Money Matters ▬ ABC Life Literacy Canada

Money Matters

Money Matters

ABC Life Literacy Canada: 2020

Money Matters is a free introductory financial literacy program for adult learners, newcomers to Canada, Indigenous Peoples and people with diverse abilities. Our workbooks are used in classrooms across Canada, and are full of learning activities that can be adapted to the needs of individual groups. Workshops can be delivered by the staff of the group delivering the program, or with the optional support of local TD Bank Group volunteer-tutors.

Money safety

Welcome to Money Matters for People with Diverse Abilities

We designed Money Matters to help you take better care of yourself by taking better care of your money.

When you feel good about your money management, you’re less stressed. You have more energy for the things that are important to you.

What will you learn?

➤ Online safety

➤ Phishing scams

➤ Identity theft

➤ Financial abuse

READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 8

Reading Level: standard / average.

Reader's Age: 12-14 yrs. old

(Seventh and Eighth graders)

10 Free Financial Literacy Games for High School Students ▬ Edutopia

10 Free Financial Literacy Games for High School Students

Financial Literacy
Games

Edutopia: 4.07.2020 by Brian Page

Game-based learning is an engaging and effective way to teach students, and it can be especially useful for teaching students how to manage money because it empowers them to learn from their own decisions. Here are 10 free, popular games for high school students to learn how to navigate their finances.

1. Payback
Payback nudges students to think about how to succeed in college without taking on excessive student debt.

2. Spent
Spent challenges players to survive the struggle of low-income living.

3. Financial Football/Financial Soccer
These two fast-paced, sports-themed, interactive games engage students in quiz bowl–style questions to advance players up the field.

4. Shady Sam
Shady Sam demonstrates how loan terms can hurt borrowers who don’t pay attention.

5. STAX
an “engaging, fast-paced interactive game that allows students to experience 20 years of investing in just 20 minutes...  READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 8

Reading Level: standard / average.

Reader's Age: 12-14 yrs. old

(Seventh and Eighth graders)

S&P Global FinLit Survey ▬ GFLEC

S&P Global FinLit Survey

GFLEC: 2015

S&P Global FinLit Survey

The Standard & Poor's Ratings Services Global Financial Literacy Survey is the world’s largest, most comprehensive global measurement of financial literacy. It probes knowledge of four basic financial concepts: risk diversification, inflation, numeracy, and interest compounding.

The survey is based on interviews with more than 150,000 adults in over 140 countries. In 2014 McGraw Hill Financial worked with Gallup, Inc., the World Bank Development Research Group, and GFLEC on the S&P Global FinLit Survey.

Highlights

➧ Low levels of financial literacy around the world

➧ Numeracy and inflation are the most understood concepts

➧ Risk diversification is the least understood concept

➧ Women’s financial literacy levels are lower than men’s

➧ The young are a vulnerable group and an important target for financial education programs

Goals

The survey’s goal is to provide the most accurate measure of financial literacy around the world. It also aims to provide information to policy makers, regulators, the private sector, and academics to empower them to develop effective financial education policies and programs.

Financial illiteracy is a critical barrier to financial inclusion. Because of a lack of knowledge about finance and financial products, many people are unable to access banking and financial services, and are therefore kept out of financial markets. Financial literacy is therefore highly important to people’s financial well-being and to the overall health of a country’s economy.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 15

Reading Level: very difficult to read.

Reader's Age: College graduate

 

Literacy Reports & Statistics

Financial

Financial Literacy Survey, NFCC
General Literacy Surveys, Jumpstart
2016: State-by-State Financial Capability Survey, FINRA
2014: S&P Global FinLit Survey, GFLEC

Everyday Math Skills ▬ Essential Skills Quebec

Everyday Math Skills

Essential Skills Quebec

@ESkillsQuebec

Everyday Math Skills Workbooks series

Home Math Workbook

Kitchen Math Workbook 

Money Math Workbook 

Simply Math Workbook

More Numeracy Resources

Addition and Subtraction
Apps

Assessment
Budget
Calculators
Decimals
Formulas and Tables
Fractions
Geometry
Math
Math Concepts
Money
Multiplication and Division
Numeracy
Percentages
Quizzes
Secondary
Tutoring
Videos
Workbooks
Worksheets

Where To Find Literacy Worksheets For Adults ▬ ABC Life Literacy Canada

Where To Find Literacy Worksheets For Adults

✽ ABC Life Literacy Canada Blog: 8.31.2020

In order to keep adult learners engaged throughout their learning, they need to be offered a variety of innovative programming and course material, including worksheets. For a community learning organization, knowing where to find literacy worksheets for adults can sometimes be a challenge.  

