Fun With the Number 1

Materials Needed

• One large paper or card with the number 1
• Small objects such as blocks, buttons, toy animals, or cereal pieces
• Paper and crayons
• Play dough or modeling clay
• One favorite toy or stuffed animal
• Optional: a short counting song or number-song video

Learning Objectives

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

• Recognize the number 1.
• Say the word “one.”
• Count one object.
• Show one object when asked.
• Trace or make the shape of the number 1.

Success Looks Like

• “I can find the number 1.”
• “I can give you one thing.”
• “I can say one.”
• “I can make a number 1.”

Introduction: Meet One

Time: 5 minutes

Hold up one favorite toy and say:

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

Invite the child to hold up one finger. Say together:

“One finger. One toy. One!”

Show the number card and say:

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

Body of the Lesson

Part 1: I Do — Show One

Time: 5 minutes

Place one object on the table. Touch it and count slowly:

“One.”

Place several objects beside it, but point only to one object:

“I see many things, but I am choosing one block.”

Model the difference between one and more than one:

• Hold up one block: “One block.”
• Hold up two blocks: “Two blocks. That is more than one.”
• Hold up one block again: “One block.”

Quick Check: Ask, “How many blocks am I holding?” Help the child answer, “One.”

Part 2: We Do — Find One

Time: 8 minutes

Place several groups of objects on the floor or table. Make some groups have one object and others have two or three objects.

Say:

“Let’s find the group with one thing.”

Work together to look at each group. Touch and count the objects in each group. Celebrate when the child finds the group with one object.

Repeat with different objects:

• One toy animal
• One crayon
• One spoon
• One book

Use a playful call-and-response:

Adult: “How many?”

Child: “One!”

Think and Talk: Ask, “What is one thing you can see in this room?” Accept answers such as “one chair,” “one table,” or “one lamp.”

Part 3: Hands-On Game — One Treasure Hunt

Time: 8 minutes

Invite the child to find one safe object in the room.

Give clear directions:

1. “Find one object.”
2. “Bring back only one object.”
3. “Tell me what you found.”

Examples might include one sock, one book, or one toy.

After each turn, count the object together:

“One book. You found one book!”

Offer a choice:

“Would you like to find one soft thing or one blue thing?”

Part 4: We Do — Make the Number 1

Time: 7 minutes

Show the child how to make the number 1:

1. “Start at the top.”
2. “Go down.”
3. “Stop.”

Trace the number 1 in the air using one finger. Invite the child to copy you.

Then make the number 1 using one of these choices:

• Trace a large number 1 with a crayon.
• Build a number 1 with play dough.
• Make a number 1 with one long strip of paper.
• Draw the number 1 in a tray of rice or flour.

Say the steps together:

“Start at the top, go down, stop.”

Part 5: You Do — Show What You Know

Time: 7 minutes

Give the child a few simple challenges. Allow time to think before helping.

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

Offer specific feedback:

• “You gave me exactly one block.”
• “You found the number 1.”
• “You started at the top and went down.”

Fun Movement Break: One-Step Dance

Time: 3 minutes

Make up a simple song or chant:

“One, one, touch your nose.
One, one, touch your toes.
One big clap, then stop!”

Repeat the chant while doing each action one time.

Formative Assessment

During the lesson, observe whether the child can:

• Identify the number 1 when shown several numbers.
• Count one object correctly.
• Give one object when asked.
• Use the word “one.”
• Attempt to form the number 1.

If the child is unsure, provide a model and try again with fewer choices.

Conclusion: Tell What We Learned

Time: 5 minutes

Place the number card and one object together. Ask:

• “What number is this?”
• “How many objects are here?”
• “Can you show me one finger?”
• “What is one thing you liked today?”

Recap together:

“Today we learned about the number 1. One means just one. We found one, counted one, and made a number 1.”

Optional Extensions

• Look for the number 1 on a calendar, book, clock, or food package.
• Serve one piece of fruit or one cracker and count it together.
• Take a picture of one interesting object during a walk.
• Read a counting book and look for pages showing one object.
• Invite the child to draw one sun, one house, or one family member.

Differentiation and Support

For a Child Who Needs More Support

• Use only two choices: one object and a group with more objects.
• Use large, easy-to-hold objects.
• Guide the child’s finger while tracing the number 1.
• Repeat the same words: “One means just one.”
• Keep activities short and celebrate every attempt.

For a Child Ready for More

• Ask the child to find the number 1 in a book or around the home.
• Ask, “Can you bring me one red thing?”
• Compare one with two: “Which group has one? Which group has more?”
• Invite the child to make a page showing one object and write the number 1.

End-of-Lesson Demonstration

The lesson is complete when the child can do most of the following with little help:

• Point to the number 1.
• Say “one.”
• Show one finger.
• Count one object.
• Give one object to an adult.
• Attempt to draw or build the number 1.