Sloyd began in Sweden in the 1870’'s as a public school program focusing on the educational benefits of woodworking. The founders believed that when children are engaged in the process of using hand tools to craft things out of wood, then the eye, the hand, and the mind work together to develop the whole person.

Today, the Sloyd program at McCarthy-Towne is an integral part of the school curriculum. We believe that the benefits of crafting things by hand and learning studio habits is crucial in a child's educational experience. All students come to the Sloyd studio every week and are engaged in art-making processes that stimulate imagination, refine perception, develop technical skills and promote pride in craftsmanship.

As part of the larger Acton Public School Art Department, the ovaerall goals and guiding principles taught in Sloyd are consistent with the art curriculum in the other elementary schools. But, the primary emphasis is on sculptural work. Units of study in Sloyd encourage kids to think, plan, and solve problems in three dimensions. Children transform traditional and non-traditional materials into expressive sculptural mediums.

Sculpting with wood and learning how to competently use hand tools such as hammers, coping saws, rasps, and files, is an important aspect of Sloyd, yet each grade also explores the potential of an array of other materials. Children also build with clay, form with papier-mâché, bend and shape with wire and paper, and weave with fibers.