1st Grade at Wild Wonders
Building Real Skills Through Real Work
First grade is where the training wheels start to come off. Students are still building core reading, writing, and math skills, but with more structured academic time and project-based learning that starts to play a bigger role. PBL has been part of their experience since TK, but in first grade, science and social studies start weaving more directly into the units alongside their foundational literacy and math work.. The farm is still the backdrop for everything they do, and the work they're doing in the classroom connects directly to what they see and experience outside.
1st Grade Quick Facts
A four-day program focused on strengthening literacy and math foundations through hands-on instruction, project-based units, and daily farm and outdoor time.
Families partner with us by continuing learning at home to meet Montana's required instructional hours, supported by curriculum and guidance from our teachers.
Schedule: Monday – Thursday | 9 AM – 2 PM
Location: Wild Wonders Farm | Belgrade, MT
Tuition: $920/month
What They're Learning
First graders are doing the important work of becoming readers, writers, and mathematical thinkers.
Phonics instruction continues, reading gets more fluent, and math concepts grow. Each year includes three project-based learning units that bring academic subjects together around a central theme, giving students a clear reason to practice the skills they're building.
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Reading & Phonics
Phonics instruction and guided reading in small groups, moving at each child's pace. The goal is fluency and comprehension, built through practice that actually holds their attention.
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Math Skills
Number sense, addition, subtraction, and early problem-solving. Students work with real materials and real scenarios so math feels useful, not abstract.
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Project-Based Learning
Three units per year that pull science, social studies, and language arts together around a central theme. First graders have been doing PBL since they started at Wild Wonders, but at this level the projects ask more of them and connect more directly to their academic skills.
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Nature & Outdoor Education
Daily time outside on the farm, caring for animals and working in the garden. Nature isn't a break from learning. It's where a lot of the best learning happens.
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Creative Thinking
Drawing, building, storytelling, and collaborative problem-solving. First graders are full of ideas, and they need time and space to try them out.
A Day at Wild Wonders (1st Grade)
Morning Outdoor Exploration – Starting the day outside with movement and nature to help kids arrive ready to focus.
Farm Chores – Feeding animals, watering plants, and taking care of the farm. First graders can handle more responsibility than you'd expect.
Snack Time – A break to refuel and connect with classmates.
Learning Block – Focused instruction in phonics, reading, math, writing, and project-based work, tailored to where each student is.
Lunch & Social Time – Eating together and building friendships that make school feel like a place they belong.
Afternoon Outdoor Exploration – Open-ended play and movement to close out the day.
Why Wild Wonders for 1st Grade?
✓ Strong Foundations, No Shortcuts – Reading, writing, and math get serious attention here. We make sure kids are building the skills they need without turning school into a grind.
✓ Learning That Connects – Project-based units tie subjects together so nothing feels random. First graders can see the point of what they're doing, and that makes all the difference.
✓ Small Class, Personal Attention – Your child's teacher knows exactly where they are academically and what they need next. Nobody slips through the cracks.
✓ A Partner in Home Learning – We give families the curriculum, resources, and guidance to continue learning at home with confidence. You're not on your own.