Grocery Ads, Coupons and Shopping Lists: Functional Reading and Money for Life Skills, High School

Grocery Ads, Coupons + Lists: a functional reading and math set for high school life skills, special education, and transition programs. Read the ad, read the small print, and add up a real shopping list.

Why I made this: Most students can find the milk. What trips them up is the small print: 2 for $5, limit 2, expires 10/18, only on a $25 order. I wrote this set around the small print, because that is where the money is. It sticks to reading ads, coupons, and lists. Comparing unit prices to find the better buy is its own skill and lives in my Money Math Task Cards.

How it is different from my Money Math Task Cards: Money Math covers unit price and better buy comparisons, including one coupon card. This set leaves better buy out on purpose. It is about reading a whole weekly ad and a page of coupons: sale dates, limits, deal words, and whether a coupon can be used today.

What's included:

• A teacher page: why I made it, how to use both levels, and the skills covered

• Words to know: 10 key words, each with a picture

• 3 pages of practice documents: a full page weekly grocery ad, a page of coupons, and a shopping list with a cost table. All businesses, names, and numbers are made up.

• 12 Level A questions, each with a picture and three answer choices

• The same 12 questions at Level B, with open answers and room to show the math

• A real life task: plan three days of groceries with $20 using the ad and coupons

• An answer key that shows where to find each answer

How I use it: Read through the practice documents together, then give each student the level that fits. Both levels ask the same questions, so the whole class can check answers together. I use the real life task as a wrap up or right before a community outing.

Skills covered: reading a weekly ad: sale dates, sizes, and prices; reading deal words: 2 for $5, Buy 1 Get 1 Free, limit, per pound; reading coupons: what to buy, how much you save, and the expiration date; deciding if a coupon can be used today; adding up a shopping list; subtracting coupon savings.

Part of the Functional Life Skills series: every set uses the same layout (words, real looking documents, two levels of the same questions, and a real life task), so students know the routine when you move to the next set.

Who it is for: high school life skills and special education classes, transition programs for ages 18 to 21, and adult education. Grades 9 to 12 and adult transition.

What you download: one printable PDF, 11 pages, US Letter. Answer key included.

Made by Jeremy D. Gooch, special education teacher and transition coordinator. Drafting and layout had AI assistance; every page was checked by me.