February 13, 2011, Daily Mail: Knitting class for middle school-aged children in Kent, England has had a broader effect on learning than just mastering the knit and purl stitches without leaving holes in a first project. Teachers report the children's whole behavior has changed, and as well, their fine motor skills have been improved. Knitting has also made a difference in their writing, math, and communication skills after being integrated throughout the curriculum.
Students no longer isolate themselves on computers, mobile phones, and iPads, but would rather sit in their knitting groups chatting with one another. The lunchtime knitting club is spawning history lessons, too. When studying castles, students learn how ancient fabrics were created through knitting and how whole families, men, women, and children, survived during the Industrial Revolution by knitting socks, scarves, and hats.
After World War II, knitting had been a part of the British school curriculum until 1988 when it was removed due to budget cuts. Students are now lining up to join the knitting club, even boys are knitting once again.
In Rhode Island, teach your children, grandchildren, or a neighbor friend how to knit or crochet; improve learning skills now, save a psyche later. Kids can learn how to knit at the Cranston Public Library on Thursdays:
- Where: William H. Hall Free Library, 1825 Broad St, Cranston, RI 02905
- Date: Weekly on Thursdays
- Time: 3:30pm–4:30pm
- Next on: Thursday, February 17, 2011
- If you are 9 years old or older
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Comments
This is a wonderful article, thanks, think of the fine motor control these darling little ones in the picture are getting.
This is so sweet - I can just picture the little ones like you have in the picture making faces and trying so hard to keep the stitches on the needles.
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