One Wonderful Number: Learning About 1

Materials Needed

• One small toy or stuffed animal
• Number cards or a piece of paper with the numbers 1, 2, and 3
• Large paper and crayons or washable markers
• Five small objects, such as blocks, buttons, or toy animals
• Play dough
• A small basket or bowl
• Optional: music for a movement activity

Learning Objectives

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

• Recognize the number 1.
• Count one object correctly.
• Show one object when asked.
• Trace or make the numeral 1.
• Use the word “one” in a simple sentence.

Success Criteria

“I can…”

• Point to the number 1.
• Give you one object.
• Say, “One!” when I see one thing.
• Make a number 1 with a crayon, finger, or play dough.

Introduction: One Special Friend

Hook: Hold up one stuffed animal or toy and say, “Look! I have one friend. How many friends do I have?”

Let the child answer. Emphasize the word one and show one finger.

Tell the child: “Today we are learning about the number 1. One means just one thing. We will look, count, move, and make the number 1.”

Body

1. I Do: Meet the Number 1

Show a large number 1. Trace it slowly with your finger while saying:

“Down we go. This is 1.”

Place one toy beside the number 1 and say:

“One toy goes with the number 1.”

Show cards or papers with the numbers 1, 2, and 3. Point to the number 1 and say, “This is 1.” Point to the other numbers and briefly say, “These are different numbers.”

Quick check: Ask, “Can you point to number 1?”

2. We Do: Find One

Place five small objects in front of the child. Say:

“Let’s find one. Please put one object in the bowl.”

Count the object together: “One.” Touch the object as you count it. Repeat with different objects.

Next, ask the child to place:

• One block in the basket
• One toy animal beside the stuffed animal
• One button on the paper

Think and talk: Ask, “How many did you put in the basket?” Encourage the child to answer, “One.”

3. Movement Game: One-Step Fun

Invite the child to follow one-step directions:

• Take one jump.
• Clap one time.
• Stomp one foot.
• Spin one time.
• Touch one toy.

After each action, ask, “How many did you do?” Help the child answer, “One.”

4. We Do: Make the Number 1

Use play dough to make a long, straight piece. Place it on the table to form the number 1.

Say, “Let’s make 1. The number 1 goes down.”

Invite the child to:

• Trace the number 1 with a finger.
• Make the number 1 with play dough.
• Draw the number 1 in the air.
• Trace or draw the number 1 with a crayon.

5. You Do: One Hunt

Invite the child to choose one of these activities:

• Home hunt: Find one spoon, one shoe, and one book.
• Nature hunt: Find one leaf, one pebble, or one flower. Only pick up safe items with permission.
• Picture hunt: Look through a book and find a page with one animal or one ball.

For each item, ask:

• “What did you find?”
• “How many did you find?”
• “Can you show me one?”

Creative Activity: One-Thing Picture

Give the child paper and crayons. Ask the child to draw one favorite thing, such as one sun, one flower, one house, or one pet.

Talk about the picture using simple sentences:

• “You drew one sun.”
• “I see one flower.”
• “You made one big circle.”

Invite the child to write or trace the number 1 beside the picture.

Formative Assessment: Show Me One

Ask the child to complete these tasks:

1. Point to the number 1.
2. Give you one block.
3. Clap one time.
4. Make a number 1 with a finger or crayon.
5. Finish the sentence: “I have one _____.”

Give specific feedback, such as:

• “You gave me exactly one block.”
• “You found the number 1.”
• “You counted carefully.”

Summative Assessment: The Number 1 Challenge

Place the number cards 1, 2, and 3 on the floor. Give the child one object and say:

“Put this object by the number that tells how many you have.”

Then ask the child to:

• Choose the number 1.
• Place one object beside it.
• Say, “One.”
• Trace or make the number 1.

The child is successful when they can complete at least three of the four tasks with little or no help.

Differentiation and Choice

For Extra Support

• Use only one and two as choices.
• Give the child one object while saying, “This is one.”
• Guide the child’s finger as they trace the number 1.
• Repeat activities with familiar toys.

For an Extra Challenge

• Ask the child to find one object in each room.
• Ask, “What happens if we add one more?”
• Invite the child to draw one object and label it with the number 1.
• Ask the child to find the number 1 in a book, calendar, or sign.

Conclusion and Recap

Hold up one finger and ask:

• “What number did we learn?”
• “How many things does one mean?”
• “Can you show me one?”

Say together:

“One means just one. The number 1 tells us about one thing.”

End with a short celebration: clap one time, give one high-five, or sing a one-line goodbye song.

Optional Follow-Up

During the day, look for the number 1 on clocks, books, calendars, packages, or signs. Each time the child finds it, say, “You found 1!”