Fun with the Number 1
Materials Needed
- Large paper or a whiteboard
- Crayon or washable marker
- Number cards or paper with the number 1
- Small safe objects, such as blocks, toy animals, or buttons
- Play dough
- Paper and crayons
- A small basket or bowl
Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson, the child will be able to:
- Recognize the number 1.
- Say that “one” means a single object.
- Count one object correctly.
- Trace or create the numeral 1.
- Find examples of one item in everyday life.
Success Criteria
Success looks like this:
- “I can show one object.”
- “I can point to the number 1.”
- “I can say one when I count one thing.”
- “I can make a number 1 with a crayon or play dough.”
Introduction: Meet the Number 1
Time: 5 minutes
Hold up one favorite toy or one object.
Say: “Look! I have one toy. One means just one. Today we are going to play with the number 1!”
Invite the child to look around and find one thing.
Ask:
- “Can you find one toy?”
- “Can you show me one finger?”
- “Can you clap one time?”
Quick check: Listen for the child using the word “one” and showing only one object or finger.
Body: Learn and Practice
1. I Do: Show One
Time: 5 minutes
Place several objects in front of the child. Pick up just one object.
Say: “I am taking one block. One block.”
Show the numeral card.
Say: “This is the number 1. It tells us there is one.”
Trace the number 1 slowly in the air.
Say: “Down we go to make a 1.”
2. We Do: One or More?
Time: 8 minutes
Place one object in a bowl. Then place two or three objects beside it.
Take turns choosing a group and saying whether it has one object.
Say: “This group has one. This group has more than one.”
Give the child a few objects.
Instructions: “Put one object in the bowl. Now show me one object in your hand.”
Think and talk:
- “How many objects are in the bowl?”
- “Is there one or more than one?”
- “What happens if we add another object?”
Quick check: Ask the child to make a group of one without help.
3. Movement Game: Number 1 Actions
Time: 5 minutes
Call out an action for the child to do one time:
- “Jump one time!”
- “Clap one time!”
- “Turn around one time!”
- “Touch one toe!”
Pause after each action and say, “You did it one time!”
4. We Do: Make the Number 1
Time: 8 minutes
Use play dough to make a long “snake.” Help the child shape it into the number 1.
Next, trace the number 1 with a finger in the air, on the table, and on paper.
Say: “Start at the top. Go down. This makes a 1.”
Offer a choice:
- Make a 1 with play dough.
- Trace a 1 with a crayon.
- Build a 1 with blocks.
5. You Do: Number 1 Hunt
Time: 8 minutes
Invite the child to search the home for examples of one.
Instructions: “Find one thing, bring it to our learning spot, and tell me, ‘I found one ____.’”
Possible examples include one shoe, one spoon, one book, or one stuffed animal.
Place the number 1 card beside each found object and celebrate the discovery.
Say: “You found one book. One book goes with the number 1!”
Creative Activity: One Special Thing
Time: 8 minutes
Ask the child to draw one special thing. It might be one sun, one flower, one pet, or one toy.
Help the child write or trace the number 1 next to the picture.
Talk about the picture: “What did you draw? How many did you draw?”
Formative Assessment
During the lesson, check whether the child can:
- Point to the number 1 when shown several numerals.
- Give one object when asked.
- Count one object by saying “one.”
- Recognize when a group has more than one object.
- Trace or build a recognizable number 1.
Summative Activity: Show What You Know
Time: 5 minutes
Place several number cards and several objects in front of the child.
Ask the child to complete these tasks:
- “Point to the number 1.”
- “Give me one block.”
- “Make a group of one.”
- “Show me one finger.”
- “Make a number 1 with play dough or draw one.”
Celebrate: “You know the number 1! One means just one.”
Differentiation and Support
- For extra support: Use only one object and one number card at first. Guide the child’s hand while tracing.
- For visual learners: Use large, colorful number cards and point to each object while counting.
- For movement learners: Practice one-step actions such as one jump or one clap.
- For children ready for more: Ask the child to find the number 1 in a book, make a collection of one item in several different ways, or compare one object with a group of two.
- For digital learning: Display the number 1 on a screen and invite the child to find one object near the computer or tablet.
Conclusion and Recap
Time: 3 minutes
Hold up the number 1 card and review the lesson.
Ask:
- “What number did we learn?”
- “What does one mean?”
- “Can you show me one finger?”
- “Can you find one thing?”
Final message: “Today we learned that the number 1 means one thing. One toy, one clap, one finger, and one big number 1!”
Optional Everyday Practice
Throughout the day, point out natural examples of one: one cup, one snack, one pet, or one bedtime story. Invite the child to say, “I see one!”