Friday, January 28, 2011

Why Teach Art?


Art is very important in our everyday lives, it is all around us. Teach art to kids will help them understand more about the world around them. Art is found in science (mixing colors), math (demotions, shapes, space), a foreign language (the vocabulary of art), history (reflecting past cultures), language arts (art can tells a story), physical education (working the fine motor skills) and technology (graphic design, photography) (1). Art is calming and almost therapeutic to many people. However, it is not just a way to relax; art displays a whole different way of thinking. A certain amount of planning of where things will go, what color/texture you want them to be and how the whole picture will fit together. A study has shown that art involves mental habits that are not emphasized anywhere else in the school curriculum (2). Art can also teach “patience, perseverance, creativity, problem-solving, and all kinds of other important life skills that are often best learned through art” (3).  I think that children are more confident when they can use creativity and problem-solving in their art work. A boy I know used problem-solving to make Toothless (from How to Train Your Dragon) a dark blueish-black. First he colored Toothless blue and then black. It looked so much better than just black. I was surprised that he thought about layering the colors all by himself. Art isn’t just a fun and messy time in class, it helps children develop and think in a different way than normal school work. And that is why we should teach art.
http://answers.yourdictionary.com/answers/jobs-education/why-teach-art-in-elementary-schools.html

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