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Teaching Tips for Lesson 6: From Every Dollar, Save a Dime!
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Lesson 6 of 17: From Every Dollar Save a Dime | Sammy Rabbit Song | Teach Kids MoneyTeaching Tips for Lesson 6: From Every Dollar, Save a Dime!

This is the sixth of seventeen blogs providing practical teaching tips inspired by the lyrics and concepts from the Sammy Rabbit song Get in the Habit!

In the original blog, How the Sammy Rabbit Song Get in the Habit Teaches Kids 17 Money Lessons — Plus Powerful Vocabulary, we explored how the song supports financial education in three powerful ways:

  • Through clear, repeatable phrases directly from the song

  • Through real-world money lessons that naturally emerge when kids discuss and apply those phrases or concepts

  • Through everyday money language that builds financial vocabulary.

Now, we’re expanding on that foundation with a series of blogs that offer teaching tips for each of the 17 individual lessons embedded in the song. Each blog will include: (1) Simple questions to ignite discussion and learning (2) Two easy-to-implement micro-activities (3) A challenge action step (4) Key words to build personal finance and life-skills vocabulary.

Let’s begin with Lesson 6, built on the phrase: "From every dollar save a dime!"

For context, the full lyrics for each phrase are:

You can do it, now, let's get to it ... from every dollar save a dime!

The full phrase has been intentionally organized into separate lessons, making it easy to teach one concept at a time or combine them as a sequence.

You can click on the following links to find: song lyrics and a karaoke Video.

Summary

Lesson: Discuss goal setting and the importance of prioritizing saving. Setting a clear, realistic goal helps children focus their choices and build confidence. Saving first—even a small amount—teaches kids that progress happens when goals are intentional and saving is treated as a priority.

Share with kids: Saving a dime from every dollar means saving a little bit right away. When you have a goal and save first, your money can help you reach it.

1. Simple Discussion Questions

Use one or two—short, easy, and great for home or classroom conversations.

  • What does “from every dollar, save a dime” mean?

  • Why do you think saving first is important?

  • What is something you would like to save money for?

  • How does having a goal help you make better choices?

  • How would saving a little bit each time make you feel?

2. Two Micro-Activities (2–5 Minutes Each)

Micro-Activity 1: The Dollar and the Dime

Materials:
Pretend money, play coins, or drawn circles on paper (1 big circle = dollar, 1 small circle = dime)

Show kids one “dollar” and explain:

  • One dollar has ten dimes

  • Saving a dime means saving one small part

Ask kids to:

  • Take one dime and place it in a “save” pile

  • Put the rest in a “spend later” pile

Ask:

  • Was saving one dime hard?

  • How would this add up if you did it every time?

Purpose: Makes the concept of saving a percentage simple and concrete.

Micro-Activity 2: My Saving Goal

Materials: Paper and crayons (optional)

Ask kids to:

  • Draw or name one thing they want to save for

  • Say how saving a dime from each dollar could help them get there

Have them say:

“I have a goal—and I save first!”

Purpose: Connects saving to purpose, motivation, and confidence.

3. Challenge Action Step

Challenge:
This week, practice saving a little bit first—before spending.

Ask kids to:

  • Save one coin, dime, or pretend dime each time they get money

  • Put it in a jar or envelope labeled “My Goal”

  • Say each time:

    “From every dollar, I save a dime!”

This reinforces prioritizing saving and building progress through consistency.

4. Key Vocabulary Words

These words help children understand goals, choices, and prioritizing money.

*Goal: Something you want to work toward

Save First: Putting money aside before spending

Dime: A small part of a dollar (ten dimes make one dollar)

*Priority: Something that is important and comes first

*Progress: Moving closer to your goal step by step

So when the song says “from every dollar, save a dime,” it means save a little right away, on purpose, to help reach your goals.

(Note: Words with an asterisk * are not in the song lyrics, but they are important to this lesson, so we’ve included kid-friendly definitions.)

Now Check Out Lesson 7

This blog is part of a 17-lesson series that uses the Sammy Rabbit song Get in the Habit to make it fun, easy, and effective for anyone to talk with and teach young kids about great money habits.

When ready, check out Teaching Tips for Lesson7: It Ain't Funny When You Got No Money! It focuses on how money choices have real-life consequences.

Additional Songs and Fun Resources

Keep:

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