For parents
Pretend shop: count the price, payment and change
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Separate three amounts when playing shop: the total price, the payment and the change. Items priced at $3 and $2 cost $5 together. A customer who pays $10 receives $5 back. These pretend transactions need no real purchases.
Set up a tabletop shop
Choose three toys and label them: car $3, block $2, book $4. These are invented practice prices, not market prices. Make paper value cards marked $1, $2, $5 and $10 and label them play money. This example uses US dollars; the cards are value labels, not a complete set of real notes or coins. Leave cents out initially and use one currency throughout the game.
Add a purchase step by step
The customer chooses the car and block. Put their labels together and read $3 and $2. Write 3 + 2 = 5: the total price is $5. First practise paying exactly: one $5 card, two $2 cards plus one $1 card, or five $1 cards. Each payment has the same value even though it uses a different number of cards.
Count cards and value separately
Place one $5 card beside two $1 cards. The single card has greater value: $5 is more than $2. Ask two separate questions: how many cards are there, and how much are they worth altogether? The NCETM resource below distinguishes the number of coins from their combined value. Here, simple labelled cards let you explore that difference.
Work out change from $10
The price is $5 and the customer hands over $10. The shopkeeper calculates 10 − 5 = 5 and returns a $5 card. Check that the $5 price plus $5 change equals the $10 payment. Do not add the payment to the price as though both were purchase costs. If the customer pays exactly $5, the change is $0. Establish the price before discussing the payment.
Swap roles and find a shortfall
Now the customer has $3 but wants the $4 book. They need $1 more because 3 + 1 = 4. They can choose a cheaper item or receive an extra play card within the game. This is a shortfall, not change owed by the shopkeeper. After each purchase, keep the item, payment and any change in separate places to avoid counting a card twice.
Four questions with answers
Car and book: $3 + $4 = $7. Change from $10 for the book: $10 − $4 = $6. Two $2 cards and one $1 card are worth $5, although there are three cards. Is $5 enough for the car and book? No: they cost $7, so $2 more is needed. Offer one question at a time and let your child arrange the cards before checking.
Common errors and a next step
Do not judge a card’s value by its size. Avoid mixing dollars and cents before explaining the units. If the calculation gets confusing, return to one item and exact payment. A parent can later choose the Money book in Otto Math on iPhone or iPad. That book uses Polish złoty, PLN, in every language; it does not use dollars. The first five routes in each book are free; further routes require Otto Plus. The paper shop also works as a complete activity on its own.