The Findings

Repeated experiences in stonework in children’s museums, child development centers, education conferences, and family settings have led to the continuation of what began in Kathmandu.

In 2012, the Elizabeth Jarman Foundation in Great Britain, in collaboration with Diana Suskind, conducted the first global research project relating stonework with storytelling. The foundation issued an Internet proposal to its international readership. Interested participants were asked to “focus on the use of natural resources and storytelling” by using “a framework to capture observations of the process in action.”

The findings of the project from the 16 participating children’s programs are documented in the Final Report (Jarman, 2013). The findings captured key aspects of stonework:

• The participants were asked to reflect on the stories their stone drawings told. This promoted respectful listening and a supportive learning environment. The drawings and photographs of the stonework reinforced reflective thinking and learning. 

• Adult leaders recorded a considerable increase in language and communication. Although no measurable differences between gender responses to stonework were observed, boys’ storytelling seemed to be more imaginative.

• Enjoyment and the desire to engage in further stonework resulted from the sensory experience of working with natural materials.

• Responses are influenced by the physical environment in which stonework occurs: inside/outside, private, communal, clearly defined spaces.

• Practitioners reflected on the resources they offer children and how they might make greater use of natural resources.

• Participants found it helpful to involve staff in their own stonework efforts prior to doing it with children.