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Counting Coins

2nd grade nonfiction passage about money and math: 102 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

2nd grade nonfiction money and math 102 words

Counting Coins

Coins are money. Each coin is worth a different amount. You can count coins to find out how much money you have.

A penny is worth one cent. A nickel is worth five cents. A dime is worth ten cents. A quarter is worth twenty-five cents. The dime is the smallest coin, but it is worth more than a penny or a nickel.

Let us count some coins. Say you have two dimes and one nickel. Two dimes make twenty cents. Add five more cents for the nickel. Now you have twenty-five cents. That is the same as one quarter!

Questions

  1. How much is a nickel worth? in the text

  2. How much is a quarter worth? in the text

  3. Which coin is the smallest? in the text

  4. How much do two dimes make? in the text

  5. What is the same as two dimes and one nickel? in the text

  6. A dime is smaller than a penny. Is it worth less than a penny? How do you know? think about it

Words to know

coins
small round pieces of metal money
worth
how much money something is equal to
cent
a small amount of money, one hundredth of a dollar
amount
how much of something there is
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One passage, three levels

The same topic and facts written three ways, so a mixed class can read and talk about one text. Each group’s sheet shows only a shape; the key says which is which.

● Easier · 89 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.9

Coins are money. Each coin is worth a different amount. Count coins to see how much money you have.

A penny is worth one cent. A nickel is worth five cents. A dime is worth ten cents. A quarter is worth twenty-five cents. The dime is the smallest coin. But it is worth more than a penny or a nickel.

Let us count. You have two dimes and one nickel. Two dimes make twenty cents. Add five cents. Now you have twenty-five cents. That is one quarter!

▲ This passage · 102 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.3

Coins are money. Each coin is worth a different amount. You can count coins to find out how much money you have.

A penny is worth one cent. A nickel is worth five cents. A dime is worth ten cents. A quarter is worth twenty-five cents. The dime is the smallest coin, but it is worth more than a penny or a nickel.

Let us count some coins. Say you have two dimes and one nickel. Two dimes make twenty cents. Add five more cents for the nickel. Now you have twenty-five cents. That is the same as one quarter!

■ Harder · 117 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.6

Coins are a kind of money, and each coin is worth a different amount. By counting your coins, you can figure out exactly how much money you have.

A penny is worth one cent, and a nickel is worth five cents. A dime is worth ten cents, and a quarter is worth twenty-five cents. Interestingly, the dime is the smallest coin of all, yet it is worth more than a penny or a nickel.

Let us practice counting. Suppose you have two dimes and one nickel. Two dimes together make twenty cents. If you add five more cents for the nickel, you have twenty-five cents altogether. That is exactly the same amount as one quarter!

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put coins, worth, cent and amount on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the text will be about.
  • Read it aloud once while students follow along, then have them reread it alone or with a partner. At a calm 100 words a minute it takes about 1 minute to read aloud.
  • Use the Read it big button (or B) to put the text on the projector, and Show answer on one question at a time so the class commits to an answer first.
  • Question 6 asks the reader to infer. Ask students to point to the words in the passage that led them to their answer.
  • Ask students to write one question the passage did not answer, then look for the answer in a book or on a classroom screen.
  • Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "Counting Coins"?

It was written for 2nd grade. It has 102 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.3. That is a formula's estimate from sentence length and syllables, and it is not a Lexile or a guided reading level, so check it against your students.

What do the questions ask?

There are six. 5 ask for something the text says directly and 1 ask the reader to work something out from clues. Each has an answer in the key, and the answers are written as a teacher would accept them, not as the only possible wording.

How long does it take to read?

About 1 minute read aloud at 100 words a minute. For a one-minute fluency check, paste it into the fluency timer and use the word count.

Can I print it?

Yes. Print student copy gives the passage, the questions with lines to write on, and the word meanings. Print with answers gives the same page with the answers filled in. Both are made in your browser.

Is this passage from a published book?

No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.

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