The following list of free resources can help keep your adult learners motivated:

Workplace Literacy Worksheets

Having strong employability skills can help workers secure meaningful employment in a competitive job market. These skills help workers to be adaptable and motivated throughout their employment and as they move into new roles or careers. Workers equipped with adequate skills also contribute more productively to a workplace and experience less work-related stress.

UP Skills for Work is a program offering free resources on nine key employability skills that hiring managers look for, including motivation, attitude, accountability, presentation, teamwork, time management, adaptability, stress management and confidence.

Literacy practitioners can download activity sheets or full workbooks on each of the skills on the UP Skills for Work website.

Digital Literacy Worksheets

Estimates say that around 84 per cent of jobs in Canada currently require the use of a computer and basic technical skills. With even low-skilled jobs increasingly requiring a basic level of digital literacy, it’s important that all Canadians are equipped with the appropriate skills.

Youth Teaching Adults is a free introductory digital literacy program for adult learners, led by youth volunteer-tutors.

With several free lesson plans available for free download, learners can follow simple step-by-step instructions on how to use tools such as Facebook, Spotify and Google News.

Financial Literacy Worksheets

Financial literacy is important if you want to shop smart during your daily errands, understand banking transactions and investments and, most importantly, realize the full value of your dollar. Money Matters, a free introductory financial literacy program offered to adult learners, newcomers to Canada, Indigenous Peoples and people with diverse abilities, helps learners build confidence in financial-related matters.

With engaging workbooks and learning activities available for free online, learners can discover topics like borrowing, budgeting, saving and money safety.

Health Literacy Worksheets

ABC Health Matters is a free health literacy program delivered to adults via a three-hour workbook-based workshop or through independent study at home. Upon program completion, adults can manage health services and information more effectively.

Download health literacy worksheets from the program for tips on visiting the doctor, speaking with a pharmacist and patient rights.

Essential Skills Worksheets

There are nine Essential Skills identified by the Government of Canada that are the foundation for all other skills and enable people to evolve with their jobs and adapt to workplace change. These skills are used in every job to varying degrees and at different levels of complexity. They provide the foundation for learning all other skills and enable people to adapt to change in their lives and at work.

Improving essential skills is critical for the Canadian workforce. With these essential skills workbooks and activities from the Activate Learning program, learners can improve their skills and ultimately improve their employment opportunities.  READ MORE ➤➤

✽ Newsletters ◻ Blogs ◻ Stories

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 16

Reading Level: very difficult to read.

Reader's Age: College graduate

Financial Literacy Findings and Resources via Digital Promise

@DigitalPromise

Financial Literacy Findings and Resources

Digital Promise: 2020

Financial Literacy is a key component of improving the financial capability of students and the community

Currently, 45 states include personal finance in their K-12 education standards. Moreover, 38 states require implementation of the standards and 24 states require that high schools offer personal finance courses. Yet American students are behind the curve in financial literacy compared to their peers around the world. One in five American students fail to meet the level to be considered financially literate (compared to one in 10 Chinese or Russian students), and America as a whole is not even among the top 10 financially literate countries. At the same time, most teachers self-report limited competence to teach personal finance topics.

The greatest area of growth in financial literacy competence is among teachers who do not primarily teach personal finance, but who face the challenge of integrating personal finance topics into other areas of instruction. By providing teachers access to tools powered by digital technologies for both getting up to speed in financial matters and gaining recognition for competency in personal finance instruction, educators’ motivation, confidence, and competence to teach personal finance will improve.

With support from PricewaterhouseCooopers, Digital Promise partnered with the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center (GFLEC) at The George Washington University to develop 20 financial literacy micro­-credentials to help bridge the gap between students’ need for personal finance education and teachers’ need for professional resources on the topic. Each financial literacy micro-credential includes methodologies and resources to help teachers cover content that high school students can directly apply to their own lives.

Resources

Project Method and Findings

GFLEC Final Report

GFLEC Fact Sheet

Lesson Resources

Financial Literacy Cell Phone App

Renters Insurance Lesson Handout

Car Buying Video

Sample Mircro-credentials

[ some free; a few paid ]

Activating Prior Knowledge about Insurance

The educator values students’ previous experiences and uses an anticipation guide to activate students’ prior knowledge about insurance at the beginning of the lesson.

