The same kite at three shops, after the sale. The loudest sign did not win.
The big ideaA sale takes coins off the first price. Work out the price you pay, then compare.
How it works
Nico wants a new kite, and three shops on Kite Street sell the very same one. A huge sign shouts "Sale!" at the Big Toy Shop.
A sale sign tells what comes off. It is not the price. The price is what is left, so take it off first.
Then compare the prices you would really pay. Half off means two equal parts, and half is one of them: half of 8 is 4.
Sales can be great, as long as you check the price you pay.
🏷️the sign says what comes off➖take it off🪙the price is what is left⚖️then compare
A sale in four steps.The sign is not the price.
Example 1: The Big Toy Shop
The kite is 9 coins at first.
The sign says 3 coins off.
Take 3 off: 9 − 3 = 6 coins.
Nico would pay 6 coins, not 3.
Example 2: The Corner Shop: half off
The first price is 8 coins and the sign says half off.
Split 8 coins into two equal piles: 4 and 4.
Half of 8 is 4, so 4 coins come off.
8 − 4 = 4 coins is the price.
Example 3: Compare all three
Big Toy Shop: 6 coins. Tiny shop: 5 coins. Corner Shop: 4 coins.
Four is fewer than five, and five is fewer than six.
The Corner Shop is cheapest, and the shop with the big sale sign costs the most.
6 − 4 = 2, so the Big Toy Shop costs 2 coins more than the Corner Shop.
Example 4: Another sale
A ball is 12 coins with 3 off: 12 − 3 = 9 coins.
Next door the same ball is 8 coins, with no sale.
Eight is fewer than nine, so the plain price is cheaper.
Words to know
sale
A time when a shop takes some coins off the first price.
first price
What the tag says before the sale.
half
One of two equal parts.
compare
Look at two prices to see which is fewer coins.
Watch out
A sale sign is not the price. The price is what is left after you take off.
A big sign does not always mean a small price. Work it out, then compare.
Half off means half of the first price comes off, not half of something else.
A sale can really be cheaper, as the Corner Shop's was, so check every time.
Try it
A kite is 9 coins with 3 off. How many coins do you pay?
A ball is 10 coins and half off. How many coins do you pay?
A toy is 14 coins with 4 off. Next door it is 9 coins. Which costs fewer coins?
Does a big sale sign always mean the lowest price?
Answers: 1. 6 coins · 2. 5 coins · 3. The toy next door · 4. No
Try at homeWith a grown-up, find a sale sign at a shop. Work out the price after the sale, and compare it with another price.
For grown-upsAt a real shop, ask your child to find a sale sign and work out what you would pay, then compare it with another price. The coins in these pages are pretend.
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