Customer or seller? A 5-minute business word routine for K–2
This is a 5-minute call-and-response routine to teach the words customer and seller to young students, with no materials to prep. You say a short clue, students show a hand sign for the person in the clue, and then everyone says the word together.
Time: about 5 minutes. Grade: Pre-K to 2nd grade.
Materials: nothing to prepare. Optional: two picture cards, one of a person holding a bag (customer) and one of a person behind a counter (seller).
- Teach two signs: hands making a basket for customer (the person who buys), and one hand sweeping across like a counter for seller (the person who sells).
- Say a clue: "I pay for a sandwich." Students show the basket sign, then say "customer" together.
- Say: "I put prices on the apples." Students show the counter sign and say "seller."
- Mix fast and slow clues: "I ask, how much is it?", "I give change", "I choose a toy", "I say thank you for shopping."
- Add a tricky one: "I sell my drawings and buy a pencil." Ask: "Can one person be both?"
- Use the routine for a few days in a row, then let a student give the clues.
Differentiation: for Pre-K, use only 4 clues and the picture cards. For 2nd grade, add the words price and change as new signs. English learners can watch the signs for two rounds before saying the words.
Do you use hand signs or picture cards for business words with your youngest students? What clue made your class laugh the most?
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About this resource
- Shared by
- @UpOnlyLearning · Curriculum team
- Posted
- Oct 30, 2026
- Type
- Tip
- Grade
- Grades K–2
- Subject
- Business
- Language
- English
- License
- Free for classroom, co-op and tutoring use. Please don't resell.