All About the Number 1

Materials Needed

• One favorite toy or stuffed animal
• Number cards or paper with the number 1 written on it
• Crayons or washable markers
• Paper
• Small objects for counting, such as blocks, buttons, or toy animals
• Play dough or modeling clay
• A small basket or bowl
• Optional: music for a counting song

Learning Objectives

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

• Recognize the numeral 1.
• Say the number word “one.”
• Count one object accurately.
• Show one object when asked.
• Trace or make the numeral 1.
• Connect the number 1 to real-life examples.

Success Criteria

“I know I can do it when I can:

• Point to the number 1.
• Give you one object.
• Say, ‘This is one.’
• Make a number 1 with my finger, crayon, or play dough.”

Introduction: One Special Thing

Time: 5 minutes

Place one favorite toy in front of the child.

Say: “Look! I have one toy. One means just one. Can you touch the one toy?”

Invite the child to talk about the toy:

• “What is it?”
• “Can you hold it in one hand?”
• “Do you have one nose? Let’s touch it gently.”

Tell the child: “Today we are learning about the number 1. We will find one thing, count one thing, and make the number 1.”

Body of the Lesson

1. I Do: Meet the Number 1

Time: 5 minutes

Show the child a large numeral 1.

Say: “This is the number 1. We say, ‘one.’ The number 1 tells us there is one thing.”

Point to one object and count slowly:

“One block. There is one block.”

Model counting with one finger raised. Trace the numeral in the air while saying:

“Start at the top. Go down. That makes 1.”

Ask quick questions:

• “What number is this?”
• “How many blocks do I have?”
• “Can you show me one finger?”

2. We Do: Find One

Time: 8 minutes

Put several objects in a basket. Ask the child to take out one object at a time.

Use clear directions:

1. “Take out one object.”
2. “Touch it and say, ‘One.’”
3. “Put it on the table.”

Repeat with different objects. Keep the number of objects small and playful.

Try a “One or More?” game. Show the child groups containing one object and groups containing two or three objects. Ask:

• “Which group has one?”
• “Can you point to one?”
• “Which group has more than one?”

Think-and-answer moment: Ask the child to look around the room and find one item. The child may choose one book, one shoe, one pillow, or one toy.

3. We Do: Number 1 Movement Game

Time: 5 minutes

Say a movement and ask the child to do it one time:

• Clap one time.
• Jump one time.
• Turn around one time.
• Tap your knees one time.
• Give one big wave.

Count aloud together: “One!”

Pause and ask: “How many claps did we do?” Encourage the answer: “One!”

4. You Do: Make the Number 1

Time: 8–10 minutes

Give the child paper and a crayon or marker.

First, let the child trace a large number 1. Then invite the child to make a number 1 independently.

Use simple guidance:

1. “Put your crayon at the top.”
2. “Draw a straight line down.”
3. “You made a 1!”

Offer creative choices:

• Make one large number 1.
• Decorate the number 1 with one sticker.
• Build the number 1 with play dough.
• Make the number 1 in the air with a finger.
• Draw one object next to the number 1.

5. Real-World Number 1 Hunt

Time: 5 minutes

Walk around the home together and look for examples of one.

Possible examples include:

• One front door
• One kitchen table
• One favorite stuffed animal
• One nose
• One sun in the sky
• One toothbrush being used right now

Each time the child finds something, say: “You found one!”

For safety, stay together during the hunt and choose only safe objects to touch.

Formative Assessment: Quick Checks

Ask the child to:

• Point to the numeral 1.
• Show one finger.
• Give you one block.
• Choose the group with one object.
• Say the word “one.”
• Trace the number 1 in the air.

Give specific encouragement:

• “You gave me exactly one block.”
• “You found the number 1.”
• “You counted carefully.”
• “Your number 1 has a straight line.”

Summative Assessment: Show What You Know

Place three small groups of objects on the table. Make sure one group has one object.

Ask the child to complete these tasks:

1. “Point to the group with one object.”
2. “Give me one object.”
3. “Show me one finger.”
4. “Point to the number 1.”
5. “Make a number 1.”

The child is successful when they complete most tasks with little or no help. Celebrate effort as well as accuracy.

Differentiation and Support

For a Child Who Needs More Support

• Use only one object and one number card at a time.
• Guide the child’s hand while counting and tracing.
• Repeat the same short phrases: “One object. Number 1.”
• Use large objects that are easy to see and hold.
• Allow pointing, touching, or showing one finger instead of requiring spoken answers.

For a Child Ready for More

• Ask the child to find five different examples of one.
• Invite the child to compare one object with a group of more than one.
• Ask the child to draw one object and write the number 1 beside it.
• Challenge the child to collect one safe item from each room.
• Ask, “What would happen if we added one more?”

Conclusion: Tell What We Learned

Time: 3–5 minutes

Hold up the number 1 and say:

“Today we learned about the number 1. One means just one. We found one object, moved one time, and made the number 1.”

Invite the child to complete these sentences:

• “This number is _____.”
• “One means _____.”
• “I can show one by _____.”

End with a short counting chant:

“One little clap, clap one!
One little jump, jump one!
One little finger in the air—
The number 1 is everywhere!”

Optional Follow-Up Activities

• Read a picture book that focuses on counting one object.
• Place a number 1 card near one favorite toy.
• At snack time, count one cracker, one slice of fruit, or one cup.
• Make a “Number 1” page with one drawing, one sticker, and the numeral 1.
• Repeat the lesson outdoors by finding one leaf, one rock, or one flower without picking living plants.