Fun with the Number 1

Materials Needed

• One large paper or paper plate
• Crayons or washable markers
• Small objects such as blocks, buttons, toy animals, or pom-poms
• Number cards or a homemade card showing the numeral 1
• Play dough or modeling clay
• A small basket or bowl
• Optional: a short counting song

Learning Objectives

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

• Recognize the numeral 1.
• Say that 1 means “one.”
• Count one object accurately.
• Trace or make the shape of the numeral 1.
• Find examples of one thing in everyday life.

Success Criteria

Success looks like this:

• “I can point to the number 1.”
• “I can give you one object.”
• “I can say one while touching one object.”
• “I can try to draw or build a 1.”

Introduction: The Number 1 Mystery

Time: 5 minutes

Hold up one toy or one object and say:

“Look! I have one teddy bear. One means just one. Can you show me one finger?”

Invite the child to hold up one finger. Look around the room together and find things that come in a group of one, such as one door, one table, or one nose.

Tell the child: “Today we are number detectives. We will hunt for the number 1 and find things that are one.”

Body of the Lesson

I Do: Meet the Number 1

Time: 5 minutes

1. Show the number card with 1.
2. Trace the number slowly with your finger.
3. Say, “This is the number 1. We say one.”
4. Hold up one finger and say, “One finger.”
5. Place one object in the basket and say, “One block.”

Use a simple rhyme:

“Start at the top, go straight down. That is 1, the number crown!”

Quick check: Ask, “Which card shows 1?” If the child is unsure, place the number card beside another simple card and model the answer again.

We Do: One-Object Detective Hunt

Time: 10 minutes

Work together to search for objects that can be counted as one.

1. Choose a room or small area.
2. Ask the child to find one object.
3. Have the child bring it to the basket.
4. Touch the object once and say, “One.”
5. Repeat with several different objects.

Use playful questions:

• “Can you find one spoon?”
• “Can you bring me one block?”
• “Can you point to one window?”
• “Can you show me one finger?”

Think and talk: Ask, “Is this one object or many objects?” Use clear gestures: hold up one finger for one and spread both hands for many.

We Do: Build the Number 1

Time: 10 minutes

Let the child choose one way to make the number 1:

• Roll play dough into a long snake and shape it like 1.
• Make a large 1 with blocks.
• Trace the number 1 with a finger in the air.
• Draw the number 1 with a crayon.
• Make the number 1 using one toy car or one pencil.

Model the motion while saying:

“Start at the top. Go straight down.”

Give encouraging feedback such as, “You started at the top,” or “You made a long straight line.”

You Do: Number 1 Sorting Game

Time: 10 minutes

Place several small objects in front of the child. Ask the child to make groups containing exactly one object.

1. Choose one object.
2. Place it in a small group.
3. Touch it and say, “One.”
4. Make another group with one object.
5. Check each group together.

Next, mix groups of one object with groups containing more than one object. Ask:

• “Which group has one?”
• “Can you give me one?”
• “Which group has more than one?”

Choice: The child may use blocks, toy animals, snacks, socks, or other safe household items.

Movement Activity: One-Step Number Dance

Time: 5 minutes

Call out an action and have the child do it exactly one time:

• “Take one jump.”
• “Clap one time.”
• “Spin one time.”
• “Tap your knees one time.”

Pause after each action and ask, “How many did you do?” Encourage the child to answer, “One!”

Real-World Connection: One at Snack Time

Time: 5 minutes

During snack time, give the child one item at a time. For example, offer one cracker, one grape, or one slice of fruit, as appropriate and safe.

Say:

“You have one cracker. One means not two and not many.”

Ask the child to give you one item. Count by touching it once.

Formative Assessment

Check understanding throughout the lesson by asking the child to:

• Point to the numeral 1.
• Hold up one finger.
• Give you one object.
• Choose which group contains one object.
• Say “one” while touching one object.

Summative Assessment: Number 1 Show-and-Tell

Time: 5 minutes

Invite the child to complete this short demonstration:

1. Find and point to the numeral 1.
2. Show one finger.
3. Place one object in the basket.
4. Make or trace a number 1.
5. Tell you one thing in the room.

Celebrate the child’s effort with specific feedback:

“You found the number 1, counted one object, and made a 1. You worked like a number detective!”

Differentiation and Support

For a Child Who Needs More Support

• Use only one object at a time.
• Guide the child’s hand while tracing the numeral.
• Repeat the words “one object” and “one finger.”
• Use large objects that are easy to see and touch.
• Offer choices between two cards: “Is this 1 or this one?”

For a Child Ready for a Challenge

• Ask the child to find several groups containing one object.
• Have the child compare one object with two or three objects.
• Invite the child to find the numeral 1 in a book, calendar, or label.
• Ask the child to draw one object beside the numeral 1.
• Play a “What is missing?” game by removing one object from a small group.

Conclusion and Recap

Time: 5 minutes

Review the lesson using simple questions:

• “What number did we learn?”
• “How many things does 1 mean?”
• “Can you show me one finger?”
• “Can you find one thing near you?”

End with this chant while holding up one finger:

“One is fun! One is done! One finger, one sun, one big smile!”

Optional Follow-Up Activities

• Look for the numeral 1 during a walk or while reading a book.
• Make a collage using one sticker on each page.
• Count one toy before putting toys away.
• Draw one favorite animal or one family member.
• Sing a counting song and stop after the number 1.