3rd Grade Money Worksheets

Start with real or realistic play coins — students need to see and handle coins to learn their values. Begin with pennies (counting by 1s), then introduce dimes (skip counting by 10s is usually easier than nickels for most students), then nickels (counting by 5s), and finally quarters (counting by 25s). When counting mixed coins, teach students to always start with the coin of greatest value and count on. Use the 'anchor chart' approach: start at the value of the largest coin and skip count by successively smaller denominations. For making change, teach the 'count up' method — it mirrors what cashiers do and avoids confusing subtraction with decimals. For example, if an item costs $3.67 and you pay with $5.00, count up: $3.67 + 3 pennies = $3.70, + 1 nickel = $3.75, + 1 quarter = $4.00, + 1 dollar = $5.00, so the change is $1.33. Set up a classroom store where students practice buying items and making change — this hands-on application solidifies the skill better than worksheets alone, and worksheets reinforce what they practice in the store.