top of page
Sprocket & Sprout logo
Get the Passport

Talk About It: The Number 1

Writer: Mystee Ipong
Mystee Ipong
Sep 8
2 min read

Updated: Oct 9

Illustration of the number 1 with one finger, one nose, one mouth and one front door

The big idea: One means just a single thing, and there's only one you.


Today we're starting our number journey with 1. For toddlers, the goal isn't writing the number. It's noticing that "one" means a single thing, and matching the word to what they see and hold. This is called one-to-one correspondence, and it's the foundation for all counting later on.


Questions to ask


  • "Can you show me one finger?"

  • "How many noses do you have? How many mouths?"

  • "Can you give me one block? Now just one more?"

  • "What do we have just one of in our house?" (one fridge, one front door, one dog)

  • "Who is the only you in the whole world?"


Show it in one minute


Put a small pile of snacks or toys on the table. Ask your child to hand you one. If they hand you a fistful, that's completely normal. Just count the pile together and try again. Then trace a big 1 in the air with your finger: "Straight down, just like standing tall."


Illustration of a dotted number 1 to trace in the air with one finger

Keep it going


Count out loud during everyday moments like climbing stairs, putting on shoes or setting the table. Short, playful and often works better than sitting down to practice.


Want to learn more?



Shop these items


Find the books and supplies from this week in one place. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.



Recent Posts

See All
Talk About It: What Are the Three Sisters?

Pumpkins are a kind of squash. For a very long time, many Native American peoples, including the Haudenosaunee, have planted squash together with corn and beans. They call these plants the Three Siste

 
 
 
Talk About It: What Is Inside a Pumpkin?

A pumpkin has a hard outside, but what's inside? Under the skin, called the rind, is the thick orange part we eat, called the flesh. In the middle is the stringy pulp and lots and lots of seeds.

 
 
 
Talk About It: The Letter H

H is our eighth letter! It makes an /h/ sound at the start of words like horse, house, hat and honeydew. To make it, open your mouth and breathe out, like you're fogging up a window.

 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page