1st Grade
Where the Love of Learning Begins
The first grade is an exciting time at our school, as children transition from the familiarity of home or kindergarten into a more formal learning environment. Your first grade child has a sense of wonder and imagination perfectly suited to this new challenge, and our curriculum is thoughtfully designed to reward this curiosity; laying the foundation for lifelong learning.
First Grade Curriculum
Core Academic Subjects
In first grade your child will learn:
- Language Arts: Letters and vocabulary through pictures, poems, class plays and storytelling; blend of phonics and sight-word reading instruction
- Literature: Folk and fairy tales from around the world
- Mathematics: Number patterns and concepts, the four operations
- Science: Nature study and immersion in the natural world
Because our program integrates art, music, and movement into the curriculum, first graders may use balance beam challenges, jump rope sequences, drumming, and clapping games for math instruction and reinforcement of numbers concepts. They will create visual arts through painting, drawing, and modeling that showcase the curriculum in language arts, math, and science. An integrated arts curriculum creates an opportunity for all learning styles to access the material.
Specialty Subjects
Subject classes are an important aspect of Waldorf education in grades 1-8, as they contribute significantly to a child’s growth and development. First Grade Subject classes include:
- Art: Watercolor painting, beeswax modeling and form drawing
- Handwork: Basic knitting stitch leads to increasingly complex projects like a pouch, ball, and stuffed animal
- Music: Recorder and singing
- Physical Education: Cooperative clapping and rhyming games, chasing games, jump rope, parachute play, and dancing
- Spanish: Greetings, colors, numbers, and basic phrases through song and movement
Festivals and Events
Our students enjoy a lively calendar of festivals and events throughout the school year that celebrate the rhythm of the seasons, honor one another’s cultures and traditions, and strengthen our community.
Learn More
A Peek Into First Grade
CLWS Grades Teacher Peter Lawton provides a picture into the foundational work of first grade in these two blog posts:
Year-by-Year Curriculum
Every aspect of our curriculum is carefully designed to match your child’s stages of development. Browse through our year-by-year curriculum to see how we evolve to meet the needs of your child over time.
Sample Daily Schedule
- Main Lesson
- Snack & Recess
- Movement and Games (P.E.)
- Lunch & Recess
- Spanish
- Practice Period
- Closing
“When we go for walks or are hanging out in our backyard, my girls are constantly pointing out flowers, spiky leaves, majestic trees, sparkling rocks, and fuzzy petals. They really observe and feel part of the natural world around them thanks to the sense of wonder instilled in them by City of Lakes. It seems to give them calm and connection in such a fast-paced world.”
CLWS parent
Meet Our Staff
Neela Bettaglio
Educational Support Teacher
Maya Dunn
Movement and Games Teacher
Liz Kelley
Handwork Teacher
Maisy Schendel
First Grade Teacher
Cyntia Wolburg
Spanish Teacher (Grades 1-5)
