All About the Number 1

Materials Needed

• One favorite toy or stuffed animal
• Number cards or a paper with the number 1
• Crayons or washable markers
• Paper
• Small objects, such as blocks, buttons, or toy animals
• One small bowl or basket
• Optional: music for a movement game

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 correctly.
• Show one object when asked.
• Trace or make the numeral 1.
• Use the idea of “one” in a real-life situation.

Success Criteria

“I can…”

• “I can find the number 1.”
• “I can say one.”
• “I can give you one thing.”
• “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 hold up one finger?”

Invite the child to hold up one finger. Count slowly:

“One. Just one finger!”

Show the numeral 1 and say:

“This is the number 1. We say one.”

Think-and-talk question:

• “What is one thing you see in the room?”

Body of the Lesson

I Do: Teacher or Adult Demonstration

Time: 5 minutes

1. Show One Object

Place several objects in front of the child. Pick up only one object.

Say:

“I am picking up one block. Let’s count it: one.”

Place the block in the bowl and say:

“The bowl has one block.”

2. Show the Number 1

Point to the numeral 1.

Say:

“This mark means one. It is the number 1.”

3. Model Writing the Number 1

Use your finger to draw the number 1 in the air or on the table.

Say:

“Start at the top. Go straight down. This makes 1.”

We Do: Practice Together

Time: 10 minutes

Activity 1: Find One

Place groups of objects around the room. Some groups should have one object, and others should have two or more.

Say:

“Let’s find a group with one thing. Can you find one?”

When the child finds one object, count it together:

“One! You found one.”

Repeat with different objects, such as:

• One book
• One sock
• One block
• One toy animal

Activity 2: One-Finger Freeze

Play music or clap a steady beat. Ask the child to move, dance, or march.

Stop the music and say:

“Freeze! Show me one finger.”

Repeat several times. Offer playful directions:

• “Touch one knee.”
• “Take one big step.”
• “Give one clap.”
• “Hop one time.”

Activity 3: Number 1 Air Writing

Trace the number 1 together:

1. Raise one finger.
2. Start at the top.
3. Move the finger straight down.
4. Say, “One!”

Try making a 1:

• In the air
• On the child’s palm
• On the table with a finger
• With a toy car driving along a drawn line

You Do: Independent Choice Activity

Time: 10 minutes

Let the child choose one activity.

Choice A: One-Object Basket

Give the child a basket and ask them to collect one item from different areas of the room.

For each item, ask:

“How many did you get?”

Support the child in answering:

“One.”

Choice B: Number 1 Art

Write a large number 1 on paper. Invite the child to decorate it with crayons, stickers, dots, or small pieces of paper.

Talk while working:

“You are decorating one number 1.”

Choice C: Feed the Toy One Snack

Give the child a toy or stuffed animal and several pretend snacks or blocks.

Say:

“Please give your toy one snack.”

Ask:

• “How many snacks did you give?”
• “Can you give one more?”
• “Now does your toy have one or two snacks?”

Formative Assessment: Quick Checks

Use these checks during the lesson. Keep the tone playful and encouraging.

• Show two number cards, including 1, and ask, “Which one is 1?”
• Place three objects nearby and ask, “Can you give me one?”
• Ask, “How many fingers are you holding up?”
• Show one object and ask, “How many?”
• Ask the child to trace the number 1 with a finger.

Helpful feedback:

• “You found one!”
• “You counted carefully.”
• “You showed one finger.”
• “That looks like a number 1.”

Real-World Connection

Look around the home together and find examples of one:

• One front door
• One refrigerator
• One pet, if applicable
• One nose
• One sun in the sky

Say:

“We use numbers to talk about things we see every day. One means just one.”

Conclusion: Tell What We Learned

Time: 5 minutes

Hold up the numeral 1 and ask the child to complete the sentences:

• “This is the number ___.”
• “The number 1 means ___.”
• “I can show one with my ___.”

Invite the child to show one finger, find one object, and make the number 1 in the air.

Finish with a chant:

“One little finger, one little nose,
One little number—down it goes!
One means one, now we know.
Number 1, you did a great job!”

Summative Assessment

Ask the child to complete this short demonstration:

1. Point to the number 1 from two or three choices.
2. Give the adult one object.
3. Count the object by saying, “One.”
4. Show one finger.
5. Trace or draw the number 1.

Beginning success: The child can copy some actions with help.

Developing success: The child recognizes or shows one with a reminder.

Secure success: The child independently recognizes 1, counts one object, shows one, and attempts to write 1.

Differentiation and Adaptations

For a Child Who Needs More Support

• Use only one object and one number card at first.
• Guide the child’s hand while tracing.
• Use large objects that are easy to see and hold.
• Repeat the same words: “One means one.”
• Allow pointing, touching, or showing a finger instead of speaking.

For a Child Ready for More Challenge

• Ask the child to find groups with one, two, and three objects.
• Ask, “What happens if we add one more?”
• Invite the child to write the number 1 several times.
• Ask the child to make a collection containing exactly one object and explain it.
• Look for the number 1 in books, calendars, signs, or packaging.

Optional Follow-Up Activities

• Read a counting book and look for pages showing one object.
• Place one toy in each room and go on a “one” scavenger hunt.
• Make a snack with one cracker, one fruit piece, or one spoonful of a food.
• Take a short walk and count one bird, one tree, or one car when found.
• Practice the number 1 again during daily routines.