Money — Victorian Year 3 Maths
Australian coins and notes, writing amounts in dollars and cents, then adding and subtracting money to find totals and change. Two subtopics and 40 practice questions, aligned to VC2M3N07 and VC2M3N08.
Money in Victorian Year 3
Money is where Year 3 number skills meet everyday life. Students get to know the Australian coins and notes, write amounts with a dollar sign and a decimal point, and use the fact that 100 cents make one dollar. They then add and subtract amounts to find what things cost altogether, how much more is needed and how much change to expect.
The two subtopics below are Represent money amounts and Add and subtract money. Money is one of the 18 topics in Victorian Year 3 Maths and belongs to the Number strand. The work comes under Victorian Curriculum codes VC2M3N07 and VC2M3N08. These skills lead on to longer shopping problems in Year 4, including estimating and checking totals.
Subtopics
Money: common questions
How do you explain dollars and cents to a child?
Use real coins. Lay out 85 cents in two ways, such as 50c, 20c, 10c and 5c, or four 20c coins and a 5c, so your child sees that different coins can make the same amount. Then write it as \(\$0.85\) and point out that the cents always take two figures, so seven cents is \(\$0.07\).
How do you add two money amounts?
Write the amounts one under the other with the decimal points lined up. Add the cents first, then the dollars. For \(\$4.65 + \$2.70\), the cents make 135 cents, which is \(\$1.35\), so the total is \(\$4 + \$2 + \$1.35 = \$7.35\).
What are two ways to work out change?
You can subtract the price from the money handed over: \(\$10.00 - \$4.70 = \$5.30\). Or you can count up from the price like a shopkeeper: 30 cents takes \(\$4.70\) to \(\$5.00\), then \(\$5\) more reaches \(\$10.00\), so the change is \(\$5.30\).
What mistakes do children make with money, and how can we practise at home?
Common slips are writing \(\$2.5\) instead of \(\$2.50\), thinking \(\$5.06\) and \(\$5.60\) are the same, and forgetting to swap 100 cents for a dollar when adding. At home, let your child count the coins in a purse, check a shopping receipt or work out the change when you pay.
Which curriculum codes cover Money in Victorian Year 3?
Represent money amounts comes under Victorian Curriculum code VC2M3N07, which is about how dollars and cents are linked and the different ways to show an amount. Add and subtract money comes under VC2M3N08, which covers everyday problems solved with number sentences, including money.