The Importance of Art in Education
Learning outside of a normal classroom setting and nurturing creative abilities is crucial to the development of our children. Through the arts a healthy learning culture is adopted - children learn to share with others, express their feelings and make decisions among a whole multitude of other life skills.
Theoretical learning gives our children the building blocks, but it’s the practical side of learning that encourages them to take this knowledge and create something. By actually doing and making sense of their learning through hands on experiences our children naturally find ways to put their new found knowledge to use, in turn making learning a more positive aspect of life.
Incorporating music, painting and performing arts to name a few, into the early learning lives of our children we can encourage a range of important abilities. Helping them to make connections between the arts and other subjects such as math, language and science. The importance of art is not something we can push aside, since studies by Americans for the Arts report that young people who regularly participate in the arts are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievements.
Just by looking at the visual arts alone we can see that student’s creating and discussing their creative pieces can help them identify sizes, and shapes which in turn improves their understanding of mathematical concepts. Science is present at all stages, from the texture of paint as it dries to the changing of its colour when two or more are mixed. A child’s vocabulary is enriched when they talk about their art and what it means to them, this language development will also increase their social skills as they share materials with others, and they assume responsibility for the cleaning up that follows.
We understand that as a result of our current education system art programs are being greatly reduced across the country, so our greeting card project combines the creation of art by students with a fundraising aspect for their school. Having children actively participate in the success of the fundraiser itself gives them a sense of community, further developing their practical learning skills.