In a Junior Achievement class with 1st graders, each student had two cards in front of them. One said ‘Wants’. The other said ‘Needs’.
Their instruction…when I hold up a poster they have to freeze for 3 seconds. I’ll count to 3 and when they unfreeze, they pick up the card that shows if the item in the poster is a ‘want’ or a ‘need’.
Puppy:
18 ‘Want’. 1 ‘Need’.
When I asked the little girl why it might be a need, she suggested that if she were blind and it was a seeing-eye puppy, she would need it.
Winter Coat:
18 ‘Need’. 1 ‘Want’.
When I asked the little boy why it might be a want instead of a need, he said he already had one winter coast. A second one would be a ‘want’.
These kids understand wants and needs very well. When do they lose that understanding?
Consider teaching Junior Achievement classes in a school near you next year. They provide all the props, the lesson plans, the posters, the games. The teachers stay in the room and provide any support that you need.
As financial professionals, you could bring real-world examples to the material. Give it some thought. You’ll feel good and do good at the same time! Please email me if you’d like to know more about how it works.
