All About the Number 1

Materials Needed

• Large paper or a whiteboard
• Crayon or washable marker
• Number cards or a paper with the number 1
• Small objects such as blocks, buttons, toy animals, or snacks
• One paper plate or small bowl
• Play dough or clay
• Optional: music for a counting song

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, the child will be able to:

• Recognize the number 1.
• Say the number 1.
• Count one object correctly.
• Show one object when asked.
• Trace or make the shape of the number 1.

Success Criteria

The child is successful when they can:

• Point to the number 1 when shown several numbers.
• Give the adult one object.
• Say, “One!” while touching one object.
• Make a recognizable number 1 with a crayon, finger, or play dough.

Introduction: Meet the Number 1

Time: 5 minutes

Show the child one favorite toy or one snack.

Say: “Look! I have one toy. One means just one. Today we are going to learn about the number 1.”

Show a large number 1 card.

Ask:

• “Can you point to the number 1?”
• “Can you say 1?”
• “Can you hold up one finger?”

Invite the child to hold up one finger and say, “One!”

Body of the Lesson

I Do: I Show One

Time: 5 minutes

1. Place one object on the table.
2. Touch the object once and say, “One.”
3. Place two or three objects nearby.
4. Move only one object into a paper plate or bowl.

Say: “I put one block in the bowl. One means only one.”

Point to the written number 1.

Say: “This is what the number 1 looks like. It tells us there is one.”

Quick Check: Hold up one object and then several objects. Ask, “Which group has one?”

We Do: Find One Together

Time: 8 minutes

Place a small collection of safe objects in front of the child. Give simple directions:

• “Let’s find one block.”
• “Put one toy animal on the plate.”
• “Give me one button.”
• “Show me one finger.”

Count slowly together each time. Touch the object while saying, “One.”

Think-Pair-Share Option: The adult and child each find one object. Take turns saying what you found.

Ask: “How many objects did you find?”

Celebrate effort with specific feedback:

“You gave me one block. You counted carefully!”

Movement Activity: Number 1 Action Song

Time: 5 minutes

Sing or chant the following while moving:

“One, one, touch the sun!
One clap, one jump, learning is fun!”

Invite the child to:

• Clap one time.
• Jump one time.
• Spin one time.
• Tap one knee.
• Raise one finger.

Ask: “How many jumps did you do?” Encourage the answer, “One!”

You Do: Number 1 Treasure Hunt

Time: 8 minutes

Invite the child to look around the learning space and find things that come in groups of one.

Say: “Find one book. Bring me one pencil. Find one toy.”

Offer choices so the child can lead:

• Find one soft item.
• Find one red item.
• Find one item that can roll.

After each discovery, ask the child to place the object on the paper plate and say, “I found one.”

Make the Number 1

Time: 8 minutes

Option A: Trace

Write a large number 1. Let the child trace it with a finger, crayon, or marker.

Say: “Start at the top. Go down. Now your number 1 is done!”

Option B: Play Dough

Help the child roll one long piece of play dough. Bend or place it to form the number 1.

Option C: Air Writing

Use one finger to draw a number 1 in the air, on the table, or on the child’s palm.

Encouragement: “You made a number 1! It has a straight line.”

Real-World Connection: One Is Everywhere

Time: 5 minutes

Talk about familiar examples of one:

• “One sun”
• “One moon we can see at night”
• “One grown-up helping us”
• “One favorite toy”

Let the child choose one example and draw it. For example, the child may draw one sun or one toy.

Assessment

Formative Assessment During the Lesson

• Ask the child to point to the number 1 among two or three number cards.
• Ask the child to give you one object.
• Ask the child to count one object by touching it once.
• Watch whether the child can hold up one finger.
• Listen for the child saying “one” correctly.

Summative Assessment: Show Me One

Place several objects and number cards in front of the child. Ask the child to:

1. Point to the number 1.
2. Give you one object.
3. Place one object on the plate.
4. Make a number 1 using a crayon, finger, or play dough.
5. Say, “One.”

Simple observation guide:

• Beginning: Needs help finding or showing one.
• Growing: Finds one with reminders or occasional help.
• Ready: Finds, counts, says, and makes the number 1 independently.

Differentiation and Support

For a Child Who Needs More Support

• Use only one object and one number card at a time.
• Guide the child’s hand while counting and tracing.
• Repeat the same short phrase: “One means just one.”
• Use large objects that are easy to see and hold.
• Practice for a few minutes at a time throughout the day.

For a Child Ready for More

• Ask the child to find one object in a larger group.
• Compare one object with a group of two or three objects.
• Invite the child to draw one object and write the number 1 beside it.
• Look for the number 1 in a book, calendar, house number, or sign.
• Ask, “What would happen if we added one more?”

Conclusion and Recap

Time: 3 minutes

Hold up the number 1 and ask the child to repeat the key ideas:

• “What number did we learn?” One!
• “How many objects are in one?” Just one!
• “Can you show me one finger?”
• “Can you draw or make the number 1?”

Finish with a celebration:

Say: “You learned about the number 1! You found one, counted one, and made one. Great learning!”

Optional Follow-Up Activities

• Read a picture book about counting or the number 1.
• Serve one snack and ask the child to count it.
• Take a walk and look for one bird, one flower, or one red car.
• Place one sticker on each page of a small homemade number book.
• Repeat the lesson using different toys, foods, or household objects.