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Money · Ages 10+ · Set A
Building credit from nothing
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Remember: A new book is blank, not bad. Small steps, paid on time, month after month, build a record one brick at a time. These are pretend coins in a made-up town.

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Dev and the empty pageDev had just started at the bakery, and he wanted a place of his own. Above the bakery a room was for rent, but Mrs. Hale, the landlord, said, "I would like to look at your book first." At the Record House, Orla opened Dev's page, and it was completely empty. That did not mean bad news, only no news yet, because Dev was new. "Credit needs a record, and a record needs credit!" said Dev. Mr. Fenn smiled. "There is a way in: a starter account," he said, a small account for people with no book yet. Its limit was only three coins, which keeps first steps safe. Dev made a habit of buying one small thing each month with one coin, then paying that coin back in full, before the due day. In month one a gold tick landed, the first brick of trust. It was slow, with no secret trick and no way to hurry a record. Month by month the ticks stacked up like bricks in a wall. After six months there were six ticks. Mrs. Hale read them, smiled and handed Dev the key. Not every landlord decides the same way, but a tidy start helps.
1
Dev's page at the Record House was empty. What does that tell the landlord?
Dev paid lateThe Record House lost his pageNothing yet: his book is new, which is no news, not bad news
2
A starter account had a limit of only coins.
3
Dev used the whole limit of 3 coins every month.
TrueFalse
4
Look at the gold ticks. After month 5, Dev has ticks.
5
Why can Dev not hurry his record?
Using the whole limit in one day would build it fasterIt is built one tick at a time, over monthsTicks only land after a whole year
6
A blank book only means it is new. It does not mean bad news.
TrueFalse

Order, match and fix

7
Number what Dev did to build his record.
  • Buy one small thing with one coin
  • Open a starter account with a small limit
  • Pay that coin back in full before the due day
  • Keep the habit month after month
8
Join each one to what it means in the story.
  1. 1Starter account
  2. 2Limit
  3. 3Gold tick
  4. 4Blank book
  • Aa small account for people with no book yet
  • Bthe most he can use at once
  • Cno news yet, not bad news
  • Da payment made on time
9
Circle every thing that helps a first book grow.
Small buys, paid in fullHiding a billPaying before the due daySkipping a due dayPatience, month after month
10
Dev says: with six gold ticks, every landlord must give me the key. Is he right?
YesNo
11
Dev says: credit needs a record, and a record needs credit! How does he get in?
A starter account with a small limitHe waits until he is olderThe Record House writes ticks for him
12
Stretch: Dev uses 1 coin of a 3-coin limit. Then coins of the limit are free.
13
Write one small habit that helps a record grow, in your own words.
14
Draw a wall of six bricks, one for each gold tick.
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