Statements of learning
| Statement | Examples of relevant learning in the course |
| The student makes informed financial decisions and develops good consumer skills.SOL 14 | Across each of the four strands of the course students are encouraged to develop, and put into practice, the personal finance skills necessary to make informed financial decisions and to become informed consumers. The course encourages students to: evaluate their relationship with money; to engage, in an age-appropriate way, with content and activities on how to manage their spending, budgeting and how to achieve money goals; to consider a range of financial products, savings and borrowing, and how to deal with debt; to recognise the different consumer rights to which they are entitled, the value of insurance and how to protect against common scams. Students keep a reflection journal to record the knowledge, skills and insights they gain as they engage in the Money Matters short course. |
| The student recognises the potential uses of mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding in all areas of learning.SOL 15 | Each strand in the Money Matters short course provides opportunities for students to build-upon and use their mathematical knowledge and skills. Students compare the costs of goods and services, analyse survey data and calculate quiz scores, create graphs to present data, record their spending over a period of a week and use this data to calculate spending on specific categories of goods and services. Students set money goals, develop budgets and carry out budget health checks. They interpret and create bank statements, calculate compound interest and compare holiday insurance quotes. |
| The student brings an idea from conception to realisation.SOL 23 | During the course students must decide on, plan and engage in three project activities (each from a separate strand). The student must create a record of one of their projects. This Project Record requires reflection both on how the project was conceived and how it was realised. |
Literacy and Numeracy
Literacy and numeracy skills are embedded across each of the strands and in the learning outcomes. They apply whether the medium of instruction is English or Irish. Students develop their oral literacy skills through the strong focus on communication, discussion and debate in each strand. They develop their reading and comprehension skills when they research, examine, analyse and present case studies and information. The writing skills of students are developed as they distil the information they have learned, source and record information and write reflections on their learning. Their digital literacy skills are developed as they use digital technology for research purposes and as part of their classroom and project-based work.
The Money Matters short course also helps students to develop financial literacy as they gain the vocabulary and skills to discuss personal finance issues and topics.
Students develop their numeracy skills as they:
- gather, read, analyse and present data (e.g. compare online quotes for goods and services; keep spending diaries; develop budgets based on case study information; design, administer, analyse and summarise surveys; manage budgets; interpret and create bank statements, analyse case studies which incorporate numerical data etc.)
- engage in problem solving
- develop an understanding of trends, patterns and relationships between personal finance issues