Budgeting with Simulations

The educator understands the benefits of active learning and chooses or creates a simulation to engage students in real-world financial decisions in order to communicate the importance of budgeting.

Calculating Compound Interest: I Do, We Do, You Do

Educator incorporates the calculation of compound interest into their instruction using a gradual release model

Applied Learning: Simple Saving Strategies

The educator utilizes an applied learning strategy that enables students to develop the habit of saving.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on (7) readability formulas:

Grade Level: 20

Reading Level: very difficult to read.

Reader's Age: College graduate

10 Free Financial Literacy Games for High School Students via Edutopia

10 Free Financial Literacy Games for High School Students

Edutopia: 4.07.2020 by Brian Page

Game-based learning is an engaging and effective way to teach students, and it can be especially useful for teaching students how to manage money because it empowers them to learn from their own decisions. Here are 10 free, popular games for high school students to learn how to navigate their finances.

2. Spent
Spent challenges players to survive the struggle of low-income living.

4. Shady Sam
Shady Sam demonstrates how loan terms can hurt borrowers who don’t pay attention.

6. Money Magic
Money Magic is designed to teach basic budgeting principles.

10. Credit Clash

Credit Clash is a fun and interactive way to learn about credit scores.  READ MORE ➤➤

15 Websites to Teach Financial Literacy via Ask A Teacher

15 Websites to Teach Financial Literacy

Ask A Teacher: 4.06.2020 by Jacqui

#FinancialLiteracyMonth

#SmartMoneyWeek

When kids read that America’s $23 trillion+ debt is accepted by many experts as ‘business as usual’, I wonder how that news will affect their future personal finance decisions. Do they understand the consequences of unbalanced budgets? The quandary of infinite wants vs. finite dollars? Or do they think money grows on some fiscal tree that always blooms? The good news is: Half of the nation’s schools require a financial literacy course. The bad new is: Only half require a financial literacy course.

If your school doesn’t teach a course about personal economics, there are many online sites that address the topic as mini-lessons. Some are narrative; others games. Here are fifteen I like. See if one suits you:

Banzai is a personal finance curriculum that teaches high school and middle school students how to prioritize spending decisions through real-life scenarios and choose-your-own adventure (kind of) role playing.

Hands-on Banking

Age group: Upper elementary

This game-based website covers budgeting, needs vs. wants, savings vs. checking, credit, banks, and where money comes from.

Living Wage Calculator

Age group: Upper elementary, middle and high school

Put out by MIT, Living Wage Calculator estimates the cost of living in your community or region. The calculator lists typical expenses, cost of living, and typical wages.

iOS Apps

Because more often than not, 18-24 year olds are on a mobile device rather than a computer, here are six apps that can be played from anywhere:

Bankaroo – Using this free virtual bank for kids, students learn to manage their allowance while saving for goals. To track learning, they earn badges for their accomplishments. This app works on desktops as well as mobile devices.

Motion Math – As students struggle to run their own pizzeria, they must balance budgets, think proportionally, buy ingredients, design the pizzas, and sell to customers. The app also includes which Common Core Math Standards are addressed by the gameplay.

Savings Spree — Students learn how the choices they make each day can add up to big savings or expenses depending on their spending decisions. Kids see how they can save for short-term goals while investing for future needs.

Time is Money – This free Chrome add-on converts prices on a webpage to hours worked.  READ MORE ➤➤

Librarians: First Responders To The Illiteracy Pandemic via Perspectives on Reading

Librarians: First Responders To The Illiteracy Pandemic

Perspectives on Reading: 12.2019 by Steve Potash, Publisher

Over the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to work with Lord John Bird to advocate for additional government funding for public libraries in the UK. The Big Issue and CILIP, with Lord Bird, published Public Libraries: The Case for Support, a well-researched study on the pressing need for public libraries in our communities. In getting to know Lord Bird, I’ve admired his transparency regarding the hardships of his youth and how it shaped his view of the world. At five, his family was homeless, and as a child, he spent two and a half years living in an orphanage. Growing up, he found meager work, including a two-week stint as a dishwasher at the House of Lords. He supplemented his sparse income through stealing, which eventually landed him in prison. It was in prison that Lord Bird was taught to read and write by prison guards. He has since devoted his adult life to improving conditions for the poor and promoting literacy.

When we launched Perspectives on Reading in June 2018, I wrote about how we all can support those on the front lines of literacy. My focus was on illiteracy’s impact on childhood development and the important role librarians play in filling the gaps. Data in The Case for Support further highlight the correlation between libraries and literacy. According to a 2011 study by the National Literacy Trust, young people who use their public library are twice as likely to be reading above their expected age and, conversely, young people who do not use their public library are twice as likely to be reading below their expected age.

