All About the Number 1

Materials Needed

• Large paper or whiteboard
• Marker or crayon
• Number cards or a paper with the number 1
• Small objects to count, such as blocks, buttons, toy animals, or snacks
• Play dough or modeling clay
• Paper and crayons
• Optional: music for a movement game

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.
• Show one object when asked.
• Trace or make the shape of the number 1.

Success Criteria

I can:

• Point to the number 1.
• Find one object.
• Say, “One!”
• Make a number 1 with my finger, crayon, or play dough.

Introduction: Meet the Number 1

Hook

Show the child one favorite toy or one snack.

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

Talk Together

Ask:

• “How many toys am I holding?”
• “Can you show me one finger?”
• “Can you find one thing in the room?”

Celebrate each answer with encouragement: “Yes! You found one!”

Body of the Lesson

I Do: Show and Explain

1. Write or show a large number 1.
2. Say: “This is the number 1. It means one.”
3. Hold up one finger and say, “One finger.”
4. Place one block on the table and say, “One block.”
5. Trace the number 1 slowly while saying: “Down we go to make a 1.”

Quick check: Ask, “Can you point to the number 1?” Then ask, “Can you show me one finger?”

We Do: Count One Object

Place several objects in front of the child.

1. Say, “Let’s take just one.”
2. Help the child pick up one object.
3. Count it together: “One.”
4. Put the object in a small bowl or on a piece of paper labeled 1.
5. Repeat with different objects, such as one block, one car, or one toy animal.

Think and choose: Let the child choose which objects to count. Ask, “Would you like one red block or one blue block?”

Movement Game: Number 1 Actions

Say, “When I say 1, do one action!” Give the child simple choices:

• One jump
• One clap
• One twirl
• One big stretch
• One silly dance

After each action, say, “You did it one time!”

Transition: “We used our bodies to show one. Now let’s use our hands to build one.”

We Do: Build the Number 1

Invite the child to make a number 1 using one of these choices:

• Roll play dough into a long piece and shape it like 1.
• Use one craft stick or pencil to make a straight number 1.
• Trace a large number 1 with a finger.
• Draw the number 1 in the air.

Say: “Start at the top and move your hand down. That makes a 1.”

You Do: Number 1 Treasure Hunt

Invite the child to look around the room and find groups with one item.

1. Find one book.
2. Find one spoon, sock, or toy.
3. Bring each item to a special “Number 1 Spot.”
4. Count each item separately: “One book. One sock. One toy.”

Give the child a choice: “Would you like to find one soft thing, one red thing, or one small thing?”

You Do: Number 1 Art

1. Give the child paper and crayons.
2. Help the child draw or trace a large number 1.
3. Invite the child to decorate it with one sticker, one dot, or one small drawing.
4. Ask the child to tell you about the picture.

Example prompt: “You made one! What is your one picture?”

Formative Assessment: Quick Checks

During the activities, check whether the child can:

• Point to the number 1 when shown several numbers.
• Show one finger.
• Give you one object.
• Count one object without adding another.
• Say the word “one.”

Summative Assessment: Show Me One

Place a few groups of objects on the table. For example, make groups with one, two, and three objects.

Ask the child:

• “Which group has one?”
• “Can you give me one block?”
• “Can you point to the number 1?”
• “Can you make a number 1?”

Success is shown when the child correctly completes most of the tasks with little or no help.

Conclusion: Tell What We Learned

Hold up one finger and say:

“Today we learned about the number 1. One means just one. We found one object, moved one time, and made a number 1.”

Ask the child to finish these sentences:

• “One means…”
• “I can show one with my…”
• “I found one…”

Goodbye Chant

“One, one, number one!
One small step, and we are done!”

Differentiation and Extensions

For Extra Support

• Use only one object at a time.
• Guide the child’s hand while tracing the number 1.
• Repeat the words “one” and “just one” often.
• Use large objects that are easy to see and touch.

For More Challenge

• Ask the child to find the number 1 in a book or on a calendar.
• Invite the child to compare one object with a group of two or three objects.
• Ask the child to draw one person, one animal, or one flower.
• Practice writing the number 1 independently.

Real-World Connection

Look for the number 1 during the day on doors, books, clocks, signs, or labels. Say, “You found a 1! The number 1 is all around us.”

Optional Follow-Up Activity

At snack time, give the child one small snack item first. Ask, “How many do you have?” After the child answers, offer more and compare: “Now you have more than one.”