[Woodcarver] Teaching Children to Carve - get a carver

[Merrilee Johnson]

>  So I thought I would post both the question and
>my reply for feedback from those of you on the digest that do teach
>kids.  Any ideas or suggestions would be fantastic. >>>


Great response to the mother, Susan.
The only thing I could add is to find a local carving club and someone 
interested to help get her started.  As you said the books are geared to the 
older carver and getting the knife in the right postition to "bite" into the 
wood is hard to see in a printed form.

I have 3 kids I am working with.  One girl (16) has been carving with me for 
3 years, 1 boy(now 12) started last year and a new boy (probably 11 or 12 
but both boys are in 7th grade).  The last one is having problems seeing how 
to hold the knives and gouges that the other two didn't have.  So the muscel 
control  and hand eye coordination is something an experienced carver could 
help work with her on how to and talk to her to get her to "see" what she 
want to do that a book couldn't do.  There is also a 10 year old that wants 
to carve about an hour away from me that I want to help get started too but 
the drive for either of us is long so that one may not work or may will 
happen this summer. (fingers crossed)   Getting the kids interested in 
creative outlets is the best thing for them - as we've talked about before!  
ANd us adults that can help need too - even if it is time consuming and 
frustrating for us.  (the new boy is more frustrating than the other 2 were 
but I think he's beginning to "get it"  This week he finished a small 
project he's been working on for about 5 weeks and the other boy finished in 
2).  So now he's on his way to becoming a woodcarver too!  That makes me 
feel great that I could help!

Anyways back to your question - find an experienced carver to help one on 
one.  That's my suggestion.
Merrilee

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