One Wonderful Number: Learning About 1

Materials Needed

• Large paper or a whiteboard
• Marker or crayon
• One small toy, block, or stuffed animal
• Several safe objects, such as blocks, buttons, or toy animals
• Paper and crayons
• Optional: stickers, play dough, or music

Learning Objectives

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

• Recognize the numeral 1.
• Count one object accurately.
• Show that “one” means a single object.
• Trace or draw the numeral 1 with support.
• Find examples of one in everyday life.

Success Criteria

“I know I did a good job when I can:

• Point to the number 1.
• Give you one object when you ask.
• Say, ‘One!’ when I count one object.
• Try to make the shape of 1.”

Introduction: Meet the Number 1

Hook: Hold up one favorite toy.

Say: “Look! I have one toy. One means just one. Can you show me one finger?”

Talk together:

• “How many toys am I holding?”
• “Can you show me one finger?”
• “What is one thing you see in the room?”

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

Body: Learn and Practice

1. I Do: Show What One Means

Place several objects in front of the child. Slowly pick up one object.

Say: “I am taking one block. One.”

Touch the block once while saying:

“One block.”

Show the numeral 1 on paper or a whiteboard.

Say: “This is the number 1. It tells us there is one thing.”

Model how to write it:

1. “Start at the top.”
2. “Slide down.”
3. “Add a little line at the bottom.”

Quick check: Ask, “Which number is 1?” Let the child point to or touch the numeral.

2. We Do: One-Object Hunt

Invite the child to search the room for things that come in ones.

Give clear directions:

1. “Find one toy.”
2. “Bring me one block.”
3. “Touch one chair.”
4. “Point to one book.”

Each time, count with the child: “One.”

Think and talk:

• “Did you bring one block or many blocks?”
• “How do you know it is one?”
• “Can you find one thing that is red?”

3. We Do: Number 1 Movement Game

Explain: “When I say 1, do one movement.”

Try these actions:

• One jump
• One clap
• One spin
• One stomp
• One big stretch

Say “Ready, 1!” and do each movement together. Pause after each action so the child can notice that it happened only once.

Optional song: Sing to a familiar tune:

“One little clap, clap, clap,
One little clap and stop!”

4. You Do: Make a Group of One

Place a group of objects in front of the child.

Say: “Please make a group with one object.”

Let the child choose an object and place it in a small space or circle.

Repeat with different objects:

• “One stuffed animal”
• “One crayon”
• “One button”

After each turn, ask the child to touch the object and say, “One.”

Feedback: Use specific praise, such as:

• “You chose one block.”
• “You counted carefully.”
• “You stopped after one.”

5. Create the Number 1

Offer the child a choice of activities:

• Trace a large numeral 1 with a crayon.
• Make a numeral 1 with play dough.
• Build a numeral 1 using blocks.
• Draw the numeral 1 in the air with one finger.
• Decorate a large numeral 1 with one sticker.

Say: “Start at the top and go down. You are making 1!”

Do not worry about perfect writing. Celebrate attempts to copy the shape.

6. Real-Life Connection: One in My Day

Talk about things that often happen one at a time:

• One sun in the sky
• One nose
• One mouth
• One bedtime story
• One cup of water

Ask: “Can you think of one thing you do in the morning?”

Formative Assessment

Check learning during the lesson by asking the child to:

• Point to the numeral 1.
• Show one finger.
• Choose one object from a group.
• Give one object to the adult.
• Do one clap or one jump.

Summative Assessment: Show What You Know

Place three groups of objects in front of the child: a group of one, a group of two, and a group of three.

Ask the child to:

1. Point to the group with one object.
2. Give you one object.
3. Point to the numeral 1.
4. Draw or trace a 1.
5. Say one thing they learned about 1.

Success benchmark: The child completes at least four of the five tasks with little or no help.

Differentiation and Support

For Extra Support

• Use only two choices at a time: one object and many objects.
• Use large, easy-to-hold objects.
• Guide the child’s finger while counting and tracing.
• Repeat the phrase, “One means just one.”
• Allow pointing, moving, or speaking as answers.

For an Extra Challenge

• Ask the child to find one object of a particular color or shape.
• Invite the child to make a collection of one object in several different ways.
• Ask, “What happens if I add one more?”
• Compare one object with a group of two or three objects.
• Look for the numeral 1 in books, on signs, or on a calendar.

Conclusion: Tell What We Learned

Gather the child and hold up one object and the numeral 1.

Say:

“Today we learned that 1 means one thing. We counted one, found one, moved one time, and practiced making the number 1.”

Invite the child to finish these sentences:

• “One means…”
• “I can show one by…”
• “One thing I found was…”

End with a cheerful chant:

“One finger, one clap, one big smile—learning 1 was worthwhile!”

Optional Follow-Up Activities

• Read a picture book about counting or the number 1.
• Put one sticker on each page of a small homemade counting book.
• During snack, count one cracker, one berry, or one piece of fruit.
• Take a “one” walk and photograph or draw things found in groups of one.
• Place a large numeral 1 near the child’s bed or learning space for review.