First and second graders spend mornings in their separate classrooms, but are grouped together in the afternoons for instruction in art, music, Chinese, Spanish, library, and physical education. The first and second grade curriculum is designed to meet students at their individual levels, developing necessary skills as students demonstrate academic readiness. Reading instruction teaches children to derive meaning from text using a whole language approach, including phonics, decoding, and comprehension strategies. Students read independently and with adults in books of their own choosing, their listening skills are enhanced through daily exposure to literature read aloud to the group, and writing skills are developed through daily entries in personal journals and through writing workshop activities. Math instruction follows the school’s comprehensive curriculum, teaching number sense, measurement, graphing, and basic computational skills through hands–on activities and real–life applications. Age–appropriate projects in literature, science, and math emerge from each year’s Central Study theme. Students are given opportunities to explore the use of various arts and crafts materials, build with blocks, and pursue independent projects.

"At Princeton Friends School, Leda could excel academically, play a fierce game of soccer, lead a rollicking line dance, sing a magnificent song written by a classmate, write poetry, tell stories, and settle in with her meeting partner, finding common ground between a pre–kindergartner and a teenager in the solemn, soulful act of listening to silence in community."

Alice G. W., parent