If so, you may already know about the arts advantage in education. The arts help prepare children to read and write by developing visual and motor skills. Painting, drawing, and sculpture also help children learn to make choices, use memory, and express feelings. The educational benefits of other art forms, like dance, drama, and music, are also significant.
Major studies reveal multiple advantages when students participate in the arts.
The 1999 report Champions of Change found that students who participate in music and theater, for example, are highly likely to enjoy success in mathematics and reading. In addition, arts learning helps level the playing field for even the most disadvantaged children. The arts can reach students who are bored, failing at conventional studies, or otherwise disengaged from learning. The visual arts, dance, music, and theatre employ multiple skills and develop abilities that will be highly valued in our children's futures. The evolving workplace has increased the demand for creative thinkers who can generate ideas and communicate in a variety of media.