One-to-One Correspondence

DEFINITION
One-to-one correspondence is matching or pairing items in a one-to-one relationship.

BRIDGE TO OTHER MATH CONCEPTS

In this chapter, children will practice matching items one to one. These activities will lead children naturally into ordering sets
(arranging sets according to size). Matching and pairing items helps children to practice, develop and internalize accurate
vocabulary. Understanding terms like greater than, less than and equivalent lays a foundation for skills children will need when
they begin working with numbers. Understanding one-to-one correspondence will prevent counting errors that occur when
children tick off an item more than once or skip an item altogether.

SUGGESTION FOR SUCCESS

• As children begin to match objects, encourage them to describe what they are doing by repeating the pattern phrase, “one
____ for every _____ and one _____ for every _____.” Two examples are one (napkin) for every (child) and one (child)
for every (napkin), one (hat) for every (head) and one (head) for every (hat).
• Ask question to lead children into discussions that will help them make set comparisons. For example, “Are the sets
equal?” “Does one set have fewer than another?” or “Is one set greater than another?”

KEY WORDS
equal fewer than less than one to one equal to greater member pair
equivalent greater than more same fewer less more than set

STORY
Materials: Construction paper cutouts to make snowmen, three small, three medium, and three large circles of white
construction paper, orange carrot nose, brown stick nose, coal nose, licorice mouth, and black top hat, red cherry mouth, red
apple mouth, beach hat, and a baseball cap

One day Megan and Sam and their friend Justin were building a snowman. Megan rolled a big round ball for the bottom of
the snowman. Sam rolled a medium size ball for the middle of the snowman. Justin rolled a small ball for the snowman’s
head. The snowman was really starting to look like a snowman.

“Now we need some eyes,” said Justin. Sam reached into his pocket and pulled out two pieces of coal. The children placed
the eyes on their snowman’s face.

“Let’s use this carrot for his nose,” said Megan.

“No,” said Sam. “Let’s use a stick.”
“A stick is too thin,” said Justin. “Let’s use more coal.”

The children began talking all at one time, each trying to describe the reasons his or her idea was best.

Megan’s and Sam’s mom heard the children arguing. She went to the front porch and asked the children to come discuss their
problem with her. “How can we solve this problem?” asked Kathy.

The children began to think. Megan suggested making a snowman with three noses. The other children laughed. Justin
thought perhaps the children could change the snowman’s nose each day. “Too much trouble,” said Megan.

Finally, Sam began to jump up and down and shout, “I’ve got it! I’ve got a good idea! We can each build our own snowman.
One snowman for every child and one child for every snowman.”

“That sounds like a great idea,” said the other children.

Megan gave her snowman a carrot nose, a cherry mouth and a floppy beach hat. Sam gave his a nose made from a stick, a
mouth of licorice and a baseball cap. Justin’s snowman had a nose made out of coal, an apple mouth and his dad’s best top
hat.
“What wonderful snowmen,” said Megan’s mom. She took a picture of the children standing by their snowmen. “Now,” she
said, “We have one snowman for every child and one child for every snowman, a perfect match!”

Activity
Let the children recreate the story.

MATCHING EVEN SETS

Pairs
Materials: ice cube tray, pairs of small objects (buttons, nuts, bolts, color tiles, etc.)
Activity: Encourage the children to arrange the objects in pairs in the tray sections.

Game of Memory
Lay out a copy of every picture in the board game Memory in a block format. Have the child match each picture with it’s
matching card.

Where is Thumbkin?
Activity: Invite the children to sing “Where Is Thumbkin?” and perform the hand motions. Make sure children see the one-
to-one relationship of the thumbs and fingers on their hands.

Three Bears
Activity: Tell the children the story of the Three Bears. Use the props or flannel board pieces to help. Afterwards, encourage
children to match props to bears. They might want to retell the story.

Rings on My Fingers
Activity: Encourage children to put a ring on each finger. A necklace, bracelet, hat, and ponytail. Point out the one-to-one
correspondence, modeling the language “One ring for every finger, one finger for every ring.”

Anything You Can Do…

Activity: Build a set of objects and encourage the children to create a matching set. For example, lay five crayons in a row and
encourage children to lay a matching set below yours.

Puzzle Box Match-up

Activity: Trace several small objects on the lid of a shoebox, then cut out the shapes. Encourage children to put the objects
through their matching cutouts. When all the objects are in the box, ask children to remove the lid and lay it on a table.
Encourage them to lay the objects on the lid, matching objects to cutouts.

MATCHING UNEVEN SETS

Block to Block
Activity: Set up uneven sets of blocks. Encourage children to match the members of the sets one to one and describe the sets.
Which has more? Which has fewer? Repeat the activity using other classroom objects.

Crayon and Marker Match

Activity: Encourage the children to sort the crayons and markers the art center according to color. Ask them to match the sets
one to one. Which sets have more? Are any sets the same?

Nature Walk
Activity: Invite children on a nature walk. Encourage them to collect items like fallen leaves, pebbles, fathers, twigs, and so
on. When you return to the classroom, encourage the children to sort their items into groups then match members of the sets
one to one. Are any sets the same? What items did the children collect the most of?

GRAPHING
Favorite Colors
Materials: One sheet of red construction paper, one sheet of blue construction paper, 2” squares of red and blue
Activity: Lay the red and blue sheets of paper on the floor. Invite the children to line up behind the color they like best. Give
each child a corresponding color.

Favorite Juice
Activity: Invite the children to ask for the juice they like best. Pour one flavor in one color cup and the other flavor in the
other color cup. When children are through drinking, ask them to leave their cups on the table. Encourage the children to
line up the cups and use one-to-one correspondence to determine the more popular juice.

Whose Shoes?
Activity: Ask the children to form two lines. All the children wearing shoes with laces stand in one line. All those wearing
shoes without laces to stand in the other. Encourage the children to use one-to-one correspondence to determine which line
has more members.

Apples and Bananas

Activity: Divide a sheet of chart paper into two columns. At the top of one column, put a picture of an apple. At the top of
the other column, put a picture of a banana. Invite children to make a tally mark under the fruit they like best. Encourage
children to use one-to-one correspondence to determine which column has the most tally marks and which fruit is more
popular.

OBSERVATIONS AND EVALUATIONS

• Give children a set of objects (beads, buttons, etc.) and have them match the objects one to one. If the child cannot
accomplish this, repeat activities in “Matching Even Sets.”
• Provide children with two uneven sets of objects and ask them to compare the sets. Have them describe the results.
Listen for correct terminology (i.e. equals, fewer than, greater than, more, less than, same, set, pair, etc.). If the child
cannot accomplish this, repeat activities in “Matching Uneven Sets.”
• Ask children to create equal and unequal sets. Ask for descriptions and explanations.