger and writer from Ohio. She has worked over 10 years in the Cleveland Public Library system. She loves informing other about the benefits of library services and the use of technology.
Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.
If you’d like to write a guest post for the ALSC Blog, please contact Mary Voors, ALSC Blog manager, at alscblog@gmail.com.