Many people have often wondered if children really benefit from taking part in the arts or if the arts are just an excuse to get out of class and play, considering that the arts are usually the first to go when it comes to school budget-cuts. This paper will discuss the arts and how they benefit the education and development of children. Some of the arts discussed in this paper will include visual arts, drama, music, and dance. One of the articles chosen to study for this paper is “Learning In and Through the Arts: Curriculum Implications” by Judith Burton, Robert Horowitz, and Hal Abeles from the Center for Arts Education Research Teachers College, Columbia University in July of 1999. The other article chosen was “Involvement in the Arts …show more content…
In those meetings, they “examined field notes, pupils’ artwork, writing, and photo-documentation of in-school activities (Burton, Horowitz & Abeles, 1999)”. These professionals observed a range of schools with no arts programs to schools with three or four arts programs (Burton, Horowitz & Abeles, 1999).
The authors of the article “Learning In and Through the Arts: Curriculum Implications” separated students into two categories for comparing needs. The groups consisted of “high-arts group” where students were exposed to more arts programs in their schooling, and a “low-arts group” where students maybe had one or two arts programs in their education. When they compared the two groups, they “saw immediately that the high-arts group consistently outscored the low-arts group on measures of creative thinking and teachers’ perceptions of artistic capabilities (Burton, Horowitz & Abeles, 1999)”. Students in the high-arts group also received better scores according to their academic teachers. Students “in the high-arts group were stronger than those in low-arts groups in their ability to express their thoughts and ideas, exercise their imaginations, and take risks in learning (Burton, Horowitz & Abeles, 1999)”. High-arts group students also seemed more willing to display what they have learned in front of different audiences. It has also been found
Many schools have stopped funding the arts such as painting, sculpture, and the band. But schools should continue to fund the arts because on average youth who participate in the arts have a higher grade point average, and a lower dropout rate. It is becoming more and more common now a days that schools are not being funded properly so they have to cut the “non-academic” classes. And the arts including band, drawing, sculpture, and photography tend to fall victim to these cuts. And this isn’t just occurring in the United States it is happening all across the world. 1.
All around the United States, art programs are being cut out of the budget in public schools. The arts include dance, band, chorus, theatre, film, drawing, painting, photography and literary arts. Some school board members feel these art programs are not necessary and do not benefit the students in any way. Elementary, middle, and high school students are forced to quit their passion and feel that their talents are not supported by their schools. Although many are not aware, there is a strong connection between arts education and academic achievement. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts in many public schools, the art classes are first on the list to be cut. It is important that the students, parents and teachers
Math, science, history, and literature are some of the key subjects taught in schools. Students learn many skills needed for college in these courses. However, students cannot be truly prepared unless they have had the opportunity to express their creativity throughout elementary and high school. Many people support keeping the arts in schools because of the opportunities these programs provide students of all ages with. Though money might be an issue when it comes to supporting and funding the arts in schools, there are ways to overcome these obstacles. While subjects such as math, science, literature, and history are extremely important for students of all ages to learn, the visual and performing arts in school should be recognized with
When children take the arts classes it promotes self-directed learning, school attendance improves, and their critical and creative skill improve along with it.
Art is around us everywhere we go. Art can be in architecture, landscaping, performances and paintings. The arts can affect the way people think and how they act, like when a young child draws or paints a picture, they have to make small choices that can help them in many aspects of life. BUt sadly the beneficial education tool of The Arts has been in a rapid decline. In her article, School Art Programs: Should They Be Saved?, Valeria Metia says, “During the 1999-2000 school year, 20 percent of schools offered dance and theatre classes, but in the 2009-10 school year, only 3 percent of schools allocated funds for dance classes, and only 4 percent taught theatre.” Since this decrease in art programs students ages 5-18 are missing out on valuable characteristics in their education. Art gives students improved test scores and better thinking skills, significantly higher graduation rates,better performance in schoolwork,development of habits including problem solving, critical and creative thinking, and working with others and a happier and better school day. SInce art is so beneficial to a student's learning we should push harder and get art programs into our public schools again.
