Lesson Plans
Dictionary Term Focus: Habit
Core Concept Across All Grades
A habit is something you do again and again. When children learn that habits are repeated choices, they begin to understand how small actions—especially money habits—shape outcomes over time.
K–2 Lesson Plan
Grade Band: K–2 (Ages 5–7)
Big Ideas
A habit is something I do again and again.
Good habits help me.
Saving and spending smart can be habits.
Learning Objectives
Learners can:
Recognize and understand the word habit
Explain that a habit is something done repeatedly
Identify a simple money habit
Standards Alignment
Council for Economic Education (CEE): Decision Making
Jump$tart Coalition: Financial Decision Making
National Financial Educators Council (NFEC): Responsibility and awareness
CASEL: Self-Management, Responsible Decision-Making
Materials
Dictionary definition of Habit (kid-friendly version)
Picture cards showing repeated actions (brushing teeth, saving coins, cleaning up)
Piggy bank or play money
Lesson Flow (15–20 minutes)
1. Word Introduction & Sound Familiarity (2 minutes)
Teacher says:
“Today’s word is habit.”
Have students:
Listen to the word
Say the word together: “Habit.”
Say it once more slowly: “Hab-it.”
Teacher uses the word in simple sentences:
“Brushing your teeth every day is a habit.”
“Saving money can be a habit.”
Explain:
“Today we are going to learn what the word habit means.”
2. Simple Definition & Meaning (3 minutes)
Teacher says and displays the definition:
“A habit is something you do again and again.”
Have students repeat the sentence together once.
Teacher gives a concrete example:
“If you save money every time, that is a habit.”
“Habits happen over time.”
3. Warm-Up Conversation: Everyday Habits (3 minutes)
Ask:
“What is something you do every day?”
“Is that something you do one time or many times?”
Reinforce:
“When we do something again and again, it becomes a habit.”
4. Bridge to Money Habits (3 minutes)
Teacher says:
“We can have habits with money too.”
Ask:
“What happens if you save money every time you get some?”
“What happens if you spend all your money every time?”
Offer examples if needed:
“Saving a little”
“Putting money in a piggy bank”
“Thinking before spending”
Reinforce:
“Money habits help our money grow and last.”
5. Read & Discuss the Definition (4 minutes)
Read the kid-friendly dictionary definition of habit again.
Ask:
“Do habits happen once or many times?”
“Can habits help us?”
Key idea to reinforce:
“Habits shape what happens next.”
6. Guided Practice (3 minutes)
Show picture cards and ask:
“Is this a habit?”
“Is this something done again and again?”
Students respond using the sentence frame:
“A habit is ___.”
7. Practice Activity: Build a Habit (3–4 minutes)
Students act out:
Getting money
Saving a little
Doing it again
Teacher reinforces:
“Good habits help us every day.”
Assessment (Informal)
Students can:
Explain what a habit is
Identify one money habit
Take-Home Connection
“Talk with someone at home about one habit you do every day.”
Grades 3–5 Lesson Plan
Grade Band: 3–5 (Ages 8–10)
Big Idea
Habits are repeated choices, and money habits shape results over time.
Learning Objectives
Students can:
Explain the meaning of the word habit
Identify positive and negative money habits
Describe how habits influence outcomes
Standards Alignment
Council for Economic Education (CEE): Decision Making
Jump$tart Coalition: Financial Decision Making
National Financial Educators Council (NFEC): Behavioral awareness
CASEL: Self-Control, Reflection
Materials
Dictionary definition of Habit (kid and grown-up versions)
Scenario cards showing repeated behaviors
Chart paper or board
Lesson Flow (20–25 minutes)
1. Word Reintroduction & Meaning Check (4 minutes)
Teacher says:
“Today’s word is habit.”
Ask:
“How would you explain a habit in your own words?”
Read the kid-friendly definition.
Invite students to restate it.
Reinforce:
“A habit is something you do again and again.”
2. Warm-Up Question (4 minutes)
Ask:
“What happens when you practice something often?”
List responses.
3. Read & Analyze the Definition (5 minutes)
Read the grown-up definition.
Ask:
“Why are habits powerful?”
“How can small habits lead to big results?”
Write on the board:
Choice → Repetition → Habit → Result
4. Scenario Activity (8–10 minutes)
Present scenarios and ask:
“Is this a habit or a one-time choice?”
“What result might happen over time?”
Reinforce:
“Repeated choices become habits.”
5. Reflection (4–5 minutes)
Students complete:
“One good money habit is…”
“This habit helps because…”
Assessment (Informal)
Students can:
Define a habit
Identify money habits
Explain how habits affect results
Take-Home Extension
“Notice one habit you practice this week and what it leads to.”
Grades 6–8 Lesson Plan
Grade Band: 6–8 (Ages 11–13)
Big Idea
Habits are repeated behaviors that shape long-term outcomes, including financial success.
Learning Objectives
Students can:
Clearly define the word habit
Analyze how habits influence money and life outcomes
Explain how changing habits can change results
Standards Alignment
Council for Economic Education (CEE): Decision Making
Jump$tart Coalition: Financial Decision Making
National Financial Educators Council (NFEC): Informed behavior
CASEL: Self-Management, Goal Setting
Materials
Dictionary definition of Habit
Scenario comparison worksheet
Optional habit-tracking worksheet
Lesson Flow (30 minutes)
1. Word Reintroduction & Precision Check (5 minutes)
Teacher says:
“Today’s focus word is habit.”
Ask:
“How would you define a habit?”
“Why are habits hard to change?”
Refine definitions together.
2. Opening Question (5 minutes)
Ask:
“How do habits affect your future?”
Discuss patterns and compounding effects.
3. Definition Discussion & Framing (5 minutes)
Ask:
“How do habits form?”
“What role does repetition play?”
Connect to:
Saving
Spending
Earning
Planning
4. Scenario Comparison (10 minutes)
Compare:
Positive money habits
Negative money habits
Ask:
“Which leads to better outcomes?”
“What could change the habit?”
5. Personal Application (5 minutes)
Students write:
One money habit they have now
One habit they want to build or improve
One small step to repeat
Assessment
Students can:
Define habits clearly
Explain how habits influence outcomes
Identify ways to improve habits
Real-World Extension
Connect to:
Daily routines
Goal setting
Long-term financial behavior
Teacher Notes
Emphasize progress over perfection
Reinforce habits as learnable and changeable
Avoid labeling habits as “good” or “bad” — focus on results
Pair with dictionary lessons for Choice, Save, Spend, Plan, and Goal
Bottom Line
The word Habit helps students understand that success is built through small actions repeated over time. When children learn to recognize and build positive money habits, they gain the power to shape their future—one choice at a time.
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