Teaching Children to Handle Money

I was particularly interested in your article regarding children as consumers and the teaching of what we call basic economics (“Consumers,” Dec. 20). As an elementary school, we have been concerned about the lack of money sense in our students.

Here at Village View School, we use a monetary system to teach money management. Children earn money (our own Village View Dollars) in class and can spend their money on a variety of goods and services. They go to the bank each week and deposit their money. Computer printouts keep students and teachers appraised of balances. To go to an event or on a trip, a student must save some money regularly or will be left out. It is great to see first graders learn to save rather than to buy something that they see.

Parents are involved. In addition to helping to raise the several thousand dollars needed to fund the project, they help run most aspects of the program. Their comments about how their children have learned to make wise decisions, comparison shop and save make us feel we are on the right track in teaching kids about money and its uses.

DON DEVOR, principal, Village View School