By having the children copy their teacher's compositions into beautifully made lesson books Waldorf education prepares children for this experience, thereby establishing a much more intimate relation with reading than otherwise possible. Taught through writing, reading starts with the imaginative presentation of letters, moves onto the copying of simple sentences and, in turn, whole stories. Parallel to these imaginative experiences phonics and sight word skills are developed as essential tools for decoding. It is important to emphasize that in first grade the pedagogical intent is to build deep and strong foundations, capable of supporting the very demanding language arts curriculum of later grades. Throughout first grade the child is given a rich experience of language through the daily use of poetry and story telling.
Poetry trains a sense for language's beauty while developing memory.
The fairy tales present profound archetypal soul images while developing a sense for narration. The teacher's own compositions, copied from the board by the children, are designed to address the particular needs of that class. No text book can ever achieve this degree of relevancy. The children receive this type of writing as they would a handmade versus a store bought gift. All depends on how open parents are to the goals of Waldorf education.