Art Improves Academic Performance in Children
Was art one of your favorite classes in school? It was one of mine. It felt like a moment in time when I could quietly process my thoughts or quiet them altogether. A chance to focus on creating an image, a feeling, an emotion, and that the ideas could be all my own. It was a class where perfection wasn’t the goal, where creativity and ideas reigned supreme. Many students when asked will tell you that art is one of their favorite subjects and a time they truly enjoy. As it turns out, art is not only an activity that students love but is also incredibly beneficial for their academics.
“As far back as the time of the ancient Greeks, philosophers like Plato recognized the inherent value of studying the arts. Theatre, music, dance, and the visual arts were seen as integral to Greek society and are still an integral component of education in our country today.” (Chen) It is also a foundational component of Waldorf education. Despite this, in much of the country, many people still view the arts as nothing more than an extracurricular activity; however, “research shows that the arts promote positive development in the academic, social, and emotional realms.” (Chen)
As the arts have come into question, there have been multiple research studies that have looked at the relationship between the arts and academics. None were quite as extensive as “The Arts Education Partnership [who] performed a meta-analysis of 62 studies that revealed that students who study music have increased achievement and proficiency in math. Reading and cognitive development were found to increase, as were verbal SAT scores.” (Chen) Not only were students who studied music excelling in math, but cognitive development as well.
That same study showed a correlation between the arts and writing as well as deciphering and interpreting complex texts like higher-level reading and scientific writing. The study reached the conclusion that “students [who] take a combination of arts programs demonstrate improved verbal, reading, and math skills, and also show a greater capacity for higher-ordered thinking skills such as analyzing and problem-solving.” (Chen)
If that was not enough, a study in 2006 “by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum shows a similar link between studying the arts and increased literacy skills.” This study included an exercise with third-grade students who were brought together to discuss the meaning of paintings. After this exercise students showed an improvement in their ability to hypothesize, reason, and describe complex texts. Again, this was backed up by a study in Maryland schools in 2011 which further proved that student participation in the arts has a lasting impact on academics.
In 2