Waldorf Grade 1

Books for general self-development and foundational work for Waldorf teaching were offered in a previous writing. Now we will offer grade by grade book recommendations. There are too many books in all these lists, remember, to think that we are advising that anyone read them all. However, knowing what books are available can help in deciding about the one or two or three books (or more!) that might prove useful as a guide both for teachers and for students.
Download a PDF of the Grade 1 Book Recommendations.

More on grade 1 - First Grade Readiness and the Waldorf School Plan

For Curriculum Development in Waldorf Grade 1

A Journey through Time in Verse and Rhyme Heather Thomas
An English Manual Dorothy Harrer
Brother Francis Jakob Streit
Math Lessons for Elementary Grades Dorothy Harrer
One, Two Three! David Adams
Verses and Poems and Stories to Tell Dorothy Harrer
Word Mastery Primer Hugh Renwick

For Artistic Work in Waldorf Grade 1

A Hawthorne Valley Harvest William Ward, ed.
Bare Hand Knitting Aleshanee Akin
Basic Sculptural Modeling Hela Lowe
Creative Form Drawing Rudolf Kutzli
Creative Pathways Elizabeth Auer
Eurythmy: A Creative Force in Humanity Sylvia Bardt
Leaving Room for the Angels Reg Down
Painting at School Dick Bruin
Pedagogical Theater Arthur Pittis
25 Plays David Mitchell, ed.
Five Plays for Waldorf Festivals Richard Moore
Xavier Sings of His Alphabet Friends Mary Lynn Channer

For Meeting Children’s Needs in the Grade 1 Waldorf Classroom

Difficult Children: There Is No Such Thing Henning Koehler and Joseph Bailey
Educating the Will Michael Howard
Helping Children on Their Way Elizabeth Auer
Learning about the World through Modeling Arthur Auer
Will-Developed Intelligence Patricia Livingston and David Mitchell
Working with Anxious, Nervous, and Depressed Children Henning Koehler and Joseph Baily

Readers for Waldorf First Graders

Big-Stamp Two Toes, the Barefoot Giant Reg Down
Fee Fi Fum Arthur Pittis
King Thrushbeard Kelly Morrow
Lazy Jack Kelly Morrow
Liputto Jakob Streit
Puck the Gnome Jakob Streit
Sylvain and Jacosa Kelly Morrow
The Little Gnome Tender Root Jakob Streit
The Sun with Loving Light Stephen Bloomquist
The Prince and the Dragon Kelly Morrow

Read Aloud Books for Waldorf First Graders

A Donsey of Gnomes Sieglinde De Francesca
Bambi Felix Salten
Jonathan and the Tree Gilad Goldschmidt
Mary’s Little Donkey Gunhild Sehlin
Matt McFlack and His Flyaway Kite Kyra Robinov and Christina Anderson
Pinocchio Carlo Collodi
The Old Shepherd’s Tale Christopher Nye
The Seven-Year-Old Wonder Book Isabel Wyatt
The Way of Gnome Sieglinde De Francesca
Thornton Burgess’s books:
          Mother West Wind’s Children
          The Burgess Animal Book for Children
          The Burgess Seashore Book for Children
          Thornton Burgess Smiling Pool Stories
The Little Lame Prince
Dinah Maria Mulock Craik
The Water Babies Charles Kingsley