Otto Salomon believed that every elementary school teacher should teach both practical and theoretical subjects. He developed a method that was taught at Nääs. The Nääs Method meant that students worked from models and drawings. No preliminary exercises were allowed. All work was to result in fully usable and useful objects.
A number of objects, models, were made in a specific order. The models were arranged in a series, the model series, where small and simple objects were followed by larger and more complicated ones.
During the production, a number of exercises were carried out with different tools. The exercises were graded by difficulty. In working on each model, the student repeated previous exercises and learned some new ones. Otto constantly emphasized the importance of progressing from easy to difficult and from concrete to abstract. It was the young person’s development through the sloyd work that was important, not the final product. The basic rules of the system were not to be disturbed. The methodology and the models, however, were to be adapted to the region or country where the teacher was active. Teachers were encouraged to develop their own models, while the exercises were retained. When the students had achieved a certain technical skill, they could be given freedom in their creation.
In the old seminar building, there is a fine little museum that tells about the activities. It is possible to book a tour of the museum and the seminar area.
For more information, email info@naas.se or call 0302-30898.
