Fun with Number 1: One Special Thing

Materials Needed

• Number cards or a paper with the number 1
• Small toys, blocks, buttons, or pieces of cereal
• Paper and crayons or washable markers
• Play dough or clay
• A small basket or bowl
• Optional: music for a movement game

Learning Objectives

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

• Recognize and name the number 1.
• Count one object accurately.
• Show one object when asked.
• Trace or create the numeral 1.
• Identify real-life examples of “one.”

Success Criteria

I can:

• Say, “This is number one.”
• Give one object.
• Count one object by saying, “One.”
• Make or trace the number 1.

Introduction: One Big Surprise

Teacher/Parent says: “Today we are going on a number hunt! We will look for things that come in a group of one.”

Show the child one favorite toy or object.

Ask:

• “How many toys do I have?”
• “Can you show me one finger?”
• “Can you find one thing near you?”

Tell the child: “The number 1 means one. One means just one thing.”

Body of the Lesson

I Do: Learn About One

1. Show the numeral 1.
2. Trace it slowly with your finger while saying, “Down we go: 1.”
3. Place one block in front of the child.
4. Touch the block once and say, “One.”
5. Show several blocks and separate just one block.

Talking points:

• “This is the number 1.”
• “One means just one.”
• “I see one block.”
• “I touched it one time, so I say one.”

Quick check: Show two groups: one object and a group with several objects. Ask, “Which group has one?”

We Do: One Object Hunt

Search around the room together. Find objects that can be collected one at a time.

1. Say, “Let’s find one sock.”
2. Let the child choose one sock and place it in the basket.
3. Repeat with one book, one block, one spoon, or one stuffed animal.
4. Each time, touch the object once and say, “One.”

Think-and-talk questions:

• “What is one thing you found?”
• “Can you give me one?”
• “What happens if we add another? Do we still have one?”

Movement Game: Show Me One

Call out an action. The child performs it one time.

• “Clap one time.”
• “Jump one time.”
• “Spin one time.”
• “Touch one toe.”
• “Give one high-five.”

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

We Do: Make Number 1

Choose one or more of the following activities:

• Play dough: Roll the dough into a long line and bend it to make the number 1.
• Finger trace: Trace the number 1 in the air, on the table, or in a tray of rice.
• Sticker art: Draw a large number 1. Add one sticker to it.
• Crayon writing: Trace a dotted number 1, then try making one independently.

Say: “Start at the top and go straight down. That makes 1.”

You Do: One-of-a-Kind Picture

Invite the child to create a picture that shows one object. Offer choices:

• One sun
• One balloon
• One flower
• One pet
• One favorite toy

Ask the child to draw the picture and add the numeral 1. The child may dictate or complete the sentence:

“I drew one __________.”

Real-World Connection

Explain that we use “one” every day:

• One nose
• One mouth
• One sun in the sky
• One spoon for each person
• One turn during a game

Ask the child to choose one example and explain it in their own words.

Formative Assessment

Throughout the lesson, observe whether the child can:

• Point to the numeral 1 when shown several numerals.
• Give exactly one object.
• Count one object without adding another.
• Use the word “one” correctly.
• Attempt to trace or form the number 1.

Give specific feedback, such as:

• “You gave me exactly one block.”
• “You remembered to touch the object one time.”
• “You started at the top and made a straight line for 1.”

Summative Assessment: Number 1 Challenge

Place several objects and number cards in front of the child. Ask the child to:

1. Point to the number 1.
2. Give you one object.
3. Count the object by saying, “One.”
4. Make the number 1 with a finger, crayon, or play dough.
5. Name one thing they see in the room.

The child meets the lesson goal by completing at least four of the five tasks with support as needed.

Differentiation and Support

For a Child Who Needs More Support

• Use only one object at a time.
• Physically model each action before asking the child to try.
• Guide the child’s hand while tracing the number 1, if welcomed.
• Use repeated phrases: “One means just one.”
• Allow pointing, showing, or signing instead of speaking.

For a Child Ready for More

• Ask the child to find three different groups containing one object.
• Compare one object with zero objects and several objects.
• Ask the child to make a page showing one of several different items.
• Invite the child to write the word one with help.
• Ask, “What happens when we add one more?” and introduce the idea of two.

Conclusion and Recap

Hold up the number 1 and ask:

• “What number is this?”
• “What does 1 mean?”
• “Can you show me one finger?”
• “Tell me one thing you learned today.”

Finish with a cheerful chant:

“One little finger, one little toe, one is a number we now know!”

Celebrate the child’s effort and display the one-of-a-kind picture.

Optional Follow-Up Activities

• At snack time, give the child one cracker or one piece of fruit and count it together.
• Read a picture book featuring one character or one object.
• Take a “number 1 walk” and photograph or draw things found one at a time.
• Play a sorting game: place one object in each small cup or container.