Knitting and the learning process:

Knitting is one of the most important exercises for the youngest students at any Waldorf school, It helps them exercise the laterality, develops will, focus, and gives them a space to be creative and to make something with their own hands; for the teacher, it is a useful tool to learn about the children by observing, for example, the preferred hand to make precise movements, sight sharpness, or how hard can it be for the children to focus and control distractions.

 

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It is proven that knitting builds neuronal connections by using both brain hemispheres simultaneously; children must pay attention to instructions, fine movements, colors, interaction with peers, and daydreams at the same time.

Children in Kindergarten are introduced to knitting by telling them tells or rhymes, they are not specifically explained how to do certain movements or knots, they just follow what some of the characters of the story is doing to learn how to begin creating with the colorful strings provided by teachers. Once they get to first grade, children start using needles; the complexity of weaving increases, and so does the process. Knitting is always attached to stories or contents studied in the classroom.