Fun Lesson: The Number 1
Materials Needed
- Large paper or a whiteboard
- Crayon or washable marker
- One favorite toy or stuffed animal
- Small collection of safe objects, such as blocks or buttons
- Play dough or modeling clay
- Optional: paper with large number 1s to trace
Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson, the child will be able to:
- Recognize the number 1.
- Say the number 1.
- Count one object.
- Trace or make a number 1.
- Find examples of “one” in everyday life.
Success Criteria
Success looks like this:
- “I can show one thing.”
- “I can say one.”
- “I can find the number 1.”
- “I can try to make a number 1.”
Introduction: One Special Thing
Hook: Hold up one favorite toy and ask, “How many toys am I holding?”
Say: “Today we are learning about the number 1. One means just one thing. We have one nose, one mouth, and one favorite toy right now!”
Talk Together
- Ask, “Can you show me one finger?”
- Ask, “Can you find one toy?”
- Count together slowly: “One!”
Body: Learn and Practice
I Do: Teacher or Adult Demonstration
Write a large 1 on paper or a whiteboard. Say:
“This is the number 1. It looks like a straight line. The number 1 tells us there is one thing.”
Place one block on the table. Touch it and say, “One block.” Then place several blocks nearby and say, “Let’s choose one block.”
Quick Check
Show groups of objects, one group at a time. Ask:
- “Is this one?”
- “How many do we see?”
- “Can you point to the group with one object?”
Give cheerful feedback: “You found one! One means just one.”
We Do: One-Object Hunt
Search the room together for things that come in ones.
- Choose one object from the room.
- Hold it up and say, “I found one ____.”
- Have the child find another single object.
- Count it together by touching it once: “One.”
Possible examples include one book, one shoe, one spoon, or one stuffed animal.
Movement Game: Jump One Time
Say an action, and have the child do it exactly one time:
- Jump one time.
- Clap one time.
- Turn around one time.
- Tap your knees one time.
After each action, ask, “How many times did you do it?”
We Do: Make the Number 1
Use a finger to draw the number 1 in the air. Say, “Start at the top and go down.”
Next, make the number 1 together using:
- Play dough rolled into one long line
- A finger traced on the table
- A crayon on paper
- One block or craft stick
Let the child choose which way to make the number.
You Do: Number 1 Challenge
Invite the child to complete these tasks independently, offering help when needed:
- Point to the number 1.
- Show one finger.
- Choose one object from a group.
- Say, “One.”
- Trace or create a number 1.
Creative Application: My One Picture
Ask the child to draw one thing, such as one sun, one flower, or one pet. Help the child write or trace a large 1 on the page.
Invite the child to explain the picture using this sentence:
“I drew one ____.”
Formative Assessment
During the lesson, observe whether the child can:
- Identify a group containing one object
- Use one finger to show one
- Say the word “one”
- Recognize the written number 1
- Attempt to trace or form the number 1
If the child is unsure, reduce the choices to two groups: one object and many objects. Practice again with real objects.
Summative Assessment: Show Me One
Place several safe objects in front of the child and ask:
- “Can you give me one object?”
- “Can you point to the number 1?”
- “Can you show me one finger?”
- “Can you make a number 1?”
The child meets the goal by completing at least three of the four tasks with little or no help.
Differentiation
For Extra Support
- Use only one object at a time.
- Give simple choices: “Do you want one block or two blocks?”
- Guide the child’s hand while tracing the number 1.
- Repeat the same words and actions: “One finger. One block. One.”
For More Challenge
- Ask the child to find three different groups that each have one object.
- Play a sorting game with groups of one and groups of more than one.
- Ask, “What is one thing you use every day?”
- Invite the child to draw one object and write the number 1 independently.
Conclusion: Tell What We Learned
Review the lesson by saying:
“Today we learned about the number 1. One means just one thing. We showed one finger, found one object, and practiced making the number 1.”
Ask the child:
- “What number did we learn?”
- “Can you show me one finger?”
- “What is one thing you can see?”
End with a celebration: “You did a wonderful job learning about one!”
Optional Follow-Up
Throughout the day, point out examples of one: one cup, one plate, one bedtime story, or one moon. Ask the child to say, “That is one.”