The arts support learning across the curriculum. A classroom that celebrates the arts is a safe and joyful learning environment. When teachers combine the arts with other subjects, they create exciting and vivid learning experiences, which enhance learning across many subject areas. For Example: Acting out a favorite story, describing a painting or performing a puppet show can support reading and writing skills. Observing and describing are important skills for both science and art. The arts give us the opportunity to educate the whole child… to allow every child a chance to raise his or her self-esteem and become a life-long lover of the arts. Through the arts my child discovers – there is often more than one right answer – there are multiple points of view – school can be fun – playing can be learning.
My child learns – to express feelings, with and without words – to observe and describe, analyze and interpret – to think creatively, with an open mind – to collaborate with other children and with adults.
The arts introduce children to cultures from around the world. Children learn about their own culture of origin, and about the arts of past and present cultures. The arts help to preserve and celebrate the cultures of many nations. The arts bridge differences – All children can blossom and excel in the arts. Children with physical, emotional or learning challenges can experience success in the arts.
The arts build confidence because there is not just one right way to make art; every child can feel pride in his or her original artistic creations. The arts build community. Strong communities need great schools and great schools have strong arts programs. The arts can bring a whole school together. A school with a wide variety of differences can celebrate the arts as one community. The federal “No Child Left Behind” lists the arts as a ‘core academic subject’ area, along with math, reading, science and other subjects. Parents can make a difference. Offer to hang kid’s artwork in the classroom or hallways. Find out how to start or join an arts committee. Offer to bring your artistic skills into the classroom. Help to organize a family arts celebration.
Volunteer at an arts event to help with food, transportation or set-up. Ask a parent or teacher to talk about school arts programs at the next PTA meeting. Talk to other parents about the arts in the school. It is important to make the arts part of your every day family life. Notice the arts all around you.
Take your family to art in public spaces-parks, galleries and museums. Listen to all sorts of music. Ask your child what he notices and start a conversation about what the child has noticed. Include the importance of arts education in your child’s life each day.
For more information contact Jaylene Armstrong, retired art educator from Madison Wisconsin, at 661-255-3050.