2nd Grade Counting Coins to 70 Cents Worksheet: Add Pennies, Nickels, Dimes

Empty a piggy bank in front of a seven-year-old and they will usually count the coins, not their value: "I have nine!" This 2nd grade counting coins to 70 cents worksheet works on the difference. The page shows five boxes of real US coins on a purple grid. Box e holds five pennies, while box d mixes four dimes, a quarter and a nickel. Your child adds the value of each group and writes the total on the line beside it. Totals run from 5 cents to 70 cents, so the page climbs from easy to demanding. A second page gives the answer key, with box a fully worked out.

Why the biggest coin is not always worth the most

A nickel is larger than a dime, yet it is worth less. That surprise is the whole lesson. Children must learn the coin values by heart instead of trusting size: 1 cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, 25 cents.

Once the values are known, counting money becomes counting on. Start with the coin worth the most, then add the next one. For example, a quarter, then a dime, then four pennies gives 25, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39.

The page helps by showing both sides of the coins in true colors, so the copper penny stands apart. Real coins, real values. That link with the purse at home is what makes the skill stick.

At the table: box a and box d

Start with box e. Ask, "How much is one penny? And five?" It is a gentle first total.

Box a is where the sorting starts. The coins are mixed, so many children add them in the order they appear and lose track. Suggest, "Put your finger on the dimes first," then count on with the nickel and the pennies.

Box d holds the biggest total. A child who counts the nickel as 10 cents, because it is large, will land too high. Instead of correcting, ask, "Which coin is the nickel? What is it worth?" Also, tapping each coin while saying the running total keeps the count on steady.

Real coins on the kitchen table

Nothing beats handling US coins. Pour a few from your purse onto the table and let your child sort them into piles by kind, then find the total of one pile.

At the store, let them pay for something small with exact change, or count the coins you get back.

The picture book Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin is about buttons, not money, but its counting down by one is a nice warm-up before taking coins away.

Once you finish the page, check each cents total with the answer key together and praise the method: "You started with the dimes. That made it easier."