Music and art have shaped who I am. From concerts to festivals to a nice stroll through the Dayton Art Institute, it always makes me feel better and has a way of relaxing me. During my years as an elementary school kid, all the way to my high school years I have always looked forward to art class and choir more than any other class, and I am not the only one.
Why is that? Well, art skills are practiced at a young age. Even at 3 years old I was caught coloring on my mother’s wall.
When children do art work it makes them feel better. Art offers many different outlets for children to do schoolwork; every holiday offered a new art project and a new opportunity to learn art skills.
They also may learn how to describe things through artwork. Drawing, singing and dancing are natural arts. They are things we do without question and things we generally enjoy doing. Art engages the senses, which is also essential to learning.
It is said that when children practice creativity with things like scissors and begin piecing things together such as paper to create pictures, it can lead to a growth in essential motor skills. Motor skills are the act of using muscles. Therefore, when a child is using tools such as scissors, they are practicing skills of movement that they will later need in life when it comes to learning how to write or use tools. Art classes also allow children to develop their visual-spatial skills and teaches students how to interpret and use visual information.
Art is also crucial to language development. Children learn shapes, colors and a variety of other skills by practicing art work. Art classes also allow children to work in teams while building an art project together which is essential for activities later in life when kids begin to get into the workplace.
Another benefit of participating in arts and music is how it can make you feel better physically. It relieves stress and enhances creativity. Finishing a project of any kind provides people with sense of accomplishment and confidence in themselves. Even if you are not an art person yourself, you can appreciate it. If you are an art person and regularly create a piece there is undoubtedly a strong sense of accomplishment that comes with every completed piece of artwork.
According to the National Assembly of State Art Agencies, doing art work may also increase decision making skills. Some schools are beginning to incorporate art into their core classes to enhance learning as well.
A huge reason art classes should stay in schools is because it offers not only children, but secondary school students the opportunity to express themselves. No matter the art assignment, one child’s art will never look just the same as the next child’s. Art teaches kids they are one of a kind, at least it made me feel that way. It opens so many doors for higher learning and lets kids have fun, which I believe is essential to a child’s well being in a standardized school system.
Kali Macklin
Reporter