The Invest in ME Reads program provides these resources to help you support your student or child on a path toward lifelong financial wellness.
Featured Book:
Priceless Facts about Money
In January, all Maine fourth graders attending public school receive Priceless Facts about Money, a book that demystifies money and introduces students to wild and weird facts about what makes the world go round.
Use this reading guide to make the most of the lessons from this book. [Coming January 15, 2025]
Activities and Tips
Financial Skills
Developing habits like planning, saving, and setting goals helps your child build lifelong financial skills and work toward milestones such as:
- Understanding that purchasing decisions have costs and benefits unique to each individual
- Making financial decisions that align with their goals and values
- Feeling confident about spending and saving, knowing various methods for both
Tips for Parents and Caregivers
- Ask your child to set a goal for something he or she would like to purchase, talk about the steps it would take to get it, check the progress, and monitor whether that goal is still important.
- Bring your child with you to your local bank or credit union and open a savings account. Consider a “matching plan” for your child’s savings: you put in 25 cents for every dollar your child saves.
Lessons and Games
- Centsables – A collection of fun games
- FDIC Money Smart for Young People – Learn about everyday financial topics
- KidsMoney.org – Tools to teach financial knowledge
- MyCreditUnion.gov – Test your financial knowledge with these fun games
- Thinking Money for Kids – Games that teach money skills
- Board games to play a hands-on activity with children:
- The Game of Life
- Monopoly
Education and Career Exploration
The earlier your child begins to explore education and careers, the more likely they will be to achieve their goals and work toward milestones such as:
- Discussing jobs and careers that align with their interests
- Understanding that people have different jobs and income, depending on their knowledge, skills, education, and experience
- Understanding basic college-related terms
- Learning that college costs vary widely, depending on the college and program
- Discussing degrees or training programs that align with their interests
Tips for Parents and Caregivers
- If your child has a college savings account, talk with them about it, including what it can be used for and why you save. If your child doesn’t have a college savings account, consider learning more about Maine’s education savings program, including resources for saving at NextGenforME.com.
- If you are attending college yourself, or know someone who is, visit the campus and talk with your child about college. Help them make a list of nearby colleges.
Lessons and Games
BizKid$ – Games to inspire entrepreneurism
US Bureau of Labor Statistics Career Exploration – Learn about education and skills needed for various careers
Claim Your Future® – A game that teaches about future careers, education, and money
HirePaths – Activities to support career exploration
MyPlan – Create a plan to “do, save, learn”
NCES Kids’ Zone – Information to help kids learn about schools and colleges.
Read the Official Rules for more information.
