Why Teach Art & Drama in Elementary Schools
The educational system places a high value upon standardized test scores. In the effort to raise scores, the fine arts are being slashed from many elementary school programs so that students can spend more time in the content area classroom. However, studies have shown that art and drama can teach children many skills that they cannot learn through pencil and paper activities. A fine arts education is essential to a child's mental and emotional development.
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Metacognitive Skills
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Art and drama are fundamental to academic learning because they foster thinking skills in children. Child psychiatrist Dr. Adam Blatner suggests that drama is an important part of the academic curriculum because the act of role playing teaches a child metacognitive skills. Metacognition is essentially the process of "thinking about thinking." When children role play, they assume the character of another person. This causes them to become aware of their thinking process. Children who are metacognitively aware have the ability to strategically analyze the information that they learn in school. This skill helps them to tackle assignments through planning and problem solving.
Comprehension
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According to art therapist Anna Reyner, the fine arts can improve children's comprehension skills. Children who draw pictures or create art activities after reading a story retain the information longer because the children are actively involved in the lesson. Children can also create puppets and act out stories. These activities can help them to remember the material that they have been taught. Children can use their writing skills to create skits and scripts for dramatic plays. In math, art can be used to teach complex ideas such as tangrams, symmetry and pattern recognition.
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Personal Growth
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Drama and art help children to develop personal and social skills. Gayle Jones, a theater educator, says that children who are involved in drama learn to accept constructive criticism. They build social skills by working with other children to complete performances. Drama also encourages children to become more confident about public speaking. Child psychiatrist Dr. Blatner feels that drama builds empathy in children because they have the opportunity to explore other people's viewpoints.
Art also can help build the self esteem of children because it allows them the opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings. It also fosters creativity and develops their ability to solve complex problems.
Improved Test Scores
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Studies have examined the correlation between fine arts and academic performance. For example, in 1999 UCLA professor Dr. James Catterall released the results of a study that followed 25,000 children over a 10-year period. He found that children who were involved in drama and music had higher reading and math skills than children who did not. In 2004 the Dana Foundation released the results of a three-year study headed by Dr. Michael S. Gazzaniga called "Learning, Arts and the Brain" that suggested fine arts instruction could help to focus children's attention and improve their thinking skills.
At-risk Learners
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For many students, content area studies are a struggle. Art and drama can boost the self esteem and the interest of children who are having difficulty in school. In 1995 a program called the YouthARTS Development Project began a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts to reach at-risk learners. They found that children who had the opportunity to become involved in art projects had better attitudes toward school, fewer behavior problems and higher self-esteem.
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- Photo Credit children pictures image by Vladimir Kirienko from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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Great article!
