How Learning the Arts Affects Children’s Development in Other Subjects

How Learning the Arts Affects Children’s Development in Other Subjects

  • Submitted By: jen1980
  • Date Submitted: 02/01/2009 8:18 AM
  • Category: English
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How Learning the Arts Affects
Children’s Development In Other Subjects
Jennifer Colson
ENG 122
Professor Smith
January 16, 2009

Expressing ourselves artistically is a big part of what makes us human. Whether it is through the visual arts, theatre, or music, the arts connect us to our emotions and often help students in ways they may not realize in other subjects educationally. Learning art is a process of educating the whole child. It also broadens the possibility of a child developing a well-rounded personality as they grow into adults.
In a time when America is asking more from our educational system, children are being deprived of this necessary exposure to the arts. The dismissal of such a curriculum in schools is a step away from instead of towards increasing success in our country. Growing Americans need to receive education in the arts in order to become the successful and “well rounded” people that we as a culture demand. “A key feature in changing American education for the better is to increase high quality arts learning in the lives of young Americans,” (Stake).
Unfortunately the contrary is occurring. Across our nation funding for public education is being reduced. In response, the country’s schools are cutting the arts out of their curriculum. The Center on Education Policy found in a 2006 report that 22% of the schools surveyed had reduced the time for art and music in order to make more time for the “core” subjects. This act is sure to reduce the quality of the education that Americans will receive and, in turn, the collective intelligence of out country.
To further understand this problem one must first begin to understand the human brain. While an extremely complex organ, one of its most basic abilities is to store and retrieve information. This ability of the brain is taxed when standard means of education take place. When the arts are added to the syllabus, the brain will now learn how to problem...

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