Teaching Economics in the Primary Grades: Standards and Strategies

Abstract

Primary-grade students can gain exposure to the full range of economic concepts in state standards if teachers use reading-based strategies that embrace children's literature with economic content. This approach allows teachers to simultaneously teach their students to read and to understand economics. Our state-by-state survey indicates that almost all states have content standards in economics beginning with kindergarten. However, only six states have standards that earn an A in our State Grade for Completeness. In evaluating reading-based strategies to teach these standards, we identify more than two hundred picture books and easy readers that focus on economics. Despite the appeal of teaching economics through literature, there is not enough assessment of reading-based strategies and new assessments should be attempted in the early grades.