When a 5-Year-Old Asks to Withdraw "Four $10s and Six $1s": Financial Literacy Starting in Pre-K

What Is Financial Literacy in Preschool — and Why Does It Start So Early? 

Research shows that children's financial habits and attitudes begin forming as early as age three. By the time most schools introduce money concepts, those habits are already deeply set. Aspen Academy's LiFE curriculum (Leadership, Finance, and Entrepreneurship) starts financial literacy in preschool, precisely because the earliest years are when it matters most. More on that below! 

Pre-K students at Aspen Academy earn classroom coins (aka kid currency they earn to spend on kid things) through their daily work and decisions. With these classroom coins, they track savings, make spending choices, and practice giving — all within a joyful, structured environment that turns abstract concepts into lived experience. 

What Does the LiFE Curriculum Look Like in Pre-K? 

The LiFE curriculum in Pre-K is hands-on and built around real financial decision-making. Students earn coins, manage a classroom "economy," and participate in a shopping day at the end of the year where they can spend — or save — what they've accumulated. 

Every child practices four core habits: 

• Earning: connecting effort and reward 
• Saving: delaying gratification toward a goal 
• Spending: making intentional choices with limited resources 
• Giving: understanding generosity as part of financial life 

This isn't a unit. It runs all year, every year, starting in Preschool and continuing through 8th grade. By graduation, Aspen students complete more than 200 hours of financial literacy instruction, more than any other PK–8 school in the nation. 

A Real Story: How One Pre-K Student Walked Into a Bank and Knew Exactly What to Ask For 

Preston, a Pre-K student at Aspen Academy, spent the school year saving his classroom coins. After spring break, his parents, Kelsey and Chris, made him a challenge: whatever coins he saved by the final shopping day, they would match in dollars. 

When they shared the goal with his teacher, Ms. Chase, she immediately brought it into daily classroom conversations, turning the family's private challenge into a shared school-and-home mission. 

By the final shopping day, Preston had saved 46 coins — earning $46 from his parents. Then his family took him to the bank. 

He walked up to the teller and said: "May I please withdraw four $10s and six $1s?" 

Then he laid out his plan: 

• $7 for an animal book he had been saving for 
• 39 back into his piggy bank 

At age five, Preston demonstrated budgeting, goal-setting, intentional spending, and saving — skills most adults still work to develop. 

How Does Aspen Academy Connect Financial Learning Between School and Home? 

One of the most distinctive features of Aspen Academy's approach to early childhood financial education is the deliberate school-to-home connection. Teachers don't just deliver curriculum — they partner with families to extend learning beyond the classroom. 

When Kelsey and Chris shared Preston's savings goal with Ms. Chase, she didn't simply acknowledge it. She wove it into daily classroom discussion, making the family's challenge part of the classroom community's story. 

As Kelsey wrote in a note to the school: 

"A sincere thank you to Ms. Chase for partnering with us in supporting this family goal. Her investment in teaching financial literacy and real-world life skills to her students is truly exceptional, and we are incredibly grateful for the positive impact she has had on Preston." 

This partnership model — where teachers and parents reinforce the same goals in different environments — is what makes financial habits stick for young learners. 

Is Aspen Academy's Pre-K Program Right for My Child? 

Aspen Academy's Early Learning Campus serves children ages 2–5 in Greenwood Village, CO, and is accessible to families across Denver, Aurora, and the surrounding metro area. 

The program blends globally respected early childhood models (including Montessori and Reggio Emilia) with nature-based exploration, STEAM, social-emotional learning, and the LiFE curriculum. Children leave Pre-K not just academically prepared for kindergarten, but with early habits around leadership, character, and financial thinking that most schools never teach. 

If you're looking for a private preschool in Denver or a pre-K program near Greenwood Village that combines rigorous early academics with real-world life skills, Aspen Academy is the only school in the region offering this integrated approach starting at age four. 

Frequently Asked Questions: Financial Literacy in Preschool at Aspen Academy 

At what age does Aspen Academy begin financial literacy education? Aspen Academy introduces financial literacy concepts beginning in Preschool, as early as age 3–4. The LiFE curriculum is integrated into daily classroom life from the earliest grades through 8th grade. 

What does the LiFE curriculum teach in Pre-K? Pre-K students practice earning, saving, spending, and giving using a classroom coin economy. They set savings goals, make real spending decisions on shopping day, and build the financial habits that carry forward through their entire Aspen Academy journey. 

How many hours of financial literacy do Aspen Academy students receive? Students complete more than 200 hours of financial literacy instruction across their PK–8 experience, making Aspen Academy the nation's first and only integrated PK–8 LiFE program. 

Where is Aspen Academy's Early Learning Campus located? Aspen Academy is located at 5859 S University Blvd, Greenwood Village, CO 80121 — centrally accessible to families in Denver, Aurora, Centennial, and the greater south metro area. 

How can I learn more? We'd love to chat.