Money is an important part of everyday life, and it just makes sense to know the function of dollars and cents.

This week’s word problems focus on understanding value and calculating purchases. Read the problems below and choose the one that’s the right skill level for your child. Have them give it a try. And when they feel they’ve found the answer, check their solution against ours on the next page.

Questions

Lower Elementary:
Question: Ellie breaks open her piggy bank and finds a half dollar, two quarters, two dimes, a nickel, and two pennies. How much money does Ellie have?

Upper Elementary:
Question: Packs of trading cards cost $3.50. What is the greatest number of packs of trading cards that Kaylee can buy with a $20.00 bill?

Middle School:
Question: Logan buys a box of 64 colored pencils for $24.00 and a box of 36 crayons for $12.60. Which costs more, a single colored pencil or a single crayon?

Algebra and Up:
Question: The value of a painting increases by 2% each year. If the painting is worth $1,000.00 today, how much was it worth exactly 50 years ago?