A recent Sunday Elina came with me to some friends' house. While there, she saw Greta sitting with her knitting. As we turned to leave Greta told me that Elina had asked her to teach her to knit and Greta had happily agreed to do it. So, this week we picked out yarn and knitting needles and today she had her first "lesson.' She is knitting a head-band and her whole body was jumping with happiness, her face like the sun, as she came home and showed me her progress, how to hold the yarn between her fingers and how to position the needles. She plans to bring it to show-and-tell on Friday.
7 comments:
Hooray! I love seeing kids excited about yarn crafts! It looks like she's doing a great job!
Va roligt! Hon är ju jätteduktig!:))
Om hon är intresserad kan jag lära henne virka:)Nu var det lääänge sen jag gjorde nåt i den vägen...det var nog ett överkast..haha
James learned how to knit in his school class here in Norway. He has really been enjoying it.
So GLAD your kids get to have the Scandinavian school experience with real crafts, lots of outdoor activity, long recesses and so forth!! And handmade Christmas presents for parents, from school, such as scarves, stepping stools, wooden candlesticks, etc.
I learned in school to knit, too, just not well enough! I also learned how to crochet. I had slöjd (trä och textil, both) from 3rd grade until 9th - mandatory for boys and girls. This is where I learned to sew and embroider as well. Sewing is the only thing that really stuck with me, though. I can knit and crochet, I suppose, but I need a tiny refresher on how to get started.
I try to be grateful for what we have here in our town, but I sometimes am really sad about all the diverse and rich educational and extra curricular opportunities afforded ALL children in social democracies like Sweden and Norway. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, it has been a mixed bag for us but overall our school experience has been good. I was amazed at how cohesive the community is. Almost all the parents show up to our foreldremøter (which are quite frequent) and everyone seems to take extra efforts to make sure that all the kids' needs are met. Even at barnehage, I was impressed at how concerned everyone is at making sure that kids are developing and learning. The level of community equality and cohesion is way higher than in the US.
We like the extra outdoor time and side skills they learn. Also the field trips and evening activities with the kids' families.
But we have been a little surprised by the relatively low amount of homework, as well as a reading and math level that is below what our kids were getting in Utah. In some ways I think Americans are too stressed out about scholastic achievement at an early age, so not all of this is unwelcome, but in other ways, I think that schools here in Norway don't challenge students enough.
I KNEW you'd say something about academics! You know, my experience was similar. I never went to school until 3 pm until I was in 6th grade. My 1st grade school day was only 2,5 hours the first semester, 4 hours the second. Conversely, however, in High School the US was SO LAX compared to the Gymnasium experience I had in Sweden (my comparison is my school year in Wyoming at a High School that had received National Honors for its academics). My Swedish Gymnasium experience was comparable to my BYU classes. I never took a multiple choice test in my life, attendance was optional (you snooze, you loose), and spent several hours every night studying.
If you are concerned you can always get those work books with basic math and English for the different grade levels to do with the kids on the side (we get the at Sam's club, but you can order online I am sure). I think that's what I would have done. But I am pretty sure they do catch up eventually, and keep in mind it does not take as much time to learn to read and write Norwegian.
Though education has experienced a decline in Scandinavia since 'my time' just as it has here in the US, so I would definitely be pro-active no matter what school my child attends.
We know a Norwegian family that moved to our town in March this year. Their kids are 8 and 6 and they were SHOCKED at the amount of academic content and lack of recess. They viewed the academic challenge as very positive, even in the early grades, but said "No wonder people are fat. They don't walk to school and sit still all day."
Thanks for the advice Vicky. It's great to compare notes. Right now we're just struggling to adjust to all the new things and learn Norwegian, but I have been thinking about good ways to supplement our kids' education a little. Great to hear from you!
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