Math // Measurement

Adding money and giving change

Find different combinations of coins that equal the same amount of money

Ages
6 to 7
Type
Method
Builds on
2 topics
Leads to
2 topics
Standards
1 code

Quick check

If the learner needs to make exactly 30p, can they find two or three different ways to do it using different combinations of coins?

Ask this to see whether the topic is secure.

Topic // Mastery

What mastery looks like

What a learner can do once this topic is secure.
  • Show that 50p can be made with 2×20p + 1×10p, or 5×10p, or 1×50p
  • Systematically find multiple coin combinations for a given total
  • Explain why different coin sets give the same total

Topic // Map

Where this fits

What to learn first and what this topic opens up, with the reason for each link. Required links come first.
  • RequiredMust come first
  • HelpfulHelps, but not essential

Before this

2 topics

You are here

Adding money and giving change

Ages 6 to 7 // Method

Leads to

2 topics
  • Money Addition & SubtractionRequired

    Measurement // Ages 6 to 7

    Solving money problems requires ability to combine coins

  • Making ChangeHelpful

    Life Skills // Money & Finance // Ages 7 to 9

    Finding coin combinations (Maths Y2) supports change calculation

Topic // Research-informed

Teaching notes

From the Marble Skill Taxonomy. These notes have not been validated in classrooms, so treat them as a starting point for your own judgement.

The approach

Year 2 learners (ages 6-7) find different combinations of real coins that make the same total (e.g. 50p as one 50p, or two 20p + a 10p, or five 10p). The core skill is working SYSTEMATICALLY — starting from the largest coin, or swapping one coin for equivalent smaller ones — and understanding that different coin sets are equal because their VALUES sum to the same total, even though the coins differ. A key constraint: only real denominations exist (there is no 8p coin), but any total can be built from the coins that do exist.

Common misconceptions

  • Uses a non-existent coin (e.g. an '8p') to make a total
  • Finds combinations unsystematically, repeating some and missing others
  • Tracks the number of coins rather than their total value
  • Thinks a set with more coins must be worth more, so two ways can't be equal

Useful representations

  • Real coins arranged into equal-value sets
  • A part-whole model (total = these coins / those coins)
  • An organised list or table of combinations
  • Swapping one coin for equivalent smaller coins

Teaching practices

  • Work with real coins; build one total several different ways
  • Model a systematic method: start with the largest coin, or swap a coin for equivalent smaller ones (50p to two 20p + 10p)
  • Ask 'can you find another way?' and record each combination in an organised list
  • Discuss why the sets are equal — the same total value, different coins
  • Reinforce that only real denominations exist (no 8p coin), but any total can be made from them

Activities to try

  1. 1

    Build a target several ways with a live-updating total

    Why it works: Many different coin sets can share the same total value; building each one and watching the total confirm the target makes 'equal value, different coins' directly visible.

    1. Take a target amount (e.g. 50p) and drag or place real-denomination coins into a tray until they reach the total.
    2. Watch a running total so you can see when the tray reaches exactly 50p.
    3. Once a valid way is found, record it on an organised board or list of 'ways to make 50p', then find another distinct way.
    4. Work from the largest coin first, or swap a coin for equivalent smaller ones, so the search is organised rather than random.
    5. Only real coins are available on the shelf (no 8p), so every solution is one that could really be paid.
  2. 2

    Swap a coin for equivalent smaller coins without changing the total

    Why it works: Exchanging one coin for equivalent smaller coins keeps the total fixed, so a set with more coins can be worth exactly the same as a set with fewer coins.

    1. Start with one way of making the total (e.g. a single 50p).
    2. Swap one coin for equivalent smaller coins — lift the 50p and replace it with two 20p and a 10p — and check the total is unchanged.
    3. Try other swaps (e.g. 30p made as three 10p; swap to 20p + 10p) and confirm each keeps the same value.
    4. Describe in words why the new set equals the old one: the coin values still sum to the same amount.
  3. 3

    Sort and match coin sets to totals (recognition practice)

    Why it works: Checking whether a coin set reaches a stated total, and rejecting sets that use invented coins, reinforces that value is what matters and that only real denominations may be used.

    1. Decide which of several coin sets make a given total (e.g. 'which of these make 50p?').
    2. Sort sets into 'makes 50p' and 'does not make 50p'.
    3. Match a total to a valid coin set.
    4. Spot and reject any set that relies on a non-existent coin, such as an invented 8p.

Topic // Standards

Curriculum standards

Codes for the curriculum statements this topic maps to. Each publisher owns its standard text.
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document
Maths/Y2/M/4

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