The NGPF FINE PRINT activities allow students to dig into the details of financial documents they’re likely to see in the real world. Some contain complex and technical language that is difficult to understand, especially if students aren’t strong readers. Learn what other teachers do to make these activities engaging for all levels.

This topic came up earlier this year in the FinLit Fanatics Facebook group. Teachers chimed in with great suggestions on how to make these activities more engaging and active. We’ve captured some of the highlights below. If you want to read all the suggestions, see the full thread.

Gamify with EdTech Tools

• Take the form version and import it into Quizizz. Here are instructions for how to do it.
• Making it a Nearpod might be an option also. You can start whole class then switch to self-paced.
• I have made mine into Canvas quizzes.

Have Students Work in Groups

• I group the students and give one statement or whatever per group. It forces the kids to work together to even see the item and they usually discuss which answer is correct.
• Assign 2 questions per group of two or three students. Give them time to find the answers. Review as a class with all of the answers—let the students know that they are responsible for all of the answers.
• I let my students have unlimited attempts. Do it once themselves, see how they do, then partner up to do it as many times as needed to get 100%. Two heads are better than one, especially when the language feels above their abilities.

Complete the Activity as a Class

• We do it as a class. Each of my rows gets 2 questions and 5 minutes (for a total of 10 questions). Then we fill it out together. I encourage students to challenge each other's answers. I will then submit it and tell the class what score they got. Each student can then make adjustments to their own before submitting it as well as answer the short answer. I use Google forms.

Print Out the Documents

• I create laminated manipulatives of the item they are expected to read, like the bank statement.
• I usually print the document that they are examining and have kids annotate on the document to understand terminology and different abbreviations. We go thorough and make notes together as a class.
• I also have paper copies. That helps a lot. The ones that are long documents, I put the page number for the question.

Read Out Loud

• I tend to read to my students (sometimes I ask for volunteers and we go round robin) and we stop to clarify words/ask if anyone has questions. I also read the questions/potential answers.
• You could also pre-record and allow students to access as needed if they are working independently.

Ready to use FINE PRINT activities in your lessons? Check out the top teacher favorites:

• FINE PRINT: Pay Stub (Career)
• FINE PRINT: W-2 Form (Taxes)
• FINE PRINT: Credit Report (Managing Credit)
• FINE PRINT: Checking Account Statement (Banking)
• FINE PRINT: Schumer Box (Types of Credit)

About the Author

Hannah Rael

As NGPF's Marketing Communications Manager, Hannah (she/her) helps spread the word about NGPF's mission to improve the financial lives of the next generation of Americans.

More posts by Hannah