My concerns about reading abilities go well beyond childhood. Adult literacy in the United States and around the globe is at a crisis point, with the most vulnerable and marginalized members of our society at the greatest risk. This includes those in the U.S. who speak English as a second language, those who struggle with financial literacy and numeracy, and incarcerated individuals. Just like in combating traditional illiteracy, librarians continue to be first responders to this illiteracy pandemic.

ESL

Libraries are essential to those in our communities who are learning English as a second language (ESL). U.S. data from Pearson Education indicates that in 2015 there were nearly 26 million individuals in need of English literacy.

Financial literacy

Financial literacy is a set of knowledge and skills that enable an individual to make sound financial decisions, such as opening a credit card or understanding the terms of a loan.

Numeracy

I serve on a local hospital board and through that experience I’ve become familiar with real issues of numeracy. Numeracy is the ability to understand and work with numbers.

The prison population

Today in the U.S., there are approximately 2.3 million persons incarcerated in jails, prisons, and detention centers. Studies indicate that as many as 75 percent of all incarcerated individuals are illiterate.  READ MORE >>

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on (7) readability formulas:

Grade Level: 10

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 14-15 yrs. Old

(Ninth to Tenth graders)

2019 Canada Life Literacy Innovation Award

@abclifeliteracy

Family Services of Greater Vancouver is top winner of the Canada Life Literacy Innovation Award

ABC Life Literacy Canada: 8.26.2019

ABC Life Literacy Canada (ABC) is pleased to announce the top and honourable mention winners of the 2019 Canada Life Literacy Innovation Award (LIA). The annual award recognizes organizations that develop and implement innovative adult literacy and essential skills programs in communities across Canada.

The LIA top award will be given to Family Services of Greater Vancouver along with $20,000, which the organization can use towards future programming. In addition to the top winner, four honourable mention winners will receive $5,000 each. All will be honoured at ABC’s Life Literacy Night ceremony in Toronto this October.

Each of the winners have demonstrated that their program has made a positive contribution to the lives of their adult learners as well as the community, and all serve as a model for other organizations to adapt.

═════════►

Since its inception in 2012, 40 LIAs have been awarded to literacy organizations across the country (8 top awards and 32 honourable mention awards), representing $320,000 in funding for the field.

═════════►

TOP WINNER, receiving $20,000

Family Services of Greater Vancouver, Vancouver, BC

Program: Caring Neighbours

Caring Neighbours is a community kitchen program that uniquely combines health, food and financial literacies and creates important social connections among vulnerable and socially isolated families, children and seniors.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS, receiving $5,000 each

Community Living Toronto, Toronto ON

Program: Individualized On-campus Post-Secondary Experience Network (IOPEN)

The program provides an inclusive post-secondary learning experience for adult learners with an intellectual disability.

Literal Change, Toronto, ON

Program: Literal Change Facility Program

A team of trained teachers work one-on-one with the adult male learners in two maximum-security facilities to build level-appropriate basic literacy skills.

Momentum Community Economic Development Organization, Calgary, AB

Program: Momentum’s Money Matters

This financial empowerment program is designed to increase confidence and help participants with mental health and/or addition challenges successfully manage their money.

Sioux-Hudson Literacy Council, Sioux Lookout, ON

Program: Discover Online Integrate Information Technology (DOI2T)

The program provides access to new and exciting technology while encouraging participants to learn at their own pace.  READ MORE >>

M&Ms Make For A Tasty Budgeting Lesson For Students via CU Times

Rogue Credit Union

M&Ms Make For A Tasty Budgeting Lesson For Students.

CU Times: 4.30.2015 by Myriam DiGiovanni

M&Ms may have come to the rescue of financial education.

NuMark Credit Union, based in Joliet, Ill. recently hosted a M&M Budgeting Simulation at St. Ann Elementary School in Lansing, Ill. to help teach 6th, 7th and 8th graders the importance of budgeting.

Here’s how it works. Every student receives a bag of M&Ms as their paycheck and the responsibility of spending the M&Ms on various goods at different merchants. Each color is linked to a specific category, and each M&M is equal to five dollars. As a way to teach students to buy within their own personal budget the bags of M&Ms are unique, like a paycheck.

After the shopping was completed, students were able to calculate how much money they had saved for the future and while dissussing [sic] what they learned they could finally eat their chocolate treats.  READ MORE >>