The chart below is from BB Hoffman's book The Sloyd System of Woodworking published in 1892, and was designed to point out the educational value of Sloyd Woodworking in comparison to other crafts. If you click on it, it will enlarge and you may be able to read it.

I live in a community of artists, and would be hesitant to proclaim woodworking as being of greater artistic merit than other crafts. The point that BB Hoffman and others made about education was that since few schools have the economic resources to teach all crafts, the unique educational values in woodworking make it the craft of choice for implementation in all schools, whether in 1892, or 2007.

I don't agree with everything on the chart, but given my experience, I can't argue with Hoffman's logic. If you have read a bit of this blog and have seen what the kids at Clear Spring do in our woodshop, I suspect you will agree.

Unfortunately, we have a very long way to go to get people in education to begin to understand the role our children's hands must play in their learning.