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I made a joyful discovery last week. My 8 year old daughter can tell time and count money and we did not use one single worksheet to accomplish this! It was not intentional, but real life just happened.
About the time she would have started learning these things in a workbook, I had baby brother number one, and later, baby brother number two!
In the meantime, she was earning allowance or receiving money in birthday cards or from grandparents. Then she wanted to spend it. I would occasionally instruct her in the different coins, and she would practice. Sometimes we'd pour out a jar of coins and count. Paper money is pretty self-explanatory. So, now she knows exactly how much money she has in her purse at all times! Mission: Counting Money - Accomplished!
As for telling time, she actually had a desire to learn this on her own. With a few basic pointers, and some random "What time is it?" pop quizzes, she caught on quickly. She may still stop and think for a few seconds, but she knows the basics. Mission: Telling Time - Accomplished!
So, I did not need to purchase flash cards, workbooks, or fake paper money and cardboard coins. It is my opinion that learning is part of life, and does not all have to be included in "school."
