The Importance of the Arts

THE ARTS ARE IMPORTANT FOR YOUR CHILDREN

Participation and appreciation of the arts are important for all children. The love of music, expres­sion through dance, drama, or the visual arts are for everyone. They cross all socioeconomic and cultural boundaries. The encouragement of the arts goes beyond providing an environment where unusual talent thrives. They are truly important for children's healthy emotional and intellectual development Involvement in the arts builds confidence and sensitivity in children. The arts also teach related academic skills. Child­ren's participation in the arts is likely to lead to adult appreciation and cultural support for the arts. Artistic production has been the hallmark of all civilization.

Toddlers' dancing and singing are probably not the best predictors of their future artistic careers, although special talents in the arts usually do show themselves early. Preschoolers can participate in the arts early and informally at home or in day care. Musical tapes to sing, dance, and clap to may provide familiarity, fun, and an early consciousness of music. Singing and playing instruments will also enhance early reading and math and seem to improve spatial skills as well, Pencils, crayons, paints, and Play-Doh® encourage the early exploration that will lead to creative participation in and the appreciation of the visual arts.

Lessons in dance, drama, and art can begin early, provided they are informal and developmentally appropriate. More formal lessons can wait until children show specific interest. Involving children in lessons before they are ready for them may lead to pressures that can result in practice battles.

Schools often provide opportunities for children's involvement in the arts. Local museums usually include art classes, and ballet companies may provide dance classes for children. Dance lessons need not be restricted to girls. Private music teachers abound in almost every community. Drama classes may be more difficult to find. Your children's school teachers are probably good resources for information on community arts opportunities. In smaller communities where trained teachers may not be available, volunteer parents who have art backgrounds may be able to provide small classes for beginners.

Early teachers should emphasize your children's enjoyment of the arts. There is plenty of time for more disciplined approaches as your children develop their talent Children can be encouraged to participate in concerts and competitions as long as too much emphasis is not placed on winning. Too much enthusiasm about early competition victories can result in children's fears that they will not be able to meet such high expectations in the future.

Attendance at concerts, theaters, and museums helps children become familiar with the arts and appreciate the products of talented artists. It's important, however, not to overdo these visits or they may fight participation. In communities where live concerts or dance recitals are not available, television can provide wonderful exposure to the arts, provided parents encourage children to enjoy appropriate programming. Children are likely to watch if parents watch these performances with their children.

If one parent loves the arts and the other parent dislikes them, children in the family are likely to take sides. Some will love them while others will dislike them. Even if the whole family loves the arts, adolescents who are surrounded by peers who don't may be adversely affected by peer influence. However, if you continue to encourage without pressuring, your children will be back to their enjoyment again a few years later. Summer arts programs provide peer environments in which adolescents will feel safe in their arts appreciation.

The arts enrich all of our lives. If participation and appreciation of the arts are part of your parenting style, your children will make a contribution to our society as artists or audiences or both, and their lives will be fuller because you provided them with aesthetic opportunities.

Teacher Tips
ENCOURAGING THE ARTS
FOR YOUR STUDENTS

The arts can help you to enhance interest in learning in the regular curriculum as well as introducing art forms to students who have little other exposure to them. Here are some suggestions for arts and subject interfaces:
READING

• Learning to rhyme enhances learning to read. Music can introduce children to rhyme and reading. Even adolescents may benefit by reading the lyrics to their favorite songs.
• Drama encourages children to re­hearse reading their lines and builds confidence in their reading skills.
• Playing related music as background for specific reading assignments can help children to better understand the mood or atmosphere of literature. They may wish to select the music.
• Illustrating books and stories is appropriate in every grade. Children could do their own illustrating or may wish to select illustrations from magazines or groups of artists' prints.

MATHEMATICS

• Note reading can help children to understand number concepts including simple fractions.

• Drawing their home or room to scale is an excellent way to increase spatial skills.
• Clapping to music improves one's sense of rhythm and counting.
• Dance and movement steps enhance number concepts.

SOCIAL STUDIES

• The music, dance, and visual arts of a culture, a community, or a period of history will help children remember it.

• Creating art and music to help you remember a tune or a culture will enhance the understanding of that culture.

CREATIVE WRITING

• Writing the lyrics to match existing music enhances both writing arid the love of music.
• Learning a dance and writing stories about what the dance brings to mind combines an under­standing of dance and written expression.
• Writing stories about artists' crea­tions or creating art for stories are always effective.

©2009 by Sylvia B. Rimm. All rights reserved. This publication, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of the author.