The Vermont State Treasurer's Office first introduced the Reading is an Investment program to Vermont schools in 2010. The program promotes the teaching of personal finance to elementary school children by providing quality children's books that explore financial subjects to participating schools.The program offers students in kindergarten through 6th grades the opportunity to learn about money and basic financial concepts. Off-the-shelf resources give librarians and teachers tools that they can use to help students make the connection between these stories and their individual lives. More than 44,000 Vermont student logs have been submitted to the Treausrer's Office since the program began.
The 2020 - 2021 Reading is an Investment program theme was I am an Entrepreneur!
Click here to access all the lesson plans for the 2021 - 2021 Reading is an Investment Program.
In Dirt Cheap by Mark Hoffman, students will learn how supply and demand impact business decisions.
In The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires, students will explore goods and services and how they relate to entrepreneurship
In What Does it Mean to be an Entrepreneur? by Rana DiOrio and Emma D. Dryden, students will think about the creative process entrepreneurs undertake as they develop inventions to meet needs.
Congratulations to the 2010-2021 winners of the Reading is an Investment Program! These students were each awarded with $250 College Savings Accounts from VSAC, the winners included:
Amelia Moyer of Castleton Elementary School
Andrew Fecteau of Johnson Elementary School
Brooklyn Foley of Ludlow Elementary School
Camren Martin of Franklin Elementary School
Ellis Holm of Vergennes Union Elementary School
Lola Cunninham of Shelburne Community School
Emily Jones of Mt Holly Elementary School
Jace Kelley of Morrisville Elementary School
Joshua Chistolini of Essex Elementary School
Kailynn Millette of Manchester Elementary School
Kyleigh Dailey of Wells Village School
Lilyana Little of Highgate Elementary School
Lincoln Post of Smilie Memorial School
Luna Lilly of Champlain Elementary School
Mae Fitzgerald of Tunbridge Central School
Natalia Brown of Hyde Park Elementary School
Richard Rayta of Brewster-Pierce Memorial School
Tripp Roberge of Newport City Elementary School
Xander Shedd of Samuel Morey Elementary School
Tell Me About the Program
The program takes a two-prong approach to promoting financial literacy -- class or library instruction and personal reading. Each fall, participating elementary schools receive three new hardback books. Lesson plans and activities are included with the books to teach money concepts. At the same time, students are encouraged to participate in a personal financial literacy reading program. School librarians receive a recommended money reading list that highlights books that focus on basic financial concepts. Students who read at least three books from the list and complete personal reading requirements can send a completed reading log to the Treasurer's office for entry in a statewide drawing for one of twenty $250 accounts in the Vermont Higher Education Investment Plan -- Vermont's official 529 college savings plan. Winning students are honored at an annual ceremony in Montpelier.
Each year, the Treasurer's office holds a Financial Literacy Awards Ceremony in Montpelier to recognize student achievement (paused during the COVID-19 crisis)
We have archived all past materials for continued use by both school personnel and parents. See the Lesson Archive under Reading is an Investment on the left.
Please Thank Our Supporters
This program would not be possible without the financial support of People's United Bank, who generously contributes funds to the Financial Literacy Trust Fund to provide the underwriting support for the program. The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation provides all of the Vermont Higher Education Investment Plan prizes.
