Benefits of Art Education

When the topic turns to why we should support art education in our schools, here are some researched facts and findings:

Visual art helps students improve visual analysis skills, learn from mistakes, be creative and make better critical judgments.

Arts education can help close the gap between socioeconomic groups, creating a more level playing field between children who may not be exposed to these enrichment experiences outside of school and some of their more privileged peers.

Students at schools with high levels of art education earning higher scores on critical thinking tests, but teachers also seemed happier. Part of the increase in their satisfaction was a result of their charges, who were found to be generally more cooperative and expressive and enjoy a better rapport with educators. That wasn’t all, however, as teachers at schools that emphasized arts education enjoyed greater job satisfaction, were more interested in their work and likely to be innovative and pursued personal development experiences.

Many at-risk students cite participation in the arts as their reason for staying. Participation in these activities has a quantifiable impact on levels of delinquency, truancy and academic performance.

Skills learned in the visual arts could help improve reading and the counterparts fostered in playing an instrument could be applied to math.  Researchers and school officials believe that arts education can be a valuable education reform tool, and classroom integration of creative opportunities could be key to motivating students and improving standardized test scores.

Arts education had a significant effect on the academic and social success of their students. Those with greater arts participation were more likely to come to class, avoid being removed and graduate. Additionally, they demonstrated greater proficiency in mathematics and communication.

Students motivated to practice a specific art form and spent time with focused attention increased the efficiency of their attention network as a whole, even when working in other areas of study — and it improved their fluid IQ scores. Other studies reported similar scientific findings on the arts’ impact on the brain, showing that sustained arts education is can be essential part of social and intellectual development.

Gives students ways to express unique knowledge and skills

Engages students in high order thinking

Increases enthusiasm for learning and school

Increases student vocabulary and ability to communicate

Increases student engagement in learning

Gives students opportunity for being successful

Helps regular classroom teachers change their relationships with their students by seeing strengths, abilities, and interests maybe previously unrealized. Art offers teachers different ways of reaching kids, especially difficult kids.