Coin Clinic Slides Cash Counting Clinic
Mastering Mixed Coins up to $1.00
The "Hairy Money" Strategy
The Mixed Coin Challenge
Counting coins is easy when they are all the same.
But what happens when we mix them up?
25¢
Quarter
10¢
Dime
?
It's hard to switch your brain from "25" to "35"!
Our Secret Strategy
Hairy Money!
Every "hair" on a coin is worth 5 cents.
If you can count by 5s, you can count ANY mix of coins!
5
The Nickel
5¢
5
1 Hair = 5¢
The Nickel gets one hair right on top.
When you see a nickel, you just say "Five".
10
The Dime
10¢
5
10
2 Hairs = 10¢
The Dime gets two hairs on top.
Count by 5s twice:
"5... 10"
25
The Quarter
25¢
5
10
25
15
20
5 Hairs = 25¢
The big Quarter gets five hairs all around!
Count by 5s five times:
"5... 10... 15... 20... 25"
1
The Bald Penny
1¢
0 Hairs = Bald!
The Penny has no hair. It is bald!
We count pennies last by ones.
Tip: Count all the "hairy" coins first, then add the "bald" ones!
Let's Try One Together
25¢
10¢
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Total: 35¢
Hairy Money Worksheet Hairy Money Practice
Mixed Coin Counting Clinic
Name:
Date:
25¢
Quarter = 5 Hairs
10¢
Dime = 2 Hairs
5¢
Nickel = 1 Hair
1¢
Penny = 0 Hairs
1
Draw the Hairs & Count
Draw hairs on each coin, then count by 5s.
25¢
10¢
5¢
Total:
¢
25¢
25¢
10¢
Total:
¢
2
Mixed Coins with Pennies
Count the hairs first, then add the pennies!
10¢
10¢
5¢
1¢
1¢
Total:
¢
25¢
10¢
5¢
1¢
Total:
¢
The Dollar Challenge
Draw hairs on 4 quarters. How many hairs are there in total? Count by 5s to find out!
TOTAL:
¢
Pocket Change Cutouts Pocket Change Cutouts
Cut these out and laminate for dry-erase practice!
25¢
Quarter
25¢
Quarter
10¢
Dime
5¢
Nickel
Haired Coin Cards
Ready-to-use visual aids for counting by 5s.
25¢
10¢
5¢
1¢
Bald (Count Last!)
My Wallet Mat
Limit: $1.00
Place your coins here. Start with the coins that have the most hair first!
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
My Total:
¢
Money Manual Teacher Guide Money Manual
Teacher Support Guide
Lesson Objective
Students will use the "Hairy Money" strategy to count combinations of mixed coins (quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies) totaling up to $1.00.
Materials & Prep
Required
Coin Clinic Slides: For whole-group instruction.
Hairy Money Worksheet: For practice.
NEW! Real Coin Sorting Mat: For physical currency.
NEW! Morning Mixer Slides: For daily repetition.
Teacher Tip
Provide Dry-Erase Markers for the laminated cutouts. For real coins, have students use the Sorting Mat and tap the "hair boxes" as they count by 5s.
Teaching Script
1. Introduce the "Hair"
"Class, coins are tricky because they are worth different amounts. Today, we're giving our money hair. Every hair is worth 5 cents."
2. The Counting Process
Teach students to always follow these three steps:
A
Sort by size/value
B
Draw hairs on each coin
C
Touch and count by 5s
The Daily Routine
To help the strategy "click," use the Daily Morning Mixer Slides for 5 minutes every day:
1
Display: Show the slide of the day. Have students identify the coins.
2
Draw: Call a student to the board to draw the "hairs" on the digital coins.
3
Chant: Lead the class in counting the hairs by 5s together ("5, 10, 15...").
Common Pitfalls
Switching counts mid-stream
Students often forget to switch to "1s" when they hit the penny. Remind them: "No hair? Switch to 1s!" Use a physical gesture (like a stop sign) to signal the switch.
Hairy Money Answer Key Answer Key
Hairy Money Practice Worksheet
Teacher Resource
1
Part 1: Draw and Count
25¢ (5 hairs)
10¢ (2 hairs)
5¢ (1 hair)
Total: 40¢
Logic: 25 + 10 + 5 = 40 (8 hairs total)
25¢
25¢
10¢
Total: 60¢
Logic: 25 + 25 + 10 = 60 (12 hairs total)
2
Part 2: Mixed Coins with Pennies
10¢
10¢
5¢
1¢
1¢
Total: 27¢
Logic: (10 + 10 + 5) = 25¢ + 2 Pennies = 27¢
25¢
10¢
5¢
1¢
Total: 41¢
Logic: (25 + 10 + 5) = 40¢ + 1 Penny = 41¢
Final Challenge: The Dollar Challenge
Counting 4 quarters by hairs (5, 10, 15... to 100).
Total Answer:
100¢ or $1.00
Real Coin Sorting Mat Mixed Coin Counting Mat
Sort your real coins at the top, then move them to the counting line!
1
Sort your coins
Quarters
Dimes
Nickels
Pennies
2
Line them up (Biggest to Smallest)
Place 1st Coin
Place 2nd Coin
Place 3rd Coin
Draw Hairs
Count by 5s
Draw Hairs
Draw Hairs
3
Add the Bald Pennies
SWITCH TO 1s!
GRAND TOTAL:
¢
Daily Morning Mixer Slides M1
Monday Morning Mixer
Week 1
How much money is in the wallet?
25¢
10¢
? ¢
T1
Tuesday Morning Mixer
Week 1
Draw the hairs! Count by 5s.
25¢
5¢
5¢
? ¢
W1
Wednesday Morning Mixer
Week 1
Watch out for the bald pennies!
10¢
10¢
5¢
1¢
1¢
? ¢
T1
Thursday Morning Mixer
Week 1
Quarters always go first!
25¢
25¢
10¢
1¢
? ¢
F1
Friday Dollar Challenge
Week 1
The Boss Level: Can you reach 100?
25¢
25¢
25¢
10¢
10¢
5¢
100 ¢
M2
Monday Morning Mixer
Week 2
Starting Week 2! Add these mixed coins.
10¢
10¢
10¢
5¢
? ¢
T2
Tuesday Morning Mixer
Week 2
Can you count 3 Quarters?
25¢
25¢
25¢
? ¢
W2
Wednesday Morning Mixer
Week 2
The Mixed Bag: Hairs then Bald!
25¢
10¢
5¢
1¢
1¢
1¢
? ¢
T2
Thursday Morning Mixer
Week 2
Almost a dollar! Count carefully.
25¢
25¢
25¢
10¢
10¢
? ¢
F2
Friday Final Challenge
Graduation Level
The Ultimate Mixer! How much do we have?
25¢
25¢
10¢
10¢
10¢
5¢
5¢
Counting Clinic Progress Tracker Money Master Tracker
Daily Progress Monitoring Tool
Student:
My Mastery Goals
I can identify Quarters, Dimes, Nickels, and Pennies.
I can draw the correct number of hairs on each coin.
I can count mixed coins up to $1.00 by 5s and 1s.
Day / Date Slide # Correct? Level of Help Week 1: Strategy Basics Monday M1 Independent Gestural Physical Tuesday T1
| Independent | Gestural | Physical |
| Wednesday | W1 |
| Independent | Gestural | Physical |
| Thursday | Th1 |
| Independent | Gestural | Physical |
| Friday | F1 |
| Independent | Gestural | Physical |
| Week 2: Increasing Complexity |
| Monday | M2 |
| Independent | Gestural | Physical |
| Tuesday | T2 |
| Independent | Gestural | Physical |
| Wednesday | W2 |
| Independent | Gestural | Physical |
| Thursday | Th2 |
| Independent | Gestural | Physical |
| Friday | F2 |
| Independent | Gestural | Physical |
Growth Chart
Week 1 Week 2
Equivalent Exchange Worksheet Same Value Showdown
Different coins, same total value!
Level: Expert
There are many ways to make the same amount of money.
Find two different ways to make the value in each box.
Value: 10¢
Way #1
DIME
Way #2
5¢
5¢
Value: 25¢
Way #1
QUARTER
Way #2 (Draw your own)
Value: 50¢
Way #1
25¢
25¢
Way #2 (Draw your own)
Teacher Tip
Encourage students to use "hairs" for both ways! If both drawings have the same number of hairs (e.g. 5 hairs for 25 cents), the values are equal!
Daily Hairy Money Drills Worksheet Day 1: Level 1
Nickels and Dimes Only
NAME: _________________________
DATE: _________________________
Strategy Key:
10¢ = 2 Hairs
5¢ = 1 Hair
1¢ = Bald
10¢
5¢
¢
10¢
10¢
¢
5¢
5¢
¢
10¢
10¢
5¢
¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
¢
10¢
10¢
10¢
¢
10¢
5¢
5¢
¢
10¢
10¢
10¢
5¢
¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
¢
10¢
10¢
5¢
5¢
5¢
¢
Day 2: Quarter Quest
Quarters, Dimes, and Nickels
Hairy Money Drills
Strategy Key:
25¢ = 5 Hairs
10¢ = 2 Hairs
5¢ = 1 Hair
25¢
5¢
¢
25¢
10¢
¢
25¢
10¢
5¢
¢
25¢
25¢
¢
25¢
5¢
5¢
¢
25¢
10¢
10¢
¢
25¢
25¢
5¢
¢
25¢