Handwork
The phrase practical arts refers to the process of transforming the raw materials of the earth into something beautiful and useful for humans. Because these traditional activities exist all around the world, there is great scope for diversity within the framework of the practical arts curriculum of Waldorf Education. Specific crafts are chosen to match the age of the child and they reflect a teacher’s personal history and interests as well as the cultures of the class and the area of the school. At Swallowtail, we include woodworking, knitting, felting, soapstone carving, sewing, bread making, cooking and other similar activities, and we most often refer to the practical arts as Handwork.
Handwork complements the curriculum of other subject areas in ways that are not always obvious at first glance. The repetitive work of activities such as sewing, knitting, and carving improves proprioceptive sense, fine motor skills, and dexterity. Linear eye tracking and cross body movements needed for knitting both support the developing literacy of 1st and 2nd graders. Practical applications of math include patterning, counting, measuring, and increasing and decreasing stitches. Spatial reasoning develops by seeing a three dimensional object emerge from their work. With their reliance on the binary knit/purl stitch options, knitting patterns are even a great precursor to learning to understand computer coding languages.
Perhaps most importantly, Handwork is particularly well-suited to the development of certain intangible character traits that influence our happiness and success as adults - things like perseverance, focus, patience, creativity, and confidence. This is because of the very nature of the work. The practical arts cannot be rushed. Each step must be completed in order, and at a certain level of quality, or the finished product will not work. This requires children to slow down and not only focus on their work, but take care. It also helps them learn to set goals, break them into steps, and achieve them - giving them a sense of agency in their own education. When frustrations inevitably arise, children develop perseverance and problem solving skills and they learn to ask for help. Generosity is fostered in the opportunity to help their peers and also in the giving of the items they’ve created.
In Handwork, creativity is closely linked to inspiration, and the intimate exchange between student and teacher is precious and unique. Together they move tools and materials to develop a relationship that has physical representation, a visible log of the experience. The challenge and the gift of creativity in practical arts is to express your own ideas within the assigned task. Although every student is sewing a stuffed animal, or crocheting a hat, no two will be the same. Their own personalities are reflected in the size of the finished product, the tension of the stitches, and the colors and patterns chosen. Students develop the confidence to trust their own ideas and an appreciation for the uniqueness of each person’s contribution as there truly is no “right answer”.
As they see their work transform yarn, fabric, stone, and wood into items that are both beautiful and useful, as they see the joy created in the sharing of those items, they come to view themselves as capable contributors to the world, ready to joyfully and confidently take on new tasks and challenges. The skills and understanding they develop through these artistic experiences radiate out into all aspects of their lives, and help them in forming a more meaningful life for themselves and all who they encounter.
