Class One

Picture this…

By Class One the child is ready to form a picture of their world through stories. What was experienced practically, though not conceptually, in the early childhood years is now raised to a feeling relationship through fairytales.

The child’s holistic experience of the world is nourished by archetypal pictures such as those reflected in fairy tales and nature stories. In essence, the fairy story is a soul journey that speaks to the inner life of the child, who instinctively understands the trials undergone by the hero or heroine. Each day, as the teacher advances the story, always leaving a little more to tell, the child is left insatiably curious to know the answer to that most fundamental of human questions: “Then what happened?”. Listening to and retelling such stories becomes the foundation for literacy, numeracy and science main lessons throughout the year.

Curriculum

Class 1 Main Lessons: English; Mathematics; Science (Nature Studies)

English:

  • Letters: writing from drawing
  • Words/sentences: reading from writing

Mathematics:

  • Number qualities: the recognition of things in the world that correspond to that number: one world, one me; two – day/night, hot/cold, dark/light; three – clover leaves, pine needles etc.
  • Counting: odds and evens
  • Introducing the four operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division through imaginative stories
  • Counting up to 100 and back from 100; aural/oral times tables

Nature Stories:

Imaginative stories that portray aspects of nature in general, and the local environment in fairy tale form; teacher created and indigenous stories.

Other subjects:

  • Form Drawing: free hand straight & curved lines, vertical symmetry
  • Craft: knitting
  • Painting/drawing
  • Games
  • Music: singing/recorder (use of the Pentatonic scale)
  • Drama: Class Play

Outdoor education program for Class 1