BENEFITS OF ARTS TO KIDS Continued • Celebrate your child’s artwork – hang their drawings on the wall or save it in a folder. That way, your child feels that her creation is important. • Read books – Ask the librarian at your school or public library to suggest books about artists and the arts. • Arts introduce children to cultures from around the world • Your kid can blossom and excel in the arts. Even with physical, emotional or learning challenges, can experience success in the arts.
• Arts build confidence. Because there is not just one right way tomake art, every child can feel pride in his or her original artistic creations. • Arts build community. Schools with a variety of differences can celebrate the arts as one community. According toKimberly Sheridan, Ed.D., coauthor of Studio Thinking: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education, “It’s not as easy to test the skills that children learn from the arts, but that doesn’t make themany less important”. She noted though that participating in a school arts program increases a child’s ability to: • Observe the world carefully and discard preconceptions in order to envision something and then create it • Go beyond just learning a skill to express a personal voice • Problem-solve and persist despite frustration and setbacks • Reflect on the results and ask what could improve them Researchers from the Michigan State University have found a very strong correlation between childhood engagement in the creative arts and measurable success later in life. Children who were exposed to a wide variety of arts and crafts were more likely to create unique inventions that is worthy of patents, come up with ideas good enough to start a new company, or publish provocative papers on science and technology. The researchers suggest that children exposed to arts and crafts are able to think “out of the box” since a lot of working with hands involve figuring out how to solve problems creatively. After studying many scientists Co-authors Robert and Michele Root-Bernstein reached this conclusion: “The most eminent and innovative among them are significantly more likely to engage in arts and crafts avocations” than the average Joe. Arts education and appreciationwere also found to have benefits on young people’s brains. In a study by researchers fromUniversity of Kansas, students who were selected to visit amuseumshows stronger critical thinking skills, displayed higher levels of social tolerance, exhibited greater historical empathy and developed a taste for art museums and cultural institutions. Also, exposure to arts and the humanities is one important way to foster creativity in children. The following are tips to make the arts a part of your kid’s development: • Always make arts and crafts supply available and accessible to your kid – paper, pencil, crayons, etc.
• Notice the arts all around you – take your family tomuseums, concerts, or theater. Notice the art even in the parks, subways, and open spaces. Start a conversation about what you see. • Enjoy the arts at home – share your artistic skills and interests with your kid. Find out what your kids love about the art. If your kid shows great interest, enroll her in arts class.
Written by: Raise Smart Kids
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