Arts and the Brain
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Comment| Wednesday, April 30th, 2008 | Emily Halevy | CWK Producer |
“When they’re learning about drama, they’re also incorporating storytelling. When they’re making a picture, they’re also learning about different cultures, so they’re bringing in history, social studies. When we learn about linear perspective, it’s geometry.”
– Becky Sharpe, K-12 art specialist
While some schools have cut back on arts programs to make time for more “academic” subjects, some experts argue that’s exactly the opposite of what schools should be doing. In fact, researchers have found that participating in the arts could actually make kids smarter.
Twelve-year-old Jordan says there’s more to his art class than just art.
“There’s geometry…so that’s shapes, which art is. You have to use shapes and colors,” says Jordan.
Can art classes help students in their core subjects of reading, writing and math?
Adrian Dallas, 12, thinks so. "I remember one time I went to art and came back and had a test, and I got an ‘A’ on it, so it may have had something to do with it," Adrian says.
Did art class help Adrian get that A?
Researchers at University of California - Santa Barbara studied brain imaging and behavior and found that studying the arts improves overall brain function, including math, literacy and short- and long-term memory.
“When they’re learning about drama, they’re also incorporating storytelling. When they’re making a picture, they’re also learning about different cultures, so they’re bringing in history, social studies. When we learn about linear perspective, it’s geometry,” says Becky Sharpe, K-12 art specialist.
What’s more, experts say, art helps develop creativity.
“Whether you’re in math, whether you’re in science class, you’re looking at the world as a creative problem- solver. And I think that’s very liberating and it makes learning exciting,” says Sharpe.
Another advantage to having the arts in school is that many kids like music or art or drama … and those classes help them enjoy going to school.
“They are the ‘fire in the belly,’ as they call it, that keeps children coming to school,” says Sharpe. “This is the place where [kids feel] ‘I can be me, be accepted as an individual.’”
Alex, 9, agrees. “If you do a really good job, you’ll feel better about yourself,” he says.
Eleven-year-old Scott adds, “In art, you look at other people and express yourself more. It’s like you talk more.”
Tips for Parents
Researchers from the Arts Education Partnership (AEP) reviewed 62 studies of how dance, music, drama, visual arts and other arts education affected student achievement. They found that strong arts programs are linked to improving many skills:
- Reading and language development: Certain forms of arts instruction enhance and complement basic reading instruction aimed at helping children "break the phonetic code" that unlocks written language. Reading comprehension and speaking and writing skills are also improved.
- Mathematics: Certain music instruction develops spatial reasoning, which is fundamental to understanding and using mathematical concepts.
- Thinking skills: Individual and multiple arts experiences engage and strengthen spatial reasoning, conditional reasoning, problem-solving and creative thinking.
- Motivation to learn: Arts education nurtures motivation, active engagement, sustained attention, persistence and risk-taking, and also increases attendance and educational aspirations.
- Effective social behavior: Studies of student learning in arts activities show student growth in self-confidence, self-control, self-identity, conflict resolution, collaboration, empathy and social tolerance.
- School environment: Studies show that the arts help create the kind of learning environment that is conducive to teacher and student success by fostering a positive professional culture, community engagement, increased student attendance and retention and school identity.
Americans for the Arts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the arts in America, also cites the following statistics regarding youth who participate in the arts at least three hours, three days each week:
- They are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement.
- They are three times more likely to be elected to a class office within their schools.
- They are four times more likely to participate in a math and science fair.
- They are three times more likely to win an award for school attendance.
- They are four times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem.
- They are twice as likely to read for pleasure.
- They are four times more likely to perform community service.
As a parent, what steps can you take to increase your child's level of participation in arts programs? The Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE) suggests these tips for inspiring a young artist at home:
- Teach your child songs, and enjoy singing them together. Play different kinds of music from the radio or your own collection, and encourage your child to sing and dance with the music.
- A simple paper and pencil can offer your young child the chance to express himself or herself. Even a scribble is a good beginning - the important thing is for your child to feel encouraged and to develop the habit of writing and drawing. Drawing and writing together will help your child see that you value those activities as well.
- Provide pictures and books for your child to enjoy. Your local library can be a terrific source of material at no cost to you.
- Practice photography or making videos with adolescents. Today’s disposable and/or digital cameras help create immediate results. Talk about composing a photograph; work together to create family albums.
- Read and write poems together. Help your adolescent feel the rhythm in poems and enjoy the fun of writing within an organized system of verse.
- You can also work with your child's school in order to encourage artistic and creative expression. The National PTA suggests that you meet with your child's principal or teacher to see what you can do to support an effective arts curriculum in the school.
References
- National PTA
- Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE)
- Americans for the Arts
- Arts Education Partnership (AEP)
