Research Summary : School Supplies In The Classroom

To begin with, education and engagement in fine art programs are an essential part within the school curriculum because subjects such as mathematics, science, and language arts all require cognitive and creative capacities which are enhanced with the process of learning art. For instance, in the article, Critical Evidence: How the Arts Benefits Student Achievement, it states that “researchers

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.

“Students who study art are 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement and 3 times more likely to be awarded for school attendance” ("11 Facts about Arts in Education"). Music and art are clearly not two subjects that schools today can afford to cut off funding for based on this evidence. Music and art programs are responsible for increasing school attendance, which can lead to being one of the most important things in a student’s academic success in school. Students have to attend school and be present in order to attain the information from their classes and teachers if they wish to succeed. Better attendance means more students are in class, which means more students are getting the information they need to excel from their teachers, which ultimately means better grades and test scores for schools. As of today, arts are defined as core subjects in only twenty-six states in America (Mandel). If only twenty-six states are treating art education as a core subject, that means that twenty-four states are currently neglecting art programs and not considering them important to their student’s education. If more states are educated on the importance of art programs for young students, and the arts are defined as core subjects nationally, then there will be a

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.

Throughout the years, hundreds of studies have been conducted regarding the correlation of art, creativity and one’s ability to learn. Although there is no direct scientific explanation for the results of these studies, their numerous and repetitive findings give them credibility. Reading through studies conducted by the Dana Foundation as well as the Arts Education Partnership one can find correlations between an arts education and improved learning as well as attention. In terms of engagement, one Dana study found that:

There are many ways that this decision of keeping art out of the school is hurting the children instead of helping them. With the addition of art children get to develop their own creativity and thinking style. Exposure to art can have positive effects mentally on the child in numerous ways. In participating in artistic projects, children will be able to try and experiment with new ideas and techniques that will help them develop and learn cognitive skills, problem solving, and cause and effect.

The article details why many schools in America have money problems. Schools in low socio-economic areas spend less on students, however, students in these areas tend to have the greatest needs and require additional resources to aid with learning. School enrollment in more affluent areas receive more money and the needed resources and supplements to assist with learning. One example given in the article included a school in Chicago with 22 teachers and 145 students. This is a 6.5 student to teacher ratio. Additionally, each student in the school has an Individual learning plan and teachers with years of experience that earn more than $90,00 annually. The disparity in funding provided to schools throughout America may seem unfair, but

It can improve test scores and educational ability in many different ways. Participation in the arts program shows higher levels of confidence in academics than those who don't have instruction in this area. A study was done in 2004 addressing Psychological Science it was discovered that there is an increase in children's IQ's when they were given instruction in arts and music. In the article The Arts are a Vital Part of Education, it states, students who take fine arts classes are 4 times more likely to receive more recognition for academic achievement." Students who take fine arts classes also tend to have more skill in learning and developing languages. Communication is extremely important in a student's life, therefore having the fine arts program to increase speaking skill is beneficial to the student. Performing arts not only allows children to not only listen to music but to play music which enhances their verbal capacities and

Fifty plus years ago students had to use type writers. In the present students get to use computers. In the past some teachers had to use black chalk boards to teach. Today some teachers use smartboards. In the past and in the present students use books, paper, and pencils although the present day has more advances in technology. In the article, “In the Future, Diverse Approaches to schooling”, the author described how all types of schools need more flexible use of money to allow technology resources (Hill and

Students who took four years of art classes scored an average of 91 points higher on the SAT than those who took less than a year. Art and music classes, especially when taken at a younger age, improve a wide range of motor skills, from hand-eye coordination to spatial-temporal skills. A study by E. Glenn Schellenberg at the University of Toronto at Mississauga found that first-graders who were given weekly piano and voice lessons had an average of 3 points higher IQ than those who didn’t have the classes. Another study from Harvard found that students who take art classes are and 3 times more likely to earn bachelor’s degrees than those who don’t. The same study also discovered that students who didn’t take art classes are also 5 times more likely to drop out of high school.

Reports conducted points to improvement in mathematics, science, and language that requiring complex cognitive and creative capacities that are related to fine art education.

“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).

No one will never know what music is to this child simply because art programs have been erased from schools, all due to budgeting issues. Concerts, art shows, and televised programs gone, just like dust in the wind. The loss of arts in the schools not only negatively affects the employees and teachers, but also hurts the development of children, as well as young adults. It limits their creative side along with other important aspects in their lives. Though it costs a lot of money to fund these programs and many think these programs are unimportant, artistic influences are critical to child development and should be encouraged in schools. There have been studies that show that

There are people who think that the arts have no value as it does not help with child development and it hinders academic results. This is not true as mentioned earlier, the arts have a great effect on students academic achievements and it also helps with child development. Math scores increase depending on the art course being taken by the students. Students who took acting/play production or music theory courses had the highest math scores and the highest verbal scores as well.(Vaughn, Kathryn, and Ellen Winner 8) Art courses help child development and adolescent development as well. “Research conducted reveals that art learning experiences alter the attitudes of young people toward themselves and others and that students involved in theater arts show gains in reading proficiency as well as self-control, motivation, empathy and tolerance for others.

    The arts engage students who may not be engaged in other classes. The YouthARTS Development Project and the National Endowment for the Arts and the United States Justice Department engaged in at-risk youth in art programs showed that the participants had an increased ability to work with others and were able to finish tasks, had better attitudes towards school, had fewer court referrals, and had an improved self-esteem (Arts and Smarts: Test Scores and Cognitive Development).