Preschool Math Lesson Plans: Using Cereal for Counting and Patterns

Cereal can be used in mathematical learning, but think of the creative process this manipulative material offers to develop the senses and ingenious art activities as well. Include a few of these projects below into your preschool math lesson plans and don't forget to provide a clean bowl of cereal for munching!

Tactile Cards

On pieces of cardboard, draw a large number. Have the children glue O-shaped cereal inside, the same amount as the number value. After it's dry, they can run their fingers along the shape of this number and begin counting skills, along with your help. Start with numbers one to five and increase numerals according to age and skill level.

Egg Carton Math Game

Write the numerals 1-12 inside the sections of an egg carton with a black marker. Give each child a cup of cereal and have him place pieces of cereal to correspond with the number in each section. Count the pieces together in each egg cup. As children play this game, they are learning to recognize symbols for each number. Another way to teach number recognition is to look for number symbols around the school, on signs, in books, and so on. Point to numerals and say the number name out loud.

Preschool Math Lesson Plans with Patterns

Make a pattern model using bamboo skewers. Thread on mini-marshmallows and O-shaped cereal. Use colorful cereal and sort by color or number of O's between each marshmallow. Encourage the children to copy your model, and then make up patterns of their own. NOTE: Adult supervision is advised when using pointed sticks with young children. A variation to this activity is to glue cereal pieces on paper, creating specific patterns.

Geometric Cereal Shapes

You will need construction paper, scissors, glue and cereal for this project. Instruct children to cut out squares, triangles, circles and rectangles from the paper. Younger children may need adult help. Glue pieces of cereal to fill each shape.

Abacus

Unwind a metal coat hanger and string O-shaped cereal onto the wire. Wind the hanger back together. Use heavy tape to cover any sharp edges. The children can move the cereal along the wire to count and do simple addition and subtraction problems. Make up word problems too. Here's an example: Susan, Tina and John were walking to the park (move three pieces of cereal across the wire). How many kids were walking? Susan's mother called her home (take away one). Now how many kids are still going to the park? Rachael and Tommy joined them (add two pieces). Now how many kids are there? Continue with the story until the child tires of this game, or start a different story.

Place Value

Find a piece of Styrofoam (in the recycle box or purchase at a craft store). Insert three pipe cleaners into the foam and glue labels on the foam base for each place value; Ones, Tens, and Hundreds. Have the children team up with another player and take turns placing O-shaped cereal onto each pole. The opposite player can guess the number. This is a great way to teach place value and how to read numbers this way!

Children learn by doing, so as they play, mathematical skills can be mastered. Think creatively by using cereal and foods in your next preschool math lesson plans to make this learning experience fun.

Reference:

Place Value Idea accessed from Cereal Math by Karol L. Yeatts [Scholastic, 2000]