While reading both opinions on how art, whether it be music or paintings, does or does not improve cognitive ability, I’ve come to the conclusion that it does. The articles that were in favor of the arts had great points. They were able to state their point of view, while backing it up with research and scientific facts. The articles against the arts stated that they do not improve learning ability, but rather auditory and visual skills. Despite auditory and visual skills not directly improving a child’s learning ability, they are still a substantial part in child development. Even so, the author of the passage still acknowledged creative imagination’s potential to help a child perform better in learning assessments and IQ tests. Involving in art in the school system, whether that’s learning about it or having the students do it themselves, really can improve school performance in several ways, including heightening brain activity, making them more attentive and enhancing their wellbeing. …show more content…
A month later, the students were able recall the paintings they saw in great detail, and were able to sympathize, which allowed more interpretations of the art. In the article Science Says Art Will Make Your Kids Better Thinkers (and Nicer People), Jay P. Greene, a professor and researcher on the study had found "a big increase in how observant students were if they went to the art museum.” The improvement in their observation skills was immense from just one visit to the art museum. Compared to children that did not partake in the activity, “they were much better at seeing details in the new painting than those who did not go.” One trip to the museum had made great changes, imagine what a whole art program in the education system could
Art education is connected to everything we say we want for our children and our schools. Arts pave the way for academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement, and equitable opportunity. Arts education contributes to a positive education environment, fueling motivation to learn by enhancing skills in thinking and sociability. Exposure to the arts and learning in the arts impart proficiencies in language and mathematics.
As the articles states that "research suggests that skills learned in playing an instrument may mirror effective reading" (Cho, D. L., & Vitale, D. L., 2014). I agree with this because you need to learn how to read the music notes, just like you have to learn how to read to read a book. So, when a child is learning to play an instrument they gain knowledge and skills that could be used in many other ways. Also, learning to perform music has many other skills that you could use in other subjects and in the long-term because when you learn to play a musical instrument you gain skills that improve your capabilities of your memory (Cho, D. L., & Vitale, D. L., 2014). They will also gain teamwork skill because when you play an instrument you are most likely part of band and also, in order to make music you need to work with others (Matthews, M., 2011). Also, increasing coordination, hand eye coordination because when playing an instrument, you need read the notes and play the instrument at the same time. How I can incorporate art into the curriculum is by playing music in the classrooms this is a great way to incorporate music a little bit at a
One reason they should not be cut from schools is, fine arts have tremendous benefits. The arts also help with early childhood development. Some say they are the building blocks of child development. Arts education helps with motor skills, language development, decision making, visual learning, inventiveness, cultural awareness and diversity, and even improved academic performance. High arts education in a school engages, learning, results in higher test scores, and lowers drop out and truancy rates.
Studies have shown that art programs help the development of the brain by improving “mental representations of what is observed or imagined; symbolic, allegorical and metaphorical representations; careful observation of the world; and abstraction from complexity”(How the Arts). So why would the school board or government allow budget cuts in school art programs if it helps improve a child's development of the brain? Even though language arts and mathematics are important and basic courses that every student may need in the future, art programs should not have budget cuts because it helps improve a child’s learning ability and understanding of the world around them. It also helps students and children in low income communities that may not have
• Visual art classes help develop motor skills in young children in elementary schools. Topic 3: Fine arts can be beneficial on student’s performance. • Art education improves student’s performance in core academic subjects. • Students with four years of art courses scored 91 points higher on SAT exams than those who took half a year or less.
Famous Spanish artist, Pablo Picasso, once said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Schools all around the United States are closing their arts programs including music, art, and theatre, because of budget cuts. More than 25% of public high schools have closed done away with their arts programs. Blogger Katrina Soliman stated in her blog about the lack of creative opportunities in school, “Children have a knack for originality” and “Schools advise students to be creative but do not give time to do so.” The arts, however, are very important to children while they learn to grow and there have been hundreds of studies showing why they’re important. They improve test scores, give students creative ideas after high school and there are also other nonacademic uses.
One of the many benefits the fine arts have is that if schools made their fine arts programs mandatory it would increase their IQ scores. To start with, an intelligence quotation or IQ test measures the students potential, not how intelligent they are. Joanne Lipman writer of “A Musical Fix for U.S. Schools” reports that the fine arts give potential to their students:
The brain is divided into two separate bisections, the left and right hemisphere, children need both sides of the brain innervated in order to learn properly. The left hemisphere is responsible for perceiving information more logically and analytically, it is the side that processes things math, science, and writing. Whilst the right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for more imaginative creative thinking, the importance of developing both segments of the brain is not something that should be overlooked. With the aid of the arts, children see there are an infinite set of different perspective, each complexity is in the eye of the beholder, this shapes how kids view and react to problems. Every child is different, and art can be compromised to each child's individual personality in a way math and science cannot. This results in separate individuals and a diverse society where no one is the same. Since the beginning, humans have naturally been innovative and found experimental ways to negotiate through life. Creativity is valued in any career path, just as much as logic, employers are looking for fresh new ideas rather than regurgitated information. For example in his article Anthony Fasano, a internationally known inspirational speaker who specializes in
Fine arts in schools have been debated for years. While many programs still exist, children are told that their fine arts education will not help them in school, or in life. This is false under all circumstances, as with the right teacher and motivation, a student can grow a passion for the arts. Though studies are still being conducted, there is great evidence that the fine arts are beneficial in the overall education of a student, as well as the world as a whole. Art programs should be kept in schools because of their amazing impact on the academic and personal lives of those who connect to it.
