How to Teach Preschool Math With Dog Biscuits

Teaching your preschooler with bone-shaped dog biscuits is a fun and inexpensive way to explore early learning math skills with your child. In my experience as a Montessori preschool teacher using every day materials (such as dog biscuits) helps children learn about math in a concrete, hands-on way.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Box of Bone-shaped Dog Biscuits
• 10 Plastic Containers for Dog Bowls (yogurt or cottage cheese containers work great)
• Playdough (homemade or store bought)
• Plastic Numerals ~ Optional (usually magnetic -- from the dollar store)
• A Cooperative Dog: your own pooch (or a dog you can borrow)

1. Dog Bowl Counting:
   Help your child write numbers 1 through 10 on the plastic dog bowls. Then have your preschooler count out the correct number of biscuits for each bowl (1 biscuit goes in the first bowl, 2 biscuits go in the second bowl, 3 biscuits go in the third and so on until all ten dog bowls are filled).

2. Playdough Counting:
   A colorful variation of the Dog Bowl Counting is to have your child use playdough to make 10 dog bowls ~ and then count out the dog biscuits for each one. NOTE: To label each bowl with a number your child can roll numerals out of the playdough or plastic numbers work great.

3. Simple Subtraction Game with a Dog: Have your child count out 5 dog biscuits. Ask your child, "If you give 1 biscuit to the dog how many biscuits will be left over?" Go ahead and feed the dog the biscuit and then have your child count how many are left. Continue game until no dog biscuits are left.

Tips & Warnings

• Remind your child the dog biscuits are cookies for dogs -- not kids!