inancial literacy is a critical life skill, yet it is often overlooked in school curriculums. Teaching students smart money management can play a massive role in preparing them for financial independence and success for years to come.
An excellent way to incorporate financial education in schools is by utilising student planners. With some thoughtful design and content considerations, schools can turn their student planner for 2024/25 into a dynamic financial teaching tool.
Why Is Teaching Financial Literacy Important?
Financial literacy equips students with the knowledge and skills to make informed money decisions. It encompasses budgeting, saving, investing, banking, taxes, credit, loans and more.
Gaining financial literacy at a young age provides students with several advantages, such as:
- Avoiding poor financial choices that create future struggles
- Developing healthy money habits early on
- Building a solid financial foundation for life after school
- Becoming financially responsible and independent adults
Why Use Student Planners to Teach Financial Literacy?
Student planners are an indispensable tool that students use daily to organise homework, assignments, exams and extracurricular activities. Integrating financial literacy lessons into planners leverages an existing resource that has students’ attention.
How to Incorporate Financial Literacy into Student Planners
Here are some ways to incorporate financial literacy elements into a student planner:
Budgeting Templates
Include a student budget planner section with monthly, term and yearly budget templates. This will help students learn how to create and maintain a budget.
Expense Tracking
Include an expense tracking section in the student planner, where students can record and categorise their daily expenses. This will help students become more aware of their spending habits and identify areas where they can cut back.
Calendar for Financial Planning
A planner’s calendar can be used to remind students of upcoming expenses (like school trips) and plan for future financial events. This helps develop an awareness of future financial commitments and the need for planning.
Financial Goal Setting
Incorporate goal-setting pages with prompts for short- and long-term financial goals. Having clearly defined goals motivates students to make wise money choices. Help students define money milestones like saving for a new phone or holiday.
Include a dedicated section in the planner for students to record and track their progress towards these goals.
Educational Resources
Provide educational resources on various financial topics, such as understanding credit, investing and managing debt. These resources can be incorporated into the student planner as articles, infographics, or interactive elements like quizzes.
Including QR codes or links to online financial literacy resources, podcasts, calculators, or budgeting apps can extend learning beyond the classroom.
Glossary of Financial Terminology
Include a glossary of key financial terms like inflation, revenue, capital, etc. Simple definitions in student planners make important vocabulary readily available.
Money Management Tips
Include tips and encouragement around smart financial practices, like building an emergency fund, limiting splurges and bargain hunting. Introduce challenges, such as a 12-week savings challenge or a no-spend month, to encourage students to save money.
Reflective Sections
Include prompts for students to reflect on their spending habits, progress toward goals, financial decisions and lessons learned. Reflection encourages deeper thinking about money management and helps to cement financial literacy concepts.
Prepare Your Students for Financial Success with Penstripe
By prioritising financial literacy in student planners, schools are investing in their students’ futures. At Penstripe, we understand the importance of financial literacy. That’s why we work with schools to create bespoke student planners that integrate financial education.
If you’d like more information, advice, or a free sample pack, call us at 0113 231 0995 or email info@penstripe.co.uk.
Olaf Surtees has been with Penstripe for ten years; what he doesn’t know about teacher planners, student planners, and lesson planners isn’t worth knowing! He’s in charge of creating our blog content, helping teachers and administrators with helpful hints and tips, as well as our socials — see the links below to find out more.
