“People who are unable to use their hands skillfully for all kinds of work, will not become good thinkers and will behave awkwardly in life. It is not the head alone, but the whole human being that is a logician. Activities demanding manual and bodily skill, such as knitting, leads to the enhancement of the faculty of judgment. This faculty is actually developed least of all by exercises in logic.”
— Rudolf Steiner
Waldorf Education has many unique aspects that add to the richness of the overall curriculum. One of these aspects is the Handwork Curriculum
Handwork has been a part of general education of the human being for a long time. Handwork for the Waldorf student starts much earlier than first grade knitting. Handwork begins in the Waldorf kindergarten. It may appear as the chopping of vegetables for soup, the kneading of dough for bread, making a belt from a finger chain or a crown from flowers, folding your napkin, or even as basic as tying your shoelaces. These simple activities are the foundation for a sense of self reliance and they also create an unconscious pool of knowledge which can be drawn from in later subjects such as physics, geometry, or other areas of maths and science.
Handwork and crafts have specific tasks within the waldorf curriculum, namely to awaken creative, imaginative powers. To help the young child develop a healthy imagination and harmonize his unfolding will and feeling life.There are other hidden gifts found within the handwork curriculum. Current research shows a connection between fine motor skills and brain development. Activities such as knitting or crocheting involve using both sides of the brain. Other skills reinforced by handwork are as basic as eye tracking and numeracy. The eye tracking which can be as simple as following a stitch from one knitting needle to the other or creating a mirror image pattern on a cross stitch bookmark is a big help for developing and strengthening reading skills. Number skills are essential to all types of handwork—knitting, crocheting, sewing, cross stitch. How many stitches did you cast on? Did you lose any? How far apart are your running stitches? How much do you add to this pattern for your seam allowance?
The enhancement of these soul qualities will form the basis for an active thinking life and possibly form sound judgement in later life. Rudolf Steiner points out that such adult qualities as to form for instance sound judgement, to have balance in thinking depends much more on whether a child was taught to use his hands and fingers in the right and practical way than through the exercising of logical thinking later in life.
The reason for this is based on one of the fundamental concepts of true teaching namely that when we engage the child a in physical, practical activity such as handwork or craft work we are working on the soul, spirit nature of that child.
Handwork leads the child to an awareness of colour and form in order to create an artistic form, to have a sense of beauty. It is equally important to use the objects that are created, for example a pencil bag or pincushion.
According to Steiner, each artistic creation should capture the vitality, fluid beauty, and uniqueness that living organisms manifest.
And with these images and ideas we encourage parents at our school to contribute to beautiful hand made craft towards our Spring Fayre. Many parents are enthusiastic and happy to do so. Our handmade made match box castle items and other crafts are highly appreciated by family and friends.
I wish to see you all at the coming Spring Fayre to enjoy being together to share and smile.
Iman Hauptfleisch
Class 5 Teacher