Knit to Succeed: Help Struggling Readers Learn Needed Skills

I am the reading specialist at a charter school in the South Bronx. I teach pull-out classes of 5th and 6th grade students who are low readers. My students begin the year reading significantly below grade level, and I am working with them to improve their skills to the point where they can once again be in the mainstream English class. So where does knitting come in, you might ask? I have realized over the past few months that my students would progress significantly faster in their reading if they could acquire certain skills that I believe they could develop through knitting. First, my students need to learn to concentrate and focus for extended periods of time; many of them have a difficult time sustaining their attention when they read. Second, they need to improve their fine motor skills; they struggle greatly with handwriting, which negatively impacts their ability to respond in writing to what they read. Finally, they need, as all children do, opportunities for success and creativity. As an avid knitter myself, I know that knitting offers all these possibilities and more. I would like to offer a "knitting club" during lunch and after school. I am asking for yarn in various colors and textures, sets of knitting needles, and 2 books with ideas for simple knitting projects for children. Our school does not offer art classes of any kind, and I am sure that many children would welcome the chance to learn a new craft. As an added benefit, and because I am, after all, a reading teacher, I also plan to "sneak" reading into my knitting classes. Once the children have learned the basic stitches and are working on projects, what better opportunity could there be for a read-aloud? I believe that the calming atmosphere of a knitting group would create an ideal environment for enjoying children's literature. I am sure that this project will bring many benefits to the students that I teach. Thank you so much for considering this proposal!