1st Grade · Ages 6–7
The Smaller-First Year
Six is old enough to be handed a problem that is too big for them — as long as they are handed the tool for shrinking it at the same time.
- 1 Hard Thing
- 5 days · 105 minutes
- 3 unmarkable questions
Ready?
1st Grade · The Handshake Problem
Six is old enough to be handed a problem that is too big for them — as long as they are handed the tool for shrinking it at the same time.
Full screen — no distractions
Where this goes
The ladder
The same idea, three times, roughly a year apart. This is what depth looks like from the outside.
This year
Five people, worked up from two.
Next year
Ten people — 45 — and the moment you stop drawing lines and start adding.
The year after
The formula n(n−1)/2, which you will meet again at fifteen and recognise on sight.
What lives on the desk this year
- Plain paper, no lines on it
- Coins to stand in for people
- A ruler for the joining lines
- A jar for the questions nobody could answer
- A pencil with a rubber you are allowed to wear out
The rest of 1st Grade
One hard thing a day is the sharp end. It sits on top of an ordinary year.
Last updated: September 2026