rudiments

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

rudiments
    n 1: a statement of fundamental facts or principles [syn:
         {basics}, {rudiments}]

from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

23 Moby Thesaurus words for "rudiments":
      abecedarium, abecedary, alphabet, and arithmetic, basics,
      elementary education, elements, essentials, first principles,
      first steps, fundamentals, grammar, hornbook, induction,
      initiation, introduction, outlines, primer, principia, principles,
      propaedeutic, reading, writing