Remember back to the good old days of elementary school when you got to draw, paint, sculpt, sing, play instruments, dance, and/or participate in plays. It was fun, wasn’t it? Many elementary school students enjoy the arts as part of their daily activities in the school. For many elementary students, it is their chance to do something they actual like to do.
Yeah its fun for the students, but are they actually getting anything from the arts. In the New York Times article The Arts Come Alive In School Programs , by Merri Rosenberg, Barbara Levine, a Hillside Elementary art teacher, said: ''The idea with art is that they have to make decisions. It's creative problem solving and using critical thinking skills.''
The arts allow children to express themselves. They give the students an opportunity to show their creativity in a way other subjects cannot. In most cases, the arts give the students opportunities to develop their intrapersonal relationships as well as developing interpersonal relationships. Results from national research on arts education emphasize the benefits of the arts in schools.
Do you think it is important to have the arts as part of the elementary school curriculum? If so, how much time should be devoted to the arts? If not, why? Can the students really gain anything from participating in the arts? What are your suggestions for the elementary schools?
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4 comments:
I believe that the arts are an integral part of the elementary school ciriculum. I remember being in music and art classes in grade school and along with that I remember them testing me. I never thought of myself as creative, but I was able to express myself and think critically along with the fact that I actually enjoyed those class, which gave me a break in order to stay focused in my other classes. I would definitely continue to enforce the art and music classes in elementary schools.
I believe it is very important to have art and music classes as part of elementary school education. It allows kids to express themselves artistically and musically. Some schools may not think that music and art are critical to children's education and when those schools lack funding, these programs are the first on the list to be cut.
VH1.com's Save The Music Foundation is a nonprofit organiziation that aims to restore music programs in schools. Because of lack of funding at certain schools, music programs are the first to get cut. Music classes are important because, especially in the early years of elementary school children,can improve cognitive development. Not only that but the Save the Music Foundation states, "musical study develops critical thinking and self discipline skills, basic math and reading abilities, self-esteem, SAT scores, ability to work in teams, spatial reasoning skills, and school attendance." Music education also contributes to kids graduating fom high school, attending college, smaller chance of gang involvement and substance abuse.
In an article from Oklahoma based newspaper, TulsaWorld, Remington Elementary School is fighting to save their art program that was cut due to an approximately 30-children drop in the school's enrollment. Project CREATES, a nonprofit organization, along with parents of the children attending the school are helping to raise funds to restore the art program. A parent, May Long, said "Most of the children will not have the luxury to be exposed to art in their home environment."
It is critical that elementary school children are exposed to art and music because it exercises their creative minds and allows them to excell in other aspects of their lives.
It is vitally important to have art programs in the elementary level curriculum. You cannot measure how much time spent devoting to one subject. Some people might say that other subjects their art more important; for instance science. They might argue that it has more value but then again, that is just their opinion. The arts provide young children with a chance to express themselves. All children express themselves in different ways. In Lisa’s comment she said that the arts program is usually one of the first to be cut and I agree with that. It is very true and very sad to say the least. Allowing children to participate in the arts will keep them out of trouble, not to mention they might be doing something that will benefit them in the future. Watching children drawing a simple picture to painting a masterpiece will put a smile on their face because they know that they have accomplished something valuable and dear.
It is important to have the arts as part of the elementary school curriculum. Art helps shake people out of their daily routines, provides them with new ways of thinking, and is a necessity for visual and tactile learners. A young child might not be able to express how he or she views the world through an academic paper, but their ideas about their existence can be illuminated rather colorfully through crayon or colored pencil drawing project. The public schools should set aside some time during the week to dedicate to art and the art of doing things well rather than hastily. Having art in the school provides the majority of the population to have some experience with art, even if they have to buy their own supplies.
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