By Samantha Dixon, Classroom Teacher Grade 3 Red
You walk into school, chat with your friends, and hang up your backpack. Then, in the classroom, a strange sign catches your eye: “Shop: Now open.”
This was the scenario that confronted our Grade 3's upon their return to school after the Autumn Break. Price lists adorned the walls, a cash register stood on a desk, and classroom supplies were now barricaded behind the shelves of the newly created shops.
A pencil?
Purchase now for €1.00.
Erasers? That will be €0.50, please.
And an iPad? That’s rented for €1.00 for the day — or, €2.50 for the week, if
you prefer.
Luckily, ISU’s Grade 3 teachers are generous. Students all began with €20 in their pockets, with the option to earn a weekly salary by completing their classroom jobs. And while all products in the classroom now had a price tag attached — the real value was in the learning.
Consumers Unit of Inquiry
The shop tied into Grade 3’s Consumers unit, where students explored the central idea: “Consumers are influenced by a variety of factors when making a decision.” They investigated goods and services, needs versus wants, how money works, and how persuasion and marketing affect consumer choices. This unit delivery was a conscious choice: systematic reviews have found that experiential learning — where students practice managing real or simulated funds — leads to deeper engagement and better financial understanding in children (Amagir et al., 2018).
Language and Maths were integrated in this unit
In language, students explored written discussions, beginning with the model text “Should consumers purchase food that is grown locally?”. This introduced contrasting perspectives and sentence signposts like “On the one hand” and “However”, helping students prepare to structure their own discussions on topics of their choice.
The unit also integrated maths. Students applied arithmetic and order of operations, such as division and multiplication, to everyday problems. They counted and tracked their money, recorded it on bar graphs, and compared weekly totals. Using physical cash, they practised making change and considered questions like: “Do I really need that piece of coloured paper, or should I save for the iPad later?” These activities mirrored real-world decision-making.By embedding financial tasks within long-term, project‑based learning, students gain deeper conceptual understanding, suggests Kalsum and colleagues (2025), who found statistically significant gains in financial literacy among young learners using this method.
The results
The experience exceeded expectations. Initially resistant to
paying for supplies they had always received for free, students quickly
embraced the new system. They discussed budgets, proposed ways to earn more
money, purchased items for peers in need, and calculated change — all
reflecting real-life decisions. Overall, the shop transformed everyday classroom activities into practical lessons that deepened students’ understanding of consumer choices.
References
Amagir, A., Groot, W., Maassen van den Brink, H., & Wilschut, A. (2018). A review of financial‑literacy education programs for children and adolescents. Citizenship, Social and Economics Education, 17(1), 56–80. https://doi.org/10.1177/2047173417719555
Kalsum, S., Rusmayadi, R., Musi, M. A., & Halik, A. (2025). The Use of Project‑Based Learning on Early Childhood Financial Literacy Skills. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Approach Research and Science, 3(01), 273–282. https://doi.org/10.59653/ijmars.v3i01.1401