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.
There once was a time in our society that the arts took a strong role in the lives of our young youth and community, but the stress of regulations and test requirements has put the arts in the hot seat. There is no amount of fine art that students would not benefit from if teachers consistently incorporated it in their classrooms. The importance of arts should not be thrown aside for the sake of achieving test scores. There are 6 critical reasons why communities should not be so quick to cut the arts programs and unintentionally hinder students growth.
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.
Arts and music even benefits younger children. A study was done with Goodlow Elementary Magnet School, Whittier Elementary and Boone Elementary, three elementary schools in Chicago with high ethnic diversity. The study found that 4th graders who started an arts education program had an 11.5% point gain on standardized test scores by the time they started 6th grade just two years later. Just two years. Imagine what the gain would be if these students continued in music for the rest of their
These benefits make it imperative that in all aspects of primary schools there is a great emphasis being placed on ensuring that the Arts are being integrated through all key learning areas. The benefits encompass “students having the ability to become problem solvers, creative thinkers, risk takers; to be more cooperate and independent in their learning and to seek self expression and a better self concept” (Burton et al., 1999 In Byrant, 2007). In today’s society, possessing these skills are vital. It is vital that primary schools are continually ensuring, that all educators are utlising the resources available when using the Arts through all key learning areas. Through this the importance of integrating the Arts is evident as students are provided to a “greater exposure and experience to assist develop these essential skills” (Byrant, 2007). On the other hand, it is important to understand that not all educators have a passion for the Arts. Due to this, there may be less of a focus on the Arts within the classroom, as those educators feel like they do not have the appropriate skills or background. Furthermore, students whom learn best through the Arts are more likely to disengage and lose interest in learning, as the Arts has not been integrated with other key learning
This survey records the habits of mind, personal attitudes and social abilities intrinsic to arts education. Moreover, review of the article has identified that students learning the arts would have the better influence on their mind for other subjects such as mathematics, reading, and social studies. Students who are enrolled in art classes experience improvement in other domains of life and course subject to learning. A report of the national survey, which has used a federal database of more than 25,000 students, the analyst found that students who were involved in any program of arts in any way gave better performance on standardized achievement exam than students who do not participate in the education of arts. A very general viewpoint about learning experience is that it includes some transformation both in education and life inside the school or outside the school life. However, the extent and nature of this transformation remain a subject of interest for the researchers. (Ellen,
“The arts are an essential element of education, just like reading writing, and arithmetic…music dance, painting, and theatre are all keys that unlock profound human understanding and accomplishment” (William Bennett, Former US Secretary of Education).
William Bennet, the former US Secretary of Education, claims “The arts are an essential element of education . . . music, dance, painting . . . are all keys that unlock profound human understanding and accomplishment” (ilmea.org, 2016, para 11). The arts are a crucial component to the success of students overall experience in the academic setting. Students exposed in the arts throughout their educational experience endure more benefits then those who go throughout school with no exposure to them. Schools must require creative art programs in the K-12 curricula, because of the academic, emotional, and social benefits for students.
The gratitude gained from assignments in the arts greatly impact their performance in class. Winner Ellen stated in her article on arts throughout the school day, “from improving their ability to express themselves and honing their creativity, to promoting the value of hard work in achieving certain objectives, arts education can push children and adolescents to become more effective students and, in the long run, can better prepare them to navigate the challenges of the 21st century” (Ellen, Stéphan). The improvement that is seen in the classroom is observed here. The author is saying that the classroom will become a more effective aspect of schools when the arts are incorporated into the system. Many times educators overlook the arts and they are not included into basic learning, this in turn causes the classroom to lack some of the skills that are achieved in the
In order for the arts to survive in the United States of America, we need to raise the amount per capita and also be sure that the amount is equal for all fifty states. “Funds have been cut in more than 80 percent of U.S. school districts since 2008. The very first programs to go are often disciplines such as music, art and foreign language” (Boyd). As a student, thinking about going to a school without the opportunity to learn about and enjoy the arts is miserable. The arts create an extraordinary learning, safe, and social environment for students all over the world.