Fun with the Number 1

Materials Needed

• Large paper or a small whiteboard
• Crayon or washable marker
• Number cards or paper with the number 1
• Small objects, such as blocks, buttons, toy animals, or socks
• Play dough or modeling clay
• One favorite toy or stuffed animal
• 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 that “one” means a single thing.
• Count one object correctly.
• Trace or make the number 1.
• Find examples of one thing in everyday life.

Success Looks Like

• “I can point to the number 1.”
• “I can show one object.”
• “I can count one thing: 1.”
• “I can make or trace a number 1.”

Introduction: Meet Number 1

Time: 5 minutes

Hold up one finger and say:

“Look! I have one finger. One means just one thing. Today we are going to play with the number 1!”

Show the child a large number 1. Invite the child to:

• Point to the number 1.
• Say, “One!”
• Make one finger.
• Find one toy nearby.

Hook question: “Can you find one special thing in this room?”

Body: Learn and Practice

1. I Do: Show One

Time: 5 minutes

Place one block on the table. Say slowly:

“This is one block. I count it one time: 1.”

Place several blocks beside it. Point to only one block and say:

“This is one. The other blocks make more than one.”

Model these examples:

• One nose
• One mouth
• One sun in a picture
• One favorite toy

Quick check: Hold up one object and then two objects. Ask, “Which group shows one?”

2. We Do: Find One Together

Time: 8 minutes

Search around the room together. Take turns finding one item.

Use the sentence frame:

“I found one ______.”

Possible items include one:

• Shoe
• Book
• Spoon
• Stuffed animal
• Pencil

After each discovery, ask the child to touch the item once while saying, “One.”

Think and answer:

• “Do we have one or many?”
• “Can you bring me one block?”
• “Can you show me one finger?”

3. We Do: Number 1 Movement Game

Time: 5 minutes

Say an action and have the child do it one time:

• Clap one time.
• Jump one time.
• Spin one time.
• Stomp one time.
• Touch your nose one time.

After each action, ask, “How many times did we do it?” Encourage the answer, “One!”

4. You Do: One-Object Sort

Time: 8 minutes

Place several small objects on the table. Give the child a bowl or small area labeled with the number 1.

Say:

“Put one object in the number 1 place. Count it carefully.”

Repeat with different objects. The child should place only one object each time.

Challenge: Make two groups: a group with one object and a group with more than one object. Ask the child to point to the group with one.

5. Make the Number 1

Time: 8 minutes

Show how to write the number 1:

1. Start near the top.
2. Make a short slanting line down.
3. Make a straight line down.

Say:

“Down we go. Number 1!”

Let the child choose one way to practice:

• Trace a large number 1 with a crayon.
• Make a number 1 with play dough.
• Draw a number 1 in the air with one finger.
• Trace a number 1 in a tray of rice or flour.
• Build a number 1 with blocks or craft sticks.

Celebrate effort rather than perfect writing.

6. One Toy Story

Time: 5 minutes

Invite the child to choose one favorite toy. Create a short story together:

“One little bear went for a walk. The bear saw one ______. Then the bear went home.”

Let the child fill in the blank and act out the story with the toy.

Formative Assessment

During the lesson, notice whether the child can:

• Identify the number 1 when shown several numbers.
• Give one object when asked.
• Count one object without adding another.
• Use the word “one” correctly.
• Attempt to trace, draw, or build the number 1.

If the child needs help, use hand-over-hand guidance, point to the number, and repeat short directions such as, “One means just one.”

Conclusion: Tell What We Learned

Time: 5 minutes

Review the lesson with the child:

• “What number did we learn?”
• “Can you show me one finger?”
• “Can you give me one toy?”
• “Can you point to the number 1?”

Say together:

“One means just one. The number 1 shows one thing.”

End with a celebration: clap one time and say, “I learned number 1!”

Optional Extensions

• Go on a “number 1 hunt” and look for the number 1 on signs, books, or a calendar.
• Draw one large circle and place one sticker inside it.
• Make a snack with one cracker, one slice of fruit, or one piece of cheese.
• Read a picture book and find pages showing one animal or one object.
• Ask the child to draw one thing they love.

Differentiation

For Extra Support

• Use only one object at a time.
• Give short directions: “Take one.”
• Use the child’s finger to touch the object once while counting.
• Practice recognizing the number 1 before asking the child to write it.

For an Extra Challenge

• Ask the child to find the number 1 among numbers 2 and 3.
• Ask, “What happens if we add one more?”
• Invite the child to make a page with one sun, one tree, and one person.
• Ask the child to explain why a group has one or more than one.

Final Demonstration

Give the child three objects and a number card showing 1. Ask the child to:

1. Point to the number 1.
2. Place one object beside it.
3. Count the object once.
4. Say, “There is one.”