Welcome Parents!
What greater gift could you give your child than personal financial literacy. Using The Stock Market Game, you and your child will explore the fundamentals of personal finance and investing, while practicing content and skills in math, English Language Arts, economics, social studies, and other subjects. Working together to build and manage an investment portfolio in a real-world, dynamic marketplace, you and your child will analyze and make decisions, explore the consequences of your choices, and seek new ways to strategize for success. You know that you're modeling critical problem solving and money management skills for your child; your child knows that you're both having lots of fun.
FAQ
Does my child have to be part of a team?
It is recommended that your child participate as part of a team of two-to-five members. However, your child can participate as an individual on a team by him- or herself.
Can my elementary school child, middle school child, and high school child play together?
Yes, the SMG program is a collaborative learning experience. Team members come together to share their skills and knowledge while working towards a common objective. Older teammates can share their academic and social experiences with the team. Younger teammates can share their fresh perspective with the team. In addition to fundamental investing and financial literacy, the SMG program also builds important life skills in leadership, responsibility, communication, and teamwork.
What if I don’t know anything about investing?
The objective of the SMG program is to introduce its participants to the fundamentals of investing. Each lesson plan provides a brief “Teacher Background,” which has enough information for you to successfully implement the lesson with your child. In addition to the Teacher Background brief, the Teacher Support Center provides you with publications, links, and other resources that will get you comfortable teaching the lessons. You may also contact your local SMG Coordinator for additional assistance.
What if I’m not a teacher?
Everyone has the potential to be a great SMG teacher. The challenge is finding the teaching materials appropriate to your teaching environment. The SMG’s Teacher Support Center provides materials that support teaching fundamental investment concepts in afterschool, homeschool, other out-of-school and alternative teaching situations.
How do I get started?
Click Register. To get started in the SMG program, visit your local SMG program’s registration page. Your local SMG program’s registration page provides essential information on program requirements and important dates. SMG is a national program of the SIFMA Foundation and is coordinated locally by non-profit partners who are dedicated to youth financial literacy. If you need additional assistance, please contact your local SMG coordinator or the SIFMA Foundation office.
Where do I begin after I’ve registered?
If you are new to The Stock Market Game, start in the “Getting Started” section of the Teacher Support Center. It has lesson plans and introductory guides for implementing the program. If you are a returning parent, start by reviewing your favorite lessons and activities. Some of the lessons may have been updated since the last time you participated.
What is the Teacher Support Center?
The Teacher Support Center is a searchable library of curriculum resources, lesson plans, assessments, and standards correlations that help you introduce your child to the basics of personal finance, saving, and investing, and provide them real-world practice in core academic subjects like math, English, and social studies (economics).
Do you have materials for afterschool and homeschool use?
Yes, the Teacher Support Center has easy-to-follow instructional guides, suggested lessons, activities, and projects for afterschool and homeschool participants. Though afterschool and homeschool resources are designed specifically for their respective audiences, they may be used in conjunction or interchangeably with each other or educational materials designed for classroom participants.
How do I access the Teacher Support Center?
There are two distinct logins for The Stock Market Game: (1) Advisor and (2) Team. The Advisor ID and password is used by the teacher or facilitator to log into the Teacher Support Center. The team ID is used by student teams. Each team receives a shared team ID and password to log into their online investment portfolios. The Advisor ID is easily distinguished by the capital “T” in the third section of the ID (e.g. AB_12_T123456). Login by clicking the appropriate link at www.stockmarketgame.org. Advisors and their teams login at the same site.
What do you mean by “Correlated to Standards?”
“Correlated to Standards” means if your child is actively participating in the SMG program, he or she is utilizing the skills deemed essential by educational agencies. Lessons in the Teacher Support Center are correlated to the national Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in math and English Language Arts. These correlations are presented in an interactive table in the Standards section of the Teacher Support Center. The Stock Market Game effectively contextualizes the academic content standards, practices, and career skills expressed in the CCSS, STEM, and by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.