If you knitted as a child....question

[UKPuritan40]

Hi I've never posted before though I've read other's posts. Love this site.

I've taught 6 adults to knit, some of whom even wanted to learn four of whom who have gone on to love knitting and do well, so I'm pretty confident as a teacher ...BUT....

I'm teaching a highly motivated, reasonably bright 8 year old and it is much slower going for her to grasp what to put where. I know that each person has different spacial skills etc and I think all things considered she did pretty well. She is still enthusiastic and wants to continue. I could see as she got tired, she wanted to speed ahead and make senseless mistakes. I'm trying to be really low key and emphasise that mistakes are just another type of practice and she seems cool with that.

My question is, IF you learned to knit as a child and you couldn't manage to thread yarn between fingers on right hand, and thus dropped and picked up the working yarn, DID you later develop into having thread through fingers or did you keep the pick up and drop method for life? Am I making a mistake encouraging her to try and learn how to use fingers for tension but also telling her that for now whatever works for her is fine?

Also is there anything your teacher showed you or emphasised that was very helpful? We have used the knitting rhyme to help her remember the steps but it is only "so" helpful.

It seems that every time I see someone post on a blog who learned to knit as a child, they dropped it after that until adulthood. Does this always happen? Are you still glad you learned as a child?

Thanks ahead for any imput on any of the questions.
Susan in Idaho.