Some people look at art as something trivial, a thing people do because they are too lazy to have a professional occupation, but to others, art engulfs their whole world, gives life meaning, and they feel as if talent is only gained by hard work. With these opinions, there can be a debate on including art in education, and whether or not the education system should be putting more of an emphasis on teaching children art. Specifically visual art, although there are valid arguments on why other spectrums of the arts should also be taught in school.
The extensive history of art as we know it draws back to the primitive cave drawings of our ancestors from tens of thousands of years ago. Since then, it has evolved in a multitude of ways, taking on many different forms, mediums, and techniques. Art is a reflective work; in it we are able to find emotion, inner thought, life events, culture, nature, time periods, etc. Above all, this allows us to recognize the defining characteristics and methods that many artists employ to appeal to our senses. Heinrich Wolfflin, an art historian, went about categorizing art according to whether it appeals primarily to the emotion or to the intellect. By examining for such styles through their characteristics in the paintings The Madonna and Child with Saints Louis of Toulouse, John the Evangelist, and Donors by David Ghirlandaio and The Sinking of the Titanic by Max Beckmann, I was able to determine the former displays intellectual art and the latter displays emotional art.
Students who are in art related classes tend to have higher grades in college and more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree. Art research has proven that low socioeconomic status students have even greater increases in college grades, academic performance, and great paying jobs in their future. “Statistics show thirty percent of low socioeconomic status students tend to have more opportunities in the workforce taking art related classes in their schools” ("10 Studies on the Importance of Art in Education"). Most agree Americans that arts are part of a well-rounded K-12 education and should be taken is important as the common core class. “Students who have access to art education have higher GPAs and standardized test scores” (Gifford). Students who benefit from art education in their youth are more likely to excel in their future jobs. Studies reveal art education can influence students to see from a different perspective and makes them more likely to problem solve much quicker compared to students who did not get to benefit from art education. “Creativity is among the top 5 applied skills sought by business leaders—with 72 percent saying creativity is of high importance when hiring” (Cohen). Creativity formed during a young age can be of importance in the outside world when hiring. Art education can unify communities regardless of race, age, and ethnicity. Students can be helped to understand other cultures
Another essential reason to teach art is the need for some students to use his/her right brain more. There will always be students who tend to use his/her right brain more than the left and while the areas which involve the left brain are emphasized in daily class work, very often the right brain functions are overlooked. Howard Gardener’s multiple intelligences show us there are many ways in which children learn. Author Tamim Ansary says in his article More Art, Better Schools that, “according to Howard Gardener's theory of multiple intelligences, there are at least seven distinct types of intelligence, maybe more. The mainstream, art-poor school curriculum caters to students with logical or linguistic intelligence. And the kids in whom spatial, social, or some other intelligence dominates? They get left out” (Ansary).
Schools that offer fine arts classes have lower dropout rates and raised attendance. The fine arts positively impact students of lower socioeconomic status more those of a higher status. The fine arts have no barriers for race, religion, and culture when it comes to being involved in the arts. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to be involved (Katy Independent School District). Without the arts these students have no outlet for creative capabilities and no way to express their talents. Students who need this way of expressing themselves are overlooked and they are the ones who need it the most (Dickson). When viewing the participation of arts in the eyes of a ten-year old, “It cools kids down after all the other hard stuff they have to think about” (Arts and Smarts: Test Scores and Cognitive Development).
“People are forgetting that math is taught when a child is playing an instrument. English is taught when a child is reading or writing a script. Critical thinking is taught when a child is analyzing art” (Sabrina Holcomb). There is a significant correlation between participating in the arts, and success in school. Multiple studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between playing an instrument, and an increase in scores in mathematical subject. In these studies, it was also noted that students who were more creative were better problem solvers than students who were not as creative. All of these characteristics are sought after in the work force, meaning that the arts not only help during the school years, but in work and business as well (Ron Whitehorne). Also, it is important to note that “Low-income students who had arts-rich experiences in high schools were more than three times as likely to earn a B.A. as low-income students without those experiences. And the new study from the National Endowment reports that low-income high school students who earned little or no arts credits were five times more likely not to graduate from high school than low-income students who earned many arts credits” (Tyleah Hawkins). The arts have always been used as a form of expression and inspiration for people across the world, the arts have also been shown to improve high-risk student's outlook on their schooling. Research has shown that the arts help improve standardized test scores like the ACT or SAT (Tyleah Hawkins).People who support the arts believe that quality art education can help engage at-risk students in ways that other subjects such as math, science, or reading cannot. This is why it is believed that the arts are a key tool in the prevention of high-school dropout. There are many studies that point to a lower dropout rate for students who participate in