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YOUTH PERSONAL FINANCE PEDAGOGY

Using the teaching tool

The Personal Finance Teaching Tool is a guide to 

help educators identify teaching techniques and 

learning strategies to address the three building 

blocks for developing lifelong personal finance 

decision-making skills.

In the center of the tool, review the building blocks, 

and evaluate your students’ current development. 

Determine a focus for your lessons and classroom 

activities. Review the teaching techniques and 

learning strategies then select appropriate resources.

Self-control, 

working memory, 

problem solving 

Executive 

Function 

Primary 

development:

ages 3–21

Simulation 

Personalized 

instruction 

Cooperative 

learning 

Pretend 

play 

Planning 

activities 

Puzzles and 

quiet games 

Intergenerational 

programs

Self-directed 

exploration 

Personalized 

and direct 

instruction 

Project-based 

learning and 

simulation

Competencybased 

instruction 

Factual knowledge, research 

and analysis skills 

Financial simulations Financial coaching 

and mentoring

Real-world case studies 

Primary development: 

ages 13–21

Financial

 Knowledge & 

Decision Making Skills

Financial 

Habits & 

Norms 

Primary 

development: 

ages 6–21

Healthy money 

habits, norms, 

rules of thumb 

Blended 

learning 

Gamification 

Simulation 

Entrepreneurship 

education

Financial 

simulations 

Understand

financial

products 

Employment 

opportunities

Building

blocks

Teaching 

techniques

Learning strategies 

Storytelling
Consumer Financial

Protection Bureau Learn more at consumerfinance.gov 2 of 2

The CFPB Personal Finance Teaching Tool identifies the components to empowering 

young people to make positive financial decisions — these components form the 

building blocks for lifelong learning and responsible financial decision-making. 

Where can I find the building 

blocks on the tool?

The innermost layer of the wheel contains the 

three building blocks of youth financial capability: 

executive function, financial skills and decisionmaking and financial habits and norms. The building 

blocks divide the wheel into thirds. Each section 

(third) identifies teaching techniques and learning 

strategies for developing that building block. 

Executive Function section

Use the teaching techniques of cooperative 

learning, personalized instruction, and simulation 

to develop executive function. Suggested 

learning strategies are self-directed exploration, 

intergenerational programs, puzzles and quiet 

games, planning activities, storytelling, pretend 

play, and songs and movement games.

Financial Habits & Norms section

Use the teaching techniques of simulation, 

blended learning, and gamification, with specific 

learning strategies to help students develop 

their own positive financial habits and norms. 

These strategies include employment, financial 

simulations, entrepreneurship programs, and the 

use of financial products (such as bank-in-school 

programs).

Financial Knowledge & Decision 

Making Skills section

Use teaching techniques that include simulation, 

direct instruction, personalized instruction, projectbased learning, and competency-based instruction 

to help students develop their financial knowledge 

and decision-making skills. Appropriate learning 

strategies include one-on-one group financial 

coaching, mentoring and guidance; real-world 

case studies that can build mental guideposts; and 

financial simulations.

This teaching tool can serve as a quick reference 

guide for connecting students of all ages with the 

teaching techniques and learning strategies that 

create responsible adults who can achieve financial 

well-being.