Pointers for Parents Helping Children Get Smart About Money (NAPSA)—It could pay to teach kids about managing money—and financial experts say the earlier the lessons begin, the better. Still, about half of parents don’t believe they do a good job when it comes to teaching financial lessons to kids, according to an online survey by Northwestern Mutual. And, unfortunately, that could be costing children once they reach borrowing age. So what’s a smart way to help children learn financial basics? Try using child-friendly resources such as Smart City, an interactive Webbased destination for elementary school students. It was launched by Learning to Give, the curriculum division of The League—anorganization created by business, education, government, media, nonprofit leaders and youth. The site, www.learningtogive.org/ students/smartcity, was designed to make learning to manage dollars and cents both fun and easy. Underthe guidance of Alex Ant, the interactive site helps children in grades 2 through 5 develop a solid understanding of money management, including basic money skills related to spending, saving, investing and donating. Children are invited to explore the “Land of Money Smart Kids,” where they help Alex Ant purchase a birthday gift for his mother. The site contains 10 activities designed A new Webresource could help children learn the ABCs of money management. with varying degrees of complexity. School Smarts The lessons address academic standards for social studies, English language arts and math. There’s also a comprehensive teacher guide that summarizes the activities and provides ideas for introducing and reinforcing each one. Additionally, the guide contains supplemental resources for classroom and homeuse. “These Web activities are a medium for helping students understand personal finance and how their choices can havea philanthropic impact,” says Barbara Dillbeck, curriculum director, The League. “It’s designed to help children grow into independent and financially stable adults who make positive contributions to the communities in which they live.” Smart City was developed with support from the RGK Foundation. For more informa- tion, visit www.theleague.org.
