One More and One Less

📖 For Adults

Read questions aloud. Use objects and/or number line to show relationships.

Materials: Counters, number line 0-10

How to use: Read prompt "One more than 4 is...", student adds one object OR moves right on number line, gives answer. For "one less", take away one object OR move left. Key vocab: "more" = bigger/after, "less" = smaller/before.

Introduction

Numbers are related to each other in patterns. Each number has a neighbor—a number that comes right before it and a number that comes right after it. Understanding these relationships helps us see how numbers work!

What is "One More"?

The Basic Idea

• One more means adding one object to a group
• The number gets bigger
• It's the next number in the counting sequence
• Examples:
• One more than 3 is 4
• One more than 5 is 6
• One more than 7 is 8

Seeing One More

• Start with 3 blocks: ■ ■ ■
• Add one more block: ■ ■ ■ ■
• Now you have 4 blocks
• Count: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Four is one more than three!

Saying One More

• "What comes after 5?" → 6
• "Count one more than 4." → 5
• "The next number after 7 is..." → 8

What is "One Less"?

The Basic Idea

• One less means taking away one object from a group
• The number gets smaller
• It's the number that comes before in the counting sequence
• Examples:
• One less than 5 is 4
• One less than 3 is 2
• One less than 8 is 7

Seeing One Less

• Start with 5 blocks: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
• Take away one block: ■ ■ ■ ■
• Now you have 4 blocks
• Count: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Four is one less than five!

Saying One Less

• "What comes before 5?" → 4
• "Count one less than 6." → 5
• "The number right before 9 is..." → 8

The Number Line

A number line shows numbers in order:

0 — 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 — 6 — 7 — 8 — 9 — 10

Using a Number Line

• One more: Move one step to the right →
• One less: Move one step to the left ←
• The number line helps us see neighbors

Example:

Start at 6: - One more than 6: Move right to 7 - One less than 6: Move left to 5

Patterns in Numbers

Every Number Has Two Neighbors

• Example with 5:
• Before: 4 (one less)
• 5
• After: 6 (one more)

Special Cases

• Zero: Has no number before it in our counting (one less than 1 is 0)
• One: One less than 1 is 0, one more is 2
• Each number has its place!

Practice Activities

One More Games

• Add One Game: Start with 3 toys, add one more. How many now?
• Step Up: Stand on number 4, take one step up the number line. Where are you?
• Building Up: Tower has 5 blocks, add one more block. How many blocks?

One Less Games

• Take One Away: Start with 6 crackers, eat one. How many left?
• Step Down: Stand on number 7, take one step down the number line. Where are you?
• Breaking Down: Tower has 8 blocks, remove one block. How many blocks?

Neighbor Games

• Who's Next?: "I'm 4, who comes after me?" → "5!"
• Who's Before?: "I'm 7, who comes before me?" → "6!"
• Sandwich: "What number is between 5 and 7?" → "6!"

Real-Life Connections

At Home

• "You're 4 years old now. Next year you'll be one more year old. How old will you be?" → 5
• "I have 6 cookies. If I eat one, that's one less. How many will I have?" → 5
• "We walked up 7 steps. Let's walk up one more. What step are we on?" → 8

At School

• "5 children are in line. One more joins. How many now?" → 6
• "There are 8 crayons in the box. One falls out. How many are left?" → 7
• "It's day 9 of the month. What day was yesterday?" → 8 (one less)

Understanding Through Actions

Physical Actions for One More

• Clap 4 times, then clap one more time → 5 claps
• Jump 3 times, then jump one more time → 4 jumps
• Hold up 2 fingers, then one more finger → 3 fingers

Physical Actions for One Less

• Hold up 5 fingers, put one down → 4 fingers
• Take 6 steps, take one step back → 5 steps forward
• Bounce a ball 7 times, imagine one less → 6 bounces

Building to Addition and Subtraction

One More is Like Adding One

• One more than 3 = 3 + 1 = 4
• One more than 6 = 6 + 1 = 7
• We're learning the beginning of addition!

One Less is Like Subtracting One

• One less than 5 = 5 - 1 = 4
• One less than 8 = 8 - 1 = 7
• We're learning the beginning of subtraction!

Common Challenges

Confusing "More" and "Less"

• More = bigger = after = →
• Less = smaller = before = ←
• Practice with objects to see it clearly

Forgetting Number Order

• Practice counting to 10 every day
• Use a number line for help
• Point to each number as you say it

Not Understanding the Words

• After, next, following = one more
• Before, previous, prior = one less
• Use consistent language

Practice Strategies

Daily Counting Practice

• Count up: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...
• Count down: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6...
• Count forward and backward helps with one more and one less!

Use Visual Aids

• Number line on the wall
• Number cards in order
• Counting books
• Fingers!

Make It Concrete

• Always start with real objects
• Show with fingers
• Use blocks or counters
• Then move to pictures, then abstract

Tips for Success

Start Small

• Practice with numbers 1-5 first
• Master small numbers before bigger ones
• Build confidence gradually

Make It Fun

• Play games
• Use songs ("one more, one more, one more makes...")
• Celebrate when they get it right!
• Practice with favorite toys

Connect to Daily Life

• Use one more/one less language throughout the day
• "One more bite of apple"
• "One less toy to clean up"
• Make it natural

Assessment Questions

Can the child: - Tell what comes after a given number? - Tell what comes before a given number? - Show one more with objects? - Show one less with objects? - Understand that one more means bigger? - Understand that one less means smaller?

Next Steps

Once a child understands one more and one less: - They're ready to learn two more, two less - They can begin simple addition (2 + 1 = 3) - They can begin simple subtraction (4 - 1 = 3) - They understand number relationships! - They're building a strong foundation for all future math!

Understanding one more and one less is a key step in number sense!