For example, only one in four eighth graders reported being asked to sing or play a music instrument at least once a week. Not surprisingly, when students were tested for their knowledge and skills in the arts, those with frequent instruction did better than those who had fewer classes, according to results of the first National Assessment of Educational Progress in the arts. For example, when asked to sing, create music and perform dances, students who had instruction at least once a week scored twice as high as students who didn't study music. The NAEP study, often called the nation's report card, was done in 1997 on a representative sample of students across the nation attending both public and private schools. Previous report cards have assessed students' performance in math, history, reading and science.
Arts education can be a creative way of connecting young people into education.
What fascinates me is how the education of a child, using the Orff approach and its elemental emphasis of speech, movement, playing, improvising and singing, fosters the further development of all the intelligences, singly and together. Creating children who will thrive when they are adults is our single most important task as parents and teachers. Music touches every aspect of what it takes to thrive. It is definitely important to children in school. Some of the things that you can do, as Fine Arts educators, is to place factual information in our school newsletters to keep parents informed of the value of music education.