Question:I have the opportunity to teach middle school students a unit on personal finance. Can you suggest some classroom materials I might use?
Answer: Judging by the increasing number of requests I'm getting for curriculum information, financial literacy for kids is becoming a hot topic. A tip of the pen to teachers, parents and other interested third parties who are committed to bringing this long-neglected topic into our schools.
Even Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has jumped on the bandwagon. In a recent speech, Greenspan plugged financial education at the elementary and secondary school levels as a way to "help younger people avoid poor financial decisions that can take years to overcome."
The best overall source of curriculum information is the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy www.jumpstart.org, which maintains a clearinghouse of classroom materials.
And new Web sites are popping up all the time. One of the most ambitious is Banking on Our Future, a joint project of Wells Fargo, Operation HOPE and SmartForce, an e-learning company. With separate sections tailored to fourth-grade through high school, the audiovisual program hopes to reach 100,000 students by next year.
While the program focuses on improving financial literacy in inner-city and other under-served communities, anyone can log on through www.wellsfargo.com, www.operationhope.org or www.smartforce.com.
Other Web sites worth a visit by students, teachers and parents:
Sense & Dollars; www.mpt.org/senseanddollars. Sponsored by Maryland Public Television, this is a user-friendly blend of text and interactive games for middle and high school students.
Moneyopolis; www.moneyopolis.com. Operated by Ernst & Young, this site helps middle school financiers appreciate how much they must save to reach a goal, such as buying a CD.
Wise Pockets; www.wisepockets.com. With graphics designed for children in grades three to six, this appealing site shows teachers how to use popular children's books — such as "Meet Molly, an American Girl," and "The Berenstain Bears' Mad, Mad, Mad Toy Craze" — to teach kids about money.
Consumer Jungle; www.consumerjungle.org. Suitable for older teens, this site is loaded with detailed information on buying a car, deciphering credit card agreements and renting an apartment.
Have a question about kids and finances for Dr. Tightwad? Write to Dr. T at 1729 H St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006. Or send the good doctor an e-mail message (and any other questions for this column) to jbodnar@kiplinger.com.