Major Points Supporting Elementary Art Programs
1.
Before a child can read, art gives him or her an avenue to
communicate. Art is used in
tandem with teaching writing and reading; one can draw an idea before one can
write, and first and second grade teachers use drawing to aid in idea
development as they teach writing. Often
a teacher will have the child draw many details in a picture, then write about
it. The method of idea generation
is central to art education (an example would be “close your eyes and
imagine all of the things in your room, draw them, then write a description"…this
type of lesson would elicit more written details than asking a child to “write
about your room”). This type
of idea generation, if started in the early years of schooling, will lead to
more elaboration and details in writing in the primary and elementary grades.
2.
In terms of perceptual development, young students are working on
small motor and large motor coordination in order to learn to control their
hands well enough to form letters and numbers. They are learning to manipulate
things with their hands, something that they will continue to do as they use
manipulatives in math and science in the primary grades.
Learning to make observations in the art room trains students to observe
in the science classroom. Using the
five senses in art sharpens students’ ability to write.
3.
Young children are developing a sense of spatial relationships
(how far up or down or across something is placed in space; the ability to see
things in 2 and 3 dimensions). If
they have the opportunity to participate in an excellent primary and elementary
art program, they will be much further along in both of these areas when they
reach the upper grades. A highly
developed sense of spatial relations will aid in learning math, engineering and
science concepts.
4.
Art instruction at an early age develops creative problem solvers,
an ability that is sought after by businesses and many professions.
The jobs of the future will call for
5. According to our system’s teachers, art is incorporated into their lessons, but much less so now than before. To take time out of their day to go to the art specialist is valued by them because (a) they don’t have time to use as much art as they used to, due to the demands of the curriculum frameworks; (b) they feel that it is important for a well-rounded education; (c) students are learning from other teachers than the classroom teacher and (d) in terms of multiple intelligences, it builds confidence in the child who is experiencing success in art but not in other subjects, thus keeping them motivated to learn.
6.
The art teacher serves as a consultant to the classroom teacher about
these issues and works with them in developing interdisciplinary lessons.
7.
Art is a core subject. The
state requires that students learn the concepts developed in the Arts Curriculum
Frameworks. As in music and learning
a foreign language, the earlier a child learns to create in the
visual arts, the greater facility they will develop and the more chance to
keep it up as a life-long ability. Good
art instruction will lead one to be able to paint or play an instrument as an
adult. Finally, art is a window to the
soul…when the tragic events of September 11 occurred, where did we turn for
solace other than religion…to music and art.