In the preschool period, it is important to offer children as much as possible and provide them with opportunities to experience new things early on. In kindergarten, they have the opportunity to explore, try new things, and learn a lot. Sewing is one of the activities that children can learn in kindergarten or at least become familiar with. The main purpose of this thesis was to introduce the technique of sewing to kindergartens and thereby encourage professional workers to make sewing possible for children.
In the theoretical part we presented materials and textile-technological processes. We also introduced the developmental characteristics of preschool children in some areas they need in order to sew, and at the same time, how sewing can help develop these areas. We also presented the objectives of the Curriculum for Kindergartens (1999) in connection with sewing as a technological process, what students can learn in technical education at the faculty and what both adults and children can gain from sewing workshops.
Through a survey questionnaire, we investigated the possibilities of introducing sewing techniques. Ninety professional workers participated in the survey. We found that almost half of the educators do not practice sewing activities with children and that they face quite a few challenges when they attempt to teach sewing. We also conducted an interview with a sewing workshop performer, who presented us how sewing sessions are conducted in her workshops. Based on the survey and the interview, we developed guidelines for teaching sewing techniques of preschool children.
This thesis has shown how sewing influences the development of children's abilities, such as fine motor skills, creativity, attention, and others. We also found that children are eager to learn about sewing, but it is necessary to encourage educators to start introducing sewing techniques to their group of children. Therefore, this thesis is intended for professional workers in order to encourage them to practice sewing activities with children. In the future, we could explore how sewing affects cooperation among children, how children feel when sewing and what they experience, etc.
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