First Grade, Day One

My booklist for the first day of First Grade:

Poems and Speech Exercises for Grades I & II
by John Miles

Form Drawing: Grades 1 through 4
by Laura Embrey-Stine and Ernst Schuberth

Treasury of Children's Poetry
ed. Alison Sage

Painting in Waldorf Education
by Dick Bruin and Attie Lichthart

Will-Developed Intelligence
by David Mitchell and Patricia Livingston


Will-Developed Intelligence is an awesome resource for the Handwork curriculum in a Waldorf school! I have been teaching knitting for several years now and just always begin with making our own knitting needles. After reading Patricia Livingston's article about Grade 1, I realize that I was setting sail before building my ship! Check this out:

"Meanwhile, the golden box just sat in the room creating a mood of quiet anticipation. I waited until everyone was ready and then slowly took off the lid. In the box were beautiful golden threads! I carefully took them out and held them up to show the class, handling them as though they were pure gold. We were all thrilled and delighted! Then I said, 'If you would like to have a golden thread on your desk, fold your hands, and don't touch it until we are all ready to begin.' When each child had a golden thread (golden yarn), they stood up again and learned to tie loops and bows and take them out without making knots, and also learned to take out knots when they did. We wanted the threads to look perfect before we put them away and returned them to the gnome."

From here she goes to on to teach slip knots (magic knots), finger knitting, and then introduced the knitting needles and balls of yarn. They began by making chains using one needle and then after they could make 12 perfect loops on one needle they graduated to learning to knit. It is so helpful to hear how a handwork teacher does it, isn't it? So simple, so step-by-step. And I already have a golden box, hurrah!

By the way, I decided that I wasn't comfortable using Puck the Gnome for a classroom setting, so I am beginning the school year with King Beetle-Tamer by Isabel Wyatt. But I began Puck the Gnome tonight as a bedtime story at home. Natalie LOVES it -- it is so appropriate for age 7!