Money Management International has a dedicated site for Financial Literacy month (April), encouraging sound use of one’s finances throughout the year with Thirty Steps to Financial Wellness, which includes resources and worksheets to get organized and make a financial plan. The steps include:
Commit to Change
Assess Your Finances
Clear out the Financial Clutter
Set yourself up for Success
Get copies of your Credit Reports
Clean up your Credit Report
Make your Money Count
Identify your Starting Point
Review your Debt Situation
Set your Priorities
Set SMART Financial Goals
Set short-, mid-, and long-term Goals
Pay down your Debt
Expect the Unexpected
Secure your Financial Future
Make a Committment
Save for your Goals
Follow where the Money Goes
Identify and Document Fixed Monthly Expenses
Identify and Plan for Periodic Expenses
Document your Spending
Indentify ways to Reduce Spending
Save Money on Groceeries
Start an Open Dialogue
Document your Desired Spending
Protect yourself by Performing Financial Check-ups
Understand the Cost of Credit
Assemble a Financial Team
Appreciate the Benefits
Keep Moving Forward
For this activity determine how much time and how many steps you want to include, divide the class into pairs/groups to investigate each step, write a summary/report and present to the class.
Decide on the scope of the lesson. Is the class to cover the material briefly or do you want learners to find more information? Do you want all 30 steps covered or just a select few?I
Decide how to divide the topic into manageable discussions.
Determine any new vocabulary words and pre-teach them.
Explore other areas of the Web site. This topic is huge and the Web site has many ways to help you.
How-To
Discuss Financial Literacy in general.
Write needed vocabulary on the board.
Demonstrate the Web site if students will be completing the activity online.
Show an overview of the 30 Steps.
Discuss questions the students might explore.
Divide the class into pairs or threes. Have them re-read the topic and answer questions posed by the class.
Teacher Tips
One way to use this site successfully with an ABE class is to divide the students into groups of three. Mix good readers with struggling ones. Have one person assigned to be the reader, one to be the recorder and the third to pose the questions and answers to include in their presentation to the class.
More Ways
You can use the Budget Guides ie create a Budget, Save Money of Groceries etc.
This Web site could easily take a month and then next year explore parts you could not cover the first year.
Program Areas
ABE: Adult Basic Education
ESL: English as a Second Language
ASE: High School Diploma
Levels
Low
Intermediate
High
All Levels
Intermediate Low
Intermediate High
Advanced
View Lesson Plan
Warm-up
Engagement
As pairs have learners discuss the question: What is Money Management and why is it important?
Join as a class to share ideas.
Introduction
Engagement Enhancement
Financial Literacy Month is celebrated each April. Why do you think they celebrate it in April? (taxes due) As pairs brainstorm what topics are part of Finacial Literacy.
Share ideas as a class.
Presentation
Engagement Enhancement
Share the site, Money Management International, Celebrating Financial Literacy for their list of 30 topics. Compare their list with the list created by the class. If you have pre-determined which topics you want to cover, highlight those.
Discuss as pairs which topics you think are the most important, and ones you would like to learn more about. Assign pairs/groups topics from the list.
Practice
Engagement Enhancement
As a pair/group explore the topic assigned. Write a summary/report on what you learned. Be sure to include the call to action. Present your topic to the class. This can be done as an infograpic, dialogue between members of the group (question/answer) or slide presentation.
Evaluation
Engagement Enhancement
Have pairs present their topic to the class. Have class members ask questions to encourage more discussion
Application
Engagement Enhancement Extension
As a follow-up assignment, have learners take what they have learned home and encourge family members to discuss how they might use the information. Bring that information back to the class for a larger discussion.
View Subjects
Language Arts - Reading
Comprehension
Language Arts - Writing
Language Facility
Organization of Ideas
Writing Conventions
Math
Decimals
Whole Number Skills
Mathematics
Numbers and Operations on Numbers
Reading
Consumer Skills
Critical Thinking/Decision Making
Social Studies
Economics
Writing
Paragraph Skills
View Standards
Reading
CCR Anchor 1 - Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
CCR Anchor 2 - Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
CCR Anchor 3 - Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
CCR Anchor 4 - Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
Writing
CCR Anchor 2 - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
CCR Anchor 4 - Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCR Anchor 5 - Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
CCR Anchor 6 - Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
CCR Anchor 7 - Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
Money Management International, Inc (MMI) is a Texas-based, nonprofit organization organized under the IRS 501(c)(3) tax code. MMI provides financial education programs, housing advisory services, bankruptcy counseling, free personal credit and budget counseling, and debt management assistance. MMI’s services are consultative only and MMI cannot prevent wage attachment or garnishment, repossession, or job loss. Therefore, you should rely on your own judgment in deciding which product/service best suits your needs and financial means. The information provided should be understood to be a general discussion of the subject matter and does not constitute a legal opinion about your particular situation.
