Using methods and means helping to reveal child’s creativity “Working with wool “ Prepared by: Daiva Ramanauskienė Jūratė Stakeliūnienė Kauno lopšelis – darželis “Giliukas”

In order to reach appropriate maturity for school and ensure the possibilities of equal start for all children, we respect children individual needs, their skills. We also look for new effective educational ideas, teaching methods.

Instructions and references have the very small effect for children till seven years old. Children imitate what they see, because their personality is formed by their own links with external world. (...) Children till five years do not believe in any authority. A child is only imitator. Fullan M, 1998

We use wool felting in educational process as a teaching method that help to develop children motorics of small – scale, their cognitive, communicative competence, help to reveal children creativity, sense of esthetics.

Wool felting is an attractive and interesting activity for children, during which: children develop the skills to keep their attention; children learn to be self-sufficient, accurate, precise, believe in themselves and their achievements; children have got the opportunity to experience the sense of joy and pride for the achieved results.

Children use natural rough and soft wool touching it with their hands. In this case children motorics of small –scale is developed. It’s especially useful for children with special needs.

In creative process children social competence is also developed, because children learn to work and be together, communicate and collaborate.

While playing – working with wool children learn to use abstract concepts in language, rarely used words, generalizations. Children gain the skills of communicative competence, their active and passive vocabulary is enriched.

Wool felting gives possibilities for children to get known geometrical forms, colors, graphical symbols: letters and numbers. This helps to get skills of cognitive competence.

A game is natural and the most beautiful activity of child’s (self) education. Wool felting is a nice game, revealing children imagination and creativity. Woolen cord in child’s hands changes into a worm, a carpet into a pancake, a little bead into the Sun, etc.

While felting wool children creativity, the sense of esthetics, art is revealed.

Children have got natural possibilities to experience the difficulties creative work and joy of achieved results.

Our experience is used not only working with children, but also in various get together parties with parents, other teachers.

The works we created are used during various excursions, events.

Wool felting is the mean of children holistic education. It helps to develop children personality, all competences and skills, that children need in their further socialization.