Encouraging Knitting In The Classroom
Knitting is a great portable and accessible,
mess-free education tool
Using your hands helps students to concentrate
Crafts encourage risk taking
Effort based reward can stave off depression
The learning brain receives high levels of vital information
through the movements of the hands. Hands-on learning is critical
for the development of understanding and inventiveness
Craft teaches unique kinds of haptic knowledge and thinking
skills
Aids cognitive and neurological development
The learning brain receives high levels of vital information
through the sensations and movements of the hands
Elements of hand use such as movement velocity, direction
and mode of coordination in craft activities are reflected
in “robust” brain
activity
Education policies have reduced the role of working with hands
and removes all forms of craft from the educational curriculum
Have an end project/product i.e. a sale for charity or an exhibition
Get local paper interest
Involve other family members, a local guild or knitting group, the local yarn shop and other community groups
Knitting groups during the lunch break for marginalised groups can be empowering
Book out a block of time during the school day or over a period of weeks to encourage developing skills
An international project
Workshops in schools and galleries
Needs only basic skills to start
Generates community and media interest
Cross-generational learning
A modular project
Combines experienced makers and amateurs in one project
ASSESMENT OF STUDENTS’ PROGRESS
Assessment is time consuming, but we need it to help justify
the continuation of groups and perhaps eventually get them formally
recognized as part of the curriculum for all schools
Note when a pupil begins to knit
How often they attend knitting groups
Do they knit between groups
Note any difference in academic performance
Do communication skills improve? i.e. general friendliness and readiness to contribute in class
Effect on SEN: dyslexics (in coordination and organizational ability), dyspraxia, ADHD etc.
Encourage students to keep a diary which has mood thermometers (sheets printed with a large thermometer). At certain times of the day students mark on the thermometer how they’re feeling.
Diaries are useful because the pupils would fill in their thoughts, feelings, relationship with others in the group and time spent knitting, so that afterward these can be themed and collated. Over time you can track a change in behaviour, thoughts and feelings, but they are still open ended enough to make sure we don’t miss a vital bit of information.
Failing that, having some anecdotal evidence helps
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