Why Art in School Matters

A little something to think about this week on the subject of art for kids (my favorite subject).

I came across an article in the Boston Globe about the importance of teaching art in school in this era of standardized tests. If you have the time to read the whole article, do it. It’s not long and it’s very good. Here are a few excerpts that I thought were the most profound:

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“Art for Our Sake: School arts classes matter more than ever – but not for the reasons you think” By Ellen Winner and Lois Hetland

“There is a very good reason to teach arts in schools, and it’s not the one that arts supporters tend to fall back on…[that] art makes you smarter.

In a recent study of several art classes in Boston-area schools, we found that arts programs teach a specific set of thinking skills rarely addressed elsewhere in the curriculum – and that far from being irrelevant in a test-driven education system, arts education is becoming even more important as standardized tests…exert a narrowing influence over what schools teach.

We need the arts because in addition to introducing students to aesthetic appreciation, they teach other modes of thinking [and skills] we value.

Such skills include…reflection, self-criticism, [persistence], [expression] and the willingness to experiment and learn from mistakes. All are important to numerous careers, but are widely ignored by today’s standardized tests…which reveal little about a student’s intellectual depth or desire to learn, and are poor predictors of eventual success and satisfaction in life.

Those who have learned the lessons of the arts…how to see new patterns, how to learn from mistakes, and how to envision solutions – are the ones likely to come up with the novel answers needed most for the future.”

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Ok, well this article enlightened and inspired me so much that I had to make a little poster to hang up on my wall and share with my kids. Pass this around to EVERYONE! And give your child’s art teacher a big hug when you see him or her to let them know how much you appreciate them.

Have a great week!

xo, Bar

{update: this poster is now for sale!}