Free number 1 tracing worksheets

Free printable number 1 tracing worksheets for preschool and kindergarten: a model 1 with a how-to-write cue and rows to trace, the word "one", a ten frame and pictures to count and color, plus two answer-key pages.

5 worksheets

Answer keys included

Preschool–Kindergarten

Free PDF download

Maths

Trace the number 1: model, formation cue and five rows
A big model 1 with a how-to-write cue, five rows of dashed 1s to trace and a blank line to write it alone. Free printable PDF.
Number 1 and the word "one": trace and write
Trace the digit 1 and the word "one" side by side in five rows, then write both on the last line. Free printable PDF.
Count and color 1: ten frame and three groups
A ten frame showing 1, three groups of 1 pictures to count and color, and a row of 1s to trace. Free printable PDF.
Find and color the number 1 (with answer key)
A grid of numbers with look-alike distractors: color every 1, then count how many you found. Answer key on page 2. Free printable PDF.
How many? Counting pictures around 1 (with answer key)
Six boxes of pictures with counts close to 1: count each group and write the number. Answer key on page 2. Free printable PDF.

Five worksheets for one number: 1. The first sheet shows a large 1 in color with a short cue for how to write it (start at the top and draw one straight line down), then five rows of dashed 1s to trace and a blank line to write it alone. The other four sheets make sure the child connects the digit to the quantity: the word "one" beside the numeral, a ten frame and groups of pictures to count and color, a grid where every 1 has to be found among look-alike numbers, and six boxes of pictures to count that land a little above and below 1. Everyday anchors for 1: one nose, one mouth, the number that starts every count; one sun in the sky.

What's in this set

Trace the number 1. Model digit and formation cue at the top, three rows that begin with a colored model, two rows that do not, and a final row to write 1 without help.
Number 1 and the word "one". The digit and its word on the same handwriting rule, traced together five times, then written on the last line. 1 dots at the top show the quantity.
Count and color 1. A ten frame with 1 dot filled and 9 empty. Then three groups of 1 pictures in rows of five to count, write and color, and a row of 1s to trace.
Find and color the number 1. A grid of numbers that includes look-alikes (7, 4). Color every 1, count them, and check the answer key on page 2.
How many? Numbers around 1. Six boxes of pictures: two hold exactly 1, the rest hold a few more or a few less. Write each count. Answer key on page 2.

AI worksheet generator

Need a different number 1 tracing worksheet?

Generate a custom number 1 tracing worksheet: pick the grade, question types and count, and print it in about 20 seconds. Free accounts get 3 generations a week.

Generate a custom worksheet

How to use these worksheets

Print at 100% on A4 or US Letter. One sheet a day is plenty; start with the tracing page and end the week with the how-many page. Use a thick crayon for the first rows and a pencil once the shape is steady.

Say it, then write it. Read the cue on sheet 1 out loud while the child traces the colored 1 with a finger: start at the top and draw one straight line down. Only then pick up the pencil.
Watch the first row, not the last. If the first dashed 1 comes out wrong, stop and fix it; five rows of a wrong stroke build the wrong habit.
Link the digit to the amount. On the count and color sheet, have the child touch each dot in the ten frame and each picture while counting, then write the count before coloring. 1 is where counting starts: one object, one word, one mark.
Find and color. Ask the child to name each number they decide not to color. That is where the difference between look-alike digits gets noticed.
How many? Cover the answer key. After writing all six counts, ask which boxes had more than 1 and which had fewer.

Common mistakes to watch for

A 1 that leans over like a 7 or gets a big foot like a capital I. Go back to the model at the top of sheet 1 and trace it in the air three times before the next row.
Starting at the bottom. Every digit here starts at the top. Put a small dot at the start point with a highlighter if needed.
Counting without touching. Eyes skip pictures; fingers do not. On the counting sheets, one touch per picture, one number per touch.
Coloring first. On the count and color page the count comes first, the coloring is the reward.

Frequently asked questions

What age are number 1 tracing worksheets for?

Ages 3 to 5. Preschoolers trace the big digits with a crayon and count the pictures; kindergartners write the number and the word.

How do you teach a child to write the number 1?

Say the stroke out loud as you model it: start at the top and draw one straight line down. Trace it in the air, then with a finger on the colored model, then with a pencil on the dashed rows. The most common slip is a 1 that leans over like a 7 or gets a big foot like a capital I; catch it on the first row rather than the fifth.

What does the number 1 mean to a young child?

1 is where counting starts: one object, one word, one mark. Everyday anchors help: one nose, one mouth, the number that starts every count, one sun in the sky.

Do these worksheets have answer keys?

Yes for the two sheets that need one: find and color the number has the targets highlighted on page 2 of its PDF, and the how many? sheet has the counts on page 2. The three tracing and counting sheets have nothing to mark.

Can I laminate these or use them in a classroom?

Yes. The PDFs are free for home and classroom use. Put a sheet in a plastic sleeve and trace with a dry-erase marker to reuse it, which works well for the five-row tracing page.

More counting and tracing practice

This is the first page in a set of twenty; each number from 1 to 20 gets its own page in turn. The number tracing worksheets 1 to 20 put four or five numbers on a sheet if you want them together. For counting without writing, the ten frame worksheets and count and color worksheets use the same objects and frames as this page. Print the number flashcards to say the number before writing it, and the missing number worksheets or before and after numbers once the digits are steady. If the pencil grip or the lines themselves are the problem, step back to the pre-writing worksheets, the line tracing worksheets or the shape tracing worksheets. For counting practice that feels like a game, try the dot to dot 1 to 20.

Free library