All five of my grandchildren have learned to sew on my Janome with the speed set on low. It took away the fear of going too fast and gave them control. As for patterns, I love the D9P. Making a nine patch block is not as daunting as sewing lots of squares together. I will never forget the look in my grandson's eyes when I cut up his nine patch, or the fun he had rearranging those squares. Set with bold sashings, it got bigger and went together quickly. I think doing it together is the most fun and helps the process move along so a child does not get bored.