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ERIC Number: EJ1077043
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1522-9734
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Quilt-Making in the Elementary Class
Nixon, Monica
NAMTA Journal, v38 n2 p121-124 Spr 2013
As our world becomes more and more technological, it is essential that we remember that one of the main ways the child's brain develops is through meaningful work of the hand. Monica Nixon, the founder and director of Mountain Laurel Montessori School in Front Royal, VA, as well as a quilter and knitter, describes her experience of teaching her class of six- through twelve-year-old students how to quilt and what has become a ritual quilt-making event that begins in early November and finishes before winter break in mid-December. During the quilt-making process, the students share personal stories through natural conversations with both their teacher and fellow students. The more experienced students help younger students, and the students enjoy sharing their quilts with the recipient of their choice. Students have remarked that they are more focused throughout the quilt-making process than they have ever been. The sewing process seems to be especially helpful to students who have difficulty sustaining their attention during most learning activities. This could be due to the repetitive actions with each stitch and that there is no way to speed through any part of the process. Often their newly acquired ability to sustain their focus carries over into their other work.
North American Montessori Teachers' Association. 13693 Butternut Road, Burton, OH 44021. Tel: 440-834-4011; Fax: 440-834-4016; e-mail: staff@montessori-namta.org; Web site: http://www.montessori-namta.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Virginia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A