Financial Literacy, Saving, and Elementary Students

I think it is critical that younger students develop an understanding of long-term planning and saving. Even though college is many years away for elementary students, there are a lot of opportunities to reinforce strategies for fiscal responsibility, which will ultimately make college a less daunting goal. Teachers can do something as simple as giving students a scenario like, "The winner of the spelling bee has the choice of getting $5 today or getting $1 every Friday for the next 6 weeks. Which prize should the winner choose and why?" This can open up a good discussion about saving for the future.