The big ideaCoins planted sooner have more time to grow. Time does the work.
How it works
Mia and Leo each got 16 pretend coins and used the same garden rule: one new coin for every two coins in it.
Mia planted at once. Leo kept his in a pouch for two years first.
After four years Mia had 81 coins and Leo had 36. Nobody added any more coins.
The only difference was when they started. Starting sooner gave Mia's coins two more years to grow.
Mia's garden, year by year.How long each garden grew.
Example 1: Mia's garden
Year zero: 16 coins.
Year one: 16 + 8 = 24.
Year two: 24 + 12 = 36.
Year three: 36 + 18 = 54.
Year four: 54 + 27 = 81.
Example 2: Leo's garden
Leo plants his 16 coins after year two.
Year three: 16 + 8 = 24.
Year four: 24 + 12 = 36.
Example 3: How many more?
Mia has 81 coins and Leo has 36.
81 − 36 = 45.
Mia has 45 more coins, and the only difference is two more years of time.
Example 4: Same coins, same rule
Each friend planted 16 coins.
The garden used one rule for both.
So the coins and the rule were the same. Only the day they started was different.
Words to know
plant
To put coins in the garden so they can grow.
rule
One new coin for every two coins in the garden.
time
How long the coins have to grow.
Watch out
Mia did not plant more coins. Each planted just sixteen.
Coins kept in a pouch do not grow in the garden.
Leo's garden grew well too, and it kept on growing.
The garden is made up for this story.
Try it
Ten coins go in the garden. How many coins are there after a year?
Who had more coins after four years, Mia or Leo?
Did Mia plant more coins than Leo?
For how many years did Leo's coins grow?
Answers: 1. 15 · 2. Mia, with 81 coins · 3. No, each planted 16 · 4. 2 years
Try at homeAsk a grown-up about something they started early, like a hobby or a skill, and what time did for it.
For grown-upsAsk your child about something a grown-up started early and what time did for it. The garden is pretend: in the app, a child's credits do not grow by waiting.
Open these notes on screenScan the code, or go to tutorpip.com.