There is a rationale for the Arts in Education. Many educators, as well as persons directly concerned with the arts, share the conviction that the arts are a means for expressing and interpreting human behavior and experience. It follows, therefore, that the education of children is incomplete if the arts are not part of the daily teaching and learning process. Arts in education programs are designed to make all of the arts integral to the general, or basic, education of every child in all school systems. Specific ways that the arts can contribute to the general education of every child are:
The arts provide a medium for personal expression, a deep need experienced by children and adults. Children’s involvement in the arts can be a strong motivating force for improved communication through speaking and writing as well as through drawing and singing. The arts involve the elements of sound, movement, color, shape, space, line and language all of which are underlying many subjects in the curriculum.
“Keep the Arts in the Schools” is a major effort nationwide now being supported by art education advocates and teachers.
For more information contact Jaylene Armstrong, retired art educator from Madison Wisconsin, at 661-255-3050.