At Make Sense of Pence, much of our work focuses on teaching children and young people about money. But recently, I was reminded that how we teach — and how young people are conditioned to respond — is just as important as what we’re teaching.

As part of some market research for the next phase of our Money Wise Workshops, I sat down with a young man to explore his understanding of money. Before we even began, he nervously warned me that he probably wouldn’t be able to give “good answers.”

The thing is — there were no “good” or “bad” answers. There weren’t even “right” or “wrong” ones.
I explained that I wasn’t testing him. I wasn’t assessing him. I was simply trying to uncover what he already knew — and where there might be gaps. Because understanding those gaps helps shape better education, not pass judgment.

Once reassured, we had a brilliant conversation. He shared insights, raised questions, and revealed real areas of strength — alongside the natural uncertainties you’d expect at his age. It was exactly the kind of discussion I’d hoped for.

But then something happened that truly stuck with me.
When I finished speaking with him, his parents asked, “How did he do?”

It struck me as such an odd question.
He did exactly what he needed to: he engaged, he thought, he answered honestly. Yet the underlying assumption was that there had been a pass/fail moment — that somehow this was a test, and success would be defined by how many correct answers he had given.

It made me think more deeply about the culture of education and testing that so many young people grow up in. From an early age, school systems often place emphasis on grades, marks, correctness. And while that’s important for many academic subjects, when it comes to broader life skills — especially around money — that rigid framework doesn’t always serve us.