VALUE OF WORDS

• Assign values to the letters of the alphabet, i.e. A=1¢, B=2¢, etc.
• Have each person in your family find the value of his or her first name.
• Who has the most expensive name?
• Find the difference between your first and last name.
• Use a book or magazine and see who can find the most (least) expensive word.
• Find a word that equals $1.00 exactly.

EVERYDAY ESTIMATION

People estimate (guess) in their everyday lives. Your mom estimates how many groceries she can buy with the money she has in her wallet or she estimates how long it will take to cook dinner. Your dad estimates how many more miles he can drive before he needs gas. Repairmen give your parents an estimate of how much things cost to fix. Practicing with estimation helps us develop a sense of time and money. Here are some fun ways to practice estimation. Make a guess, write it down, and then find the answer to the question:

• How many times a day is the refrigerator door opened?
  Tape a piece of paper to the front of the refrigerator, and make a tally mark each time it is opened. How close did you come?
• How many times do you chew each bite of food?
  Ask another person to count for you, so that you can concentrate on eating! Try different kinds of food.
• How many pennies do your mom or dad have in their possession?
  Which do they have more of-pennies, nickels, dimes, or quarters?
• How many windows are there in your house?
• How many storage drawers are there in your entire house?
• How many steps is it from your front door to the back door or the back of the house?
  Does it make a difference whether you or your dad is pacing it off (taking heel-to-toe steps)?
• How many light bulbs are there in your house?
  How many months before they burn out?

You get the idea. What other questions can you or your parents think up?

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