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Dollars, cents and money notation

Key idea: One dollar is 100 cents. Compare amounts in the same unit. Write two cents digits after the dollar dot.

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  • MOE teaching syllabus · Primary 2 Mathematics (taught from 2022)
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Read dollars and cents

Let’s read the amount. Point to dollars, then cents. Read three dollars and forty-five cents.

Two parts of one amount

Count the values shown on the cards.

Amount cards, not pictures of coins or notes.
Figure data

This table is included in print while it is open.

Values shown on the cards
SetValues
Dollars$1 dollars; $1 dollars; $1 dollars
Cents45 cents

$3.45. The dot separates dollars from cents.

Same value, all in cents

Count the values shown on the cards.

Each one-dollar card becomes a 100-cent card. The 45 cents stay.
Figure data

This table is included in print while it is open.

Values shown on the cards
SetValues
Cents100 cents; 100 cents; 100 cents; 45 cents

345 cents. 300 + 45 = 345.

  1. Could you show it all in cents? Each dollar is one hundred cents. Say your idea, then check.
  2. Three hundred cents and forty-five more. Three hundred and forty-five cents. The amount stayed the same.

Keep two digits for cents

The dollars match. Point to five cents, then fifty cents. Compare zero five with five zero.

Same dollars. Different cents.

Match the cards to the dollars and cents.

Amount cards, not pictures of coins or notes.
Figure data

This table is included in print while it is open.

Two parts of each amount
DollarsCentsMoney notation
35$3.05
350$3.50

Only dollars

Five dollars, no cents left over. How will you show the empty cents places? Keep both cents digits.

No cents left over

Count the values shown on the cards.

Five one-dollar cards. The cents row is empty.
Figure data

This table is included in print while it is open.

Values shown on the cards
SetValues
Dollars$1 dollars; $1 dollars; $1 dollars; $1 dollars; $1 dollars
CentsNo cards
Show answerHide answer

5 dollars = $5.00 = 500 cents. You have only whole dollars. No cents are left over.

Read, then write

Check your understanding 1

Read, then write

How many dollars? How many cents? Read one part at a time.

Read $4.07.

Show answerHide answer

$4.07: four dollars and seven cents.

Write dollars and cents

Check your understanding 2

Keep both cents digits

Write four dollars and seventy cents. Keep both cents digits. The pictures can help.

Write the money amount

Count the values shown on the cards.

Amount cards, not pictures of coins or notes.
Figure data

This table is included in print while it is open.

Values shown on the cards
SetValues
Dollars$1 dollars; $1 dollars; $1 dollars; $1 dollars
Cents50 cents; 20 cents
Show answerHide answer

$4.70: four dollars and seventy cents. Keep both digits after the dot.

Check the written amount

One amount is wrong.

Check A and B

A: 6 dollars; 5 cents. B: 3 dollars; 40 cents.

A says 6.50 dollars. B says 3.40 dollars.
Figure data

This table is included in print while it is open.

Values shown on the cards
SetValues
A6 dollars; 5 cents
B3 dollars; 40 cents
Show answerHide answer

A: $6.05. The cards show six dollars and five cents. $6.50 has fifty cents.

B’s three dollars and forty cents match $3.40.

Count the values

Count with me. One dollar, two dollars. Then cents: fifty, seventy, ninety. Two dollars and ninety cents.

Count each row, then join

Count the values shown on the cards.

Dollar values above; cent values below.
Figure data

This table is included in print while it is open.

Values shown on the cards
SetValues
Dollars$1 dollars; $1 dollars
Cents50 cents; 20 cents; 20 cents

$2.90 = 290 cents.

Count a new amount

Check your understanding 3

Count a new amount

Add the dollars, then the cents. How much altogether?

How much altogether?

Count the values shown on the cards.

Count dollars and cents separately.
Figure data

This table is included in print while it is open.

Values shown on the cards
SetValues
Dollars$2 dollars; $1 dollars
Cents20 cents; 5 cents
Show answerHide answer

2 + 1 = 3 dollars. 20 + 5 = 25 cents. Altogether: $3.25.

Change the unit, keep the amount

Let’s keep the same value. Find the hundred-cent cards. Can you show these cents as dollars?

Groups of one hundred cents

Count the values shown on the cards.

All these cards use cents.
Figure data

This table is included in print while it is open.

Values shown on the cards
SetValues
Cents100 cents; 100 cents; 100 cents; 75 cents

375 cents.

Dollars, then the cents left over

Count the values shown on the cards.

Same amount. Each 100-cent card makes one dollar.
Figure data

This table is included in print while it is open.

Values shown on the cards
SetValues
Dollars$1 dollars; $1 dollars; $1 dollars
Cents75 cents

375 cents = $3.75.

  1. Each hundred cents makes one dollar. How many dollars can you make? Say the cents left over too.
  2. Three dollars and seventy-five cents. Each hundred-cent card became one dollar. The seventy-five cents stayed.

Dollars into cents

Check your understanding 4

Keep the empty place

Four dollars and nine cents. How many cents altogether? Change dollars to cents. Keep the nine cents.

$4.09 = □ cents.

Show answerHide answer

409 cents. 400 + 9 = 409. Forty-nine cents would be $0.49.

Cents into dollars

Check your understanding 5

Cents back to dollars

Five hundred and six cents. How many whole dollars? Write two cents digits after the dot.

506 cents = $□.

Show answerHide answer

$5.06. Five groups of 100 cents. Then 6 more: 506 cents.

Compare in one unit

Let’s compare amounts. Order amounts, smallest first. Compare dollars, then cents if dollars match.

$2.75, $2.07, $3.00.

Least to most
Show answerHide answer

$2.07, $2.75, $3.00.

In cents: 207, 275, 300. Both methods give the same order.

Fix the sign

Fix the wrong comparison.

Two claims

A: 4.07 > 4.70 dollars. B: 2.50 > 2.05 dollars.

Money comparisons
Figure data

This table is included in print while it is open.

Values shown on the cards
SetValues
A4.07 > 4.70 dollars
B2.50 > 2.05 dollars
Read the signs

< means less. > means more. = means the same amount.

Show answerHide answer

Check the corrected cards

A: 4.07 < 4.70 dollars. B: 2.50 > 2.05 dollars.

Corrected comparisons
Figure data

This table is included in print while it is open.

Values shown on the cards
SetValues
A4.07 < 4.70 dollars
B2.50 > 2.05 dollars

A: $4.07 < $4.70. Seven cents is less than seventy cents.

B already works: $2.50 > $2.05. Fifty cents is more than five cents.

More pieces or more value?

Check your understanding 6

More pieces or more value?

Count values, not cards. Who has more money? How many cents more?

Who has more money?

Count the values shown on the cards.

All the cards here use cents. One dollar is 100 cents.
Figure data

This table is included in print while it is open.

Values shown on the cards
SetValues
Kai20 cents; 20 cents; 20 cents; 20 cents; 20 cents; 20 cents
Mei100 cents; 50 cents
Who has more?
Show answerHide answer

Mei has 30 cents more. Kai: 120 cents. Mei: 150 cents.

$1.20 and $1.50. Fewer cards can have greater value too.

For a grown-up

Pip’s synthetic voice uses the University of Edinburgh’s Alba speech dataset, via Piper’s Alba voice, under CC BY 4.0. Audio is optional.

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