Pearl, the PTS names some mandatory tasks you need to cover to solo someone the first time, and leaves how much of these tasks to the discretion of the instructor. For example, you can demonstrate one stall and satisfy that item, or you can do an exhaustive program making sure the student can do everything to PTS standards prior to solo.
You might be surprised, but I favor a cursory treatment of most tasks prior to first solo. I have found that students who have not soloed do not take their role as a pilot very seriously. Their instructor has been there all along telling them what to do and not do, ensuring their safety, and generally being the pilot. Their thinking caps are not on. They are not "born" yet as far as being a pilot. They need to be kicked out of the nest for one flight to show them they are the only person who is able to do what needs to be done when the instructor is away. My thought is to just get them good at landing the plane, get across how important it is to stay coordinated, then take them have a go at it. I got this viewpoint from an experienced instructor and while it runs contrary to conservative thinking, if you make sure a student is safe enough to just fly around the pattern a time or two it is a good idea to let them go ahead and do it. I try and solo my students as soon as possible for this reason.