8 Reasons Why Knitting Should Be Taught in Schools
Teaching kids to knit from a young age has numerous benefits. Frankly, I think that it’s almost as useful as an opportunity to hire someone to take my online exam. Knitting is fun, creative, and teaches kids how to concentrate. Here are the reasons why more schools should consider integrating knitting into their curriculum.
- Knitting Enhances Mathematical Skills
Knitting exercises allow kids to count stitches, rows, and add stitches where necessary. All these processes will help improve the math skills of children. Any knitting exercise helps children build their addition, multiplication, and measurement skills. This is an excellent way to help children develop an interest in math without them even knowing.
- It Encourages Creativity
Knitting is a fun way to let children unleash their creative sides. While you may give them guidelines to follow, you should let them spearhead the exercise. You can let them decide the type of fiber they want, its color, and the suitable patterns.
If you allow them to lead their knitting projects with minimal supervision, you will be stunned by the results.
- Knitting May Help Reduce Their Stress Levels
School is demanding; classes, assignments, and tests can make children stressed. Knitting involves making numerous rhythmic and repetitive motions before the final product is completed. Research done by a paper writing service expert indicates that the movements incurred during knitting help the body release a chemical known as serotonin, which triggers happiness in a person.
If you listen to devoted knitters, most of them will indicate that knitting makes them happy whenever they feel stressed out. The more kids knit, the less stressed they are likely to be.
- It Improves Problem Solving Skills
Knitting involves reading, following instructions, and troubleshooting. All these are the components required to develop problem-solving skills. Children who develop these skills are lucky because they become forward thinkers and problem solvers from an early age.
During the knitting process, mistakes are inevitable. The mishaps encourage children to identify the sources of the errors, and an opportunity to correct them.
- Kids Can Improve Their Motor Coordination Skills
Knitting involves coordinating your hands and eyes. It also entails being precise. Like sports, knitting improves children’s ability to coordinate between what they see and what they can do. Hand-eye coordination significantly enhances their development.
It is worth noting that kids’ motor skills improve significantly between the ages of six and seven; hence, it would help if they are introduced to knitting during this age.
- It Can Help Children Read
When kids learn to knit, their focus and concentration levels increase. Additionally, they are gaining confidence, seeing patterns, and gaining fine-motor skills, which are essential when they begin writing. By knitting, kids also familiarize themselves with specific patterns. Most patterns usually move from left to right, which is the same as reading.
By the time kids start reading, they are usually very confident in their abilities, which helps them become better students. If schools incorporate knitting into the curriculum, children will most likely develop impeccable reading skills from an early age.
- Knitting Breaks the Need to Be Perfect
If children understand that perfection does not equal happiness from an early age, maybe happier adults will exist in the future. Knitting involves making mistakes along the way and coming up with solutions for the mishaps. When kids understand that they can make mistakes, correct them, and still come up with a final product, they will not be afraid of developing products. They will understand that any creative process has hurdles, which can be conquered.
When kids love a defective product that they created, they are likely to be more confident. They will not be afraid of being creative because they fear failure or imperfection along the way.
- It Teaches Essential Life Skills
Knitting can teach kids essential life skills, such as patience. Before starting the knitting process, they have to listen to instructions, adhere to them, and practice continually. If a child is faint-hearted, he or she may give up along the way and not see the project to completion.
Imagine the excitement that kids will feel after completing their knitting project; they will understand that patience can help them achieve all the goals set at the beginning of any project. Additionally, they will get a sense of achievement for completing the knitting project.
There are many other benefits that kids can get when they start knitting. Creating projects with other kids can help create memories that will last a lifetime. The tangible finished product will remind them that they are capable of doing anything they set their minds to do.
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