Kids and credit

Most financial experts agree that kids should know about credit and credit cards before they turn 18, the point at which they are legally able to sign contracts. In the elementary grades, students should learn basic personal finance and critical thinking skills. This helps to ensure that when they become eligible for a credit card, the money management skills they have learned will allow them to avoid pitfalls such as impulse buying and paying additional interest on unpaid balances. Scan the links below for ideas on what elementary grade students need to know to prepare them to use credit wisely.

Learning Activities

What do children need to know about credit? The link below covers five prerequisites for using credit cards responsibly.

https://www.northwesternmutual.com/life-and-money/how-to-teach-kids-about-credit-cards/

Take Charge America, a nonprofit credit counseling and debt management agency, has developed lesson plans for grades 1-5 using children's literature to present personal finance skills. According to TCA, "[e]ach grade level has 10 lesson plans for a complete unit of study. Each lesson is a PDF document that you can download which includes objectives, materials lists, worksheets and content standards." Click the link below to get started.

http://www.takechargeamerica.org/financial-education-resources/educator-resources/