Language Arts: Form drawing; pictorial and phonetic introduction to letters; fairy tales from around the world; singing; poetry recitation

Science: Nature stories; nature walks; observations; gardening

History & Social Studies: Multicultural stories

Handwork: Knitting (fine motor skills, concentration, sense of form)

Foreign Language: Introduction to Spanish through songs, stories and rhymes, imitation and gesture

Visual & Performing Arts: Form drawing; painting; beeswax modeling; crayon illustrations, drama; singing; pentatonic flute

Movement/Physical Education/Games: Eurythmy; circle games; imaginative games; movement combined with music and singing; throwing and catching; rhythmic stepping, balancing

First Grade is a bridge between kindergarten and the grades. The loss of the milk (baby) teeth indicates that the child has completed the formation of his/her physical body and is ready to begin to work with the mind. An important task for the teacher is to create a rhythm for the child's school life as a foundation for the learning process. Towards this end the teacher designs a rhythm not only through the seasons and holidays, but also within each day and within each lesson of the day.

The year begins with the discovery that behind all forms lie two basic principles: the straight and curved lines. The child finds these shapes in her/his own body, in the classroom and in the world beyond. The straight and curved lines are practiced through walking, drawing in the air and on a neighbor's back and, finally, on paper. These form drawings train motor skills, awaken the child's powers of observation, and provide a foundation for the introduction of the alphabet.

Fairy tales from around the world form the basis of the First Grade language arts curriculum. Through the stories the child is introduced to each letter of the alphabet. In this way the child experiences the development of language in a very concrete yet imaginative way: instead of abstract symbols the letters become actual characters with which the child has a real relationship. "S" may be a fairy tale snake sinuously slithering through the grass on some secret errand; the "M" may be hiding in the blackboard drawing of a mountain. The children then work with the letters and sounds in a variety of ways to gain mastery. The class composes short descriptive sentences to accompany each picture. The wording is then copied from the teacher's model. Through these activities the child learns word and sentence structure without conscious effort, and has the joy of creating her/his own illustrated books for reading material.

In a similar way, in the mathematics curriculum the child first experiences the qualities of numbers before learning the four processes. What is "oneness"? What is there only one of in the world? (Me!). Stones, acorns and other natural objects are used to introduce counting. Movement work, in the form of stepping and clapping, reinforces the rhythmic choral speaking of numbers. Only after considerable practical experience in adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing are the written symbols for these operations introduced.

The first grade enters the world of music through the pentatonic scale. In this scale all notes have a harmonious sound in any order they are played. Songs are based on seasonal themes. The playing of the pentatonic flute develops finger coordination, concentration, and breath control.

Painting in the first grade is intended to give the child an experience of working with color rather than attempting to create formed "pictures." The child's feelings for form are encouraged through honey-fragrant beeswax modeling and crayon illustrations. In drawing, the child imitates the teacher's work, drawing whole shapes rather than filling in outlines.

Knitting is a fundamental first grade activity, as there exists a close relationship between finger movement, speech, and thinking. Some classes may choose to make scarves or knitted squares to be joined into a blanket.

Learning a foreign language, Spanish, is ideally suited to the imitative disposition of the young child, as s/he learns through hearing and speaking the language. Games and movement through circle and singing activities, jump rope, ball games, beanbags, rods, and the balance beam are an integral part of the curriculum as the child develops his/her motor integration.