Count and Match: One Number for Each Thing

Materials Needed

• 10 small toys, blocks, buttons, or pieces of pasta
• Number cards 1–5, homemade or printed
• Five small cups, plates, or paper circles
• Paper and crayons
• A favorite stuffed animal or toy
• Optional: music for a counting song

Learning Objectives

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

• Touch or move one object while saying one number.
• Count a group of up to five objects correctly.
• Match a number card to a group with the same number of objects.
• Explain, using simple words, how many objects are in a group.

Success Criteria

Success looks like this:

• “I touch one toy for each number I say.”
• “I stop counting when all the toys are counted.”
• “The last number I say tells how many toys there are.”

Introduction: The Toy Picnic

Hook: Tell the child, “Our stuffed animal is having a picnic! Can you help give each friend one snack?”

Place three toys in front of the child. Give the child three blocks or pieces of pasta.

Say:

“Each toy needs one snack. Let’s give one snack to one toy. We will count slowly: one, two, three.”

Explain the goal in child-friendly language:

“Today we will practice giving one number to each thing. This helps us count!”

Body

Part 1: I Do—Watch Me Count

Place five objects in a row. Touch or move each object as you count.

Say slowly:

“I touch one block and say one. I touch the next block and say two. I touch the next block and say three. I touch the next block and say four. I touch the last block and say five. There are five blocks!”

Emphasize:

• Touch only one object at a time.
• Say one number for each object.
• Do not count an object twice.
• The last number tells how many there are.

Quick check: Ask, “How many blocks are there?” Encourage the child to count again if needed.

Part 2: We Do—Feed the Stuffed Animal

Place three to five small objects near the stuffed animal.

Say:

“Let’s feed Teddy one snack at a time. Touch each snack and count with me.”

Count together while the child moves one object toward the stuffed animal after each number.

Repeat with different amounts:

• “Let’s give Teddy two snacks.”
• “Now let’s give Teddy four snacks.”
• “Can Teddy have five snacks?”

Ask:

• “How many snacks did Teddy get?”
• “Did we give one snack to each count?”
• “What number did we say last?”

Part 3: We Do—Number Card Match

Place the number cards 1–5 in a row. Choose one card, such as 4.

Say:

“This card says four. Let’s build four. We will count four objects.”

Work together to place the correct number of objects under the card. Touch each object while counting.

Repeat with two or three different cards. Mix up the cards so the child does not simply memorize their order.

Think-and-talk question: “Which card needs more blocks: 2 or 5?”

Part 4: You Do—Make a Tiny Store

Set up a pretend store using the cups or paper circles as “shopping baskets.” Let the child choose a number card and fill a basket with that many objects.

Give clear directions:

1. Pick one number card.
2. Say the number on the card.
3. Put one object in the basket for each number you count.
4. Touch and count the objects again.
5. Tell me how many objects are in the basket.

Example:

“You picked 3. Put three apples in your basket. Count them: one, two, three. You have three apples!”

Offer choices such as:

• Counting toy food, blocks, or crayons
• Being the shopper or the store keeper
• Making a basket for a stuffed animal, family member, or pretend customer

Part 5: Movement Game—Jump and Count

Show the child a number card. The child jumps that many times while counting one jump at a time.

Say:

“You picked 4. Let’s do four jumps: one, two, three, four!”

Try clapping, tapping, marching, or spinning instead of jumping. Remind the child to make one movement for each number.

Formative Assessment: Check During the Lesson

Observe whether the child can:

• Touch or move objects while counting.
• Use one number for each object.
• Count a group without skipping or counting an object twice.
• Answer “How many?” after counting.
• Match a group of objects to a number card.

If the child makes a mistake, respond positively:

“Let’s try again. We can move each object into a line as we count.”

Summative Assessment: Build My Order

Give the child one number card from 1–5 and ask the child to make an order for the stuffed animal.

Say:

“Please make an order with this many snacks. Count carefully. Then tell Teddy how many snacks you made.”

Assess whether the child can independently:

• Choose the correct number of objects.
• Count each object once.
• State the total number correctly.

Differentiation

For Extra Support

• Begin with only 1–3 objects.
• Place objects in a straight line.
• Guide the child’s finger to touch each object.
• Count slowly together.
• Use a number card with dots as well as a numeral.

For More Challenge

• Count groups up to 10.
• Arrange objects in different patterns and ask, “Is it still the same number?”
• Ask the child to make one group with more objects and one group with fewer objects.
• Ask, “What happens if we add one more?”
• Invite the child to create a counting game for someone else.

Conclusion: Tell What We Learned

Gather the objects together and ask:

• “What did we do when we counted?”
• “How many objects do we touch for each number?”
• “What does the last number tell us?”

Help the child complete this sentence:

“When I count, I touch one thing for each number. The last number tells how many.”

Finish with a short counting cheer:

“One thing, one number! Count it right! We can count from morning until night!”

Optional Follow-Up Activity

During the day, invite the child to count real objects, such as spoons for lunch, socks in a drawer, toy cars, or steps to the door. Ask the child to touch or move each object while counting.