All About the Number 1
Materials Needed
- Large paper or a whiteboard
- Crayon or washable marker
- One small toy or favorite object
- Number cards or a hand-drawn card showing the number 1
- Small items to count, such as blocks, buttons, or toy animals
- Play dough or modeling 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.
- Count one object.
- Show one object when asked.
- Trace or try to write the number 1.
- Use the word “one” in a simple sentence.
Success Criteria
Success looks like this:
- “I can point to the number 1.”
- “I can give you one thing.”
- “I can make a number 1 with my finger, crayon, or play dough.”
Introduction: Meet Number 1
Time: 5 minutes
Show the child one favorite toy.
Say: “Look! I have one toy. One means just one.”
Hold up one finger and say:
“This is one. Can you show me one finger?”
Invite the child to look around and find one object. The child might find one shoe, one book, or one stuffed animal.
Talk together:
- “How many toys am I holding?”
- “Can you find one red thing?”
- “Can you give me one block?”
Body: Learn and Practice
1. I Do: See and Hear One
Time: 5 minutes
Place one object on the table. Touch it once and say:
“One. I touched one object.”
Show a card with the number 1. Trace the number with your finger while saying:
“This is the number 1. It tells us how many: one.”
Model how to write it:
- “Start at the top.”
- “Go down.”
- “Now we have 1.”
Quick check: Show one object and then two objects. Ask, “Which group has one?” Let the child point or touch the answer.
2. We Do: Find One
Time: 8 minutes
Place several groups of objects on the table: one block, two blocks, and three blocks.
Say: “Let’s find the group with one block.” Work together to count each group slowly.
Repeat with different objects, such as toy animals, crayons, or buttons.
Think-and-answer questions:
- “How many bears are here?”
- “Can you move one bear onto the paper?”
- “Which group has only one?”
Movement game: Give simple directions:
- “Clap one time.”
- “Jump one time.”
- “Tap your knee one time.”
- “Spin one time.”
Celebrate each try by saying, “You did one!”
3. We Do: Make the Number 1
Time: 7 minutes
Invite the child to make the number 1 in different ways:
- Trace a large 1 with a finger.
- Build a 1 using play dough.
- Draw a 1 in the air.
- Make a 1 using a block or craft stick.
- Draw a 1 with a crayon.
Say: “The number 1 can look different when we make it, but it still means one.”
Offer a choice: “Would you like to make 1 with play dough or draw 1 with a crayon?”
4. You Do: One-Object Hunt
Time: 8 minutes
Ask the child to find five different things, one at a time.
Give directions such as:
- “Bring me one soft thing.”
- “Find one book.”
- “Show me one blue thing.”
- “Choose one toy for our pretend game.”
After each turn, ask, “How many did you bring?” Encourage the child to answer, “One.”
Real-world connection: Explain that people use one every day: one toothbrush, one nose, one sun, and one child.
5. Creative Application: One’s Little Picnic
Time: 8 minutes
Set up a pretend picnic for a stuffed animal or toy.
Ask the child to give the toy:
- One plate
- One cup
- One pretend food item
- One napkin
Use simple sentences:
“The bear has one cup.”
“The bear has one apple.”
Let the child choose the toy and pretend food. Ask, “What one thing should we give our friend next?”
Formative Assessment
Check understanding during the lesson by asking the child to:
- Point to the number 1.
- Show one finger.
- Hand over one object.
- Choose one group from groups of one, two, and three.
- Say the word “one.”
Give specific feedback:
- “You gave me exactly one block.”
- “You found the number 1.”
- “You counted carefully and stopped at one.”
Summative Assessment: Show What You Know
Ask the child to complete these four tasks:
- Point to the number 1 from a choice of three number cards.
- Give you one object.
- Show one finger.
- Draw, trace, build, or form the number 1.
The child meets the lesson goal when they complete at least three of the four tasks with little help.
Differentiation and Support
For a Child Who Needs More Support
- Use only one object and one number card at first.
- Use large objects that are easy to see and touch.
- Count aloud together while touching the object once.
- Guide the child’s hand while tracing the number 1, if the child is comfortable.
- Repeat the lesson in short 3–5 minute activities.
For a Child Ready for More
- Ask the child to find the number 1 in a book or around the home.
- Invite the child to draw one object next to the number 1.
- Compare one with more: “Which group has one? Which group has more?”
- Ask the child to make a simple page that says, “I see one ___.”
Conclusion: Tell What We Learned
Time: 3 minutes
Hold up the number 1 and ask:
- “What number is this?”
- “How many is one?”
- “Can you show me one finger?”
- “What is one thing you found today?”
Finish with a short chant:
“One little finger, one little toe,
One is the number that we know!”
Invite the child to say: “Today I learned that 1 means one!”
Optional Follow-Up Activities
- Look for the number 1 on a clock, book, calendar, or food package.
- Make a “one” collage using one sticker, one shape, or one drawing on each page.
- Read a counting book and pause whenever you see one object.
- During snack time, count out one cracker, one fruit piece, or one cup.