Educational Benefits of the Arts in Education
Current studies have shown that involvement in the arts promotes academic
achievement and increases self-confidence. Kids who are involved in the arts read more often and are more involved in their communities.
The facts are that incorporating the arts in education:
- Levels the learning field across socio-economic boundaries
- Makes learning more interactive, creative and fun thus improving attendance
- Strengthens problem solving and critical thinking skills
- Helps students develop goal setting, a positive work ethic and pride in a job well done
- Assists at-risk youth by providing an alternative approach to learning
- Gives students a greater appreciation for the creative process and the work of others
- Provides exposure to the greater world outside their community
Resources:
YouthARTS Development Project; National Endowment for the Arts; Americans for the Arts; Edutopia; Involvement in the Arts and Success in Secondary School-James S. Catterall; The UCLA Imagination Project, Graduate School of Education & Information Studies- UCLA; Living the Arts through Language + Learning: A Report on Community-based Youth Organizations- Shirley Brice Heath; Stanford University and Carnegie Foundation For the Advancement of Teaching. Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development – Arts Education Partnership; SAT Scores of Students Who Study the Arts: What We Can and Cannot Conclude about the Association, The Journal of Aesthetic Education-Kathryn Vaughn and Ellen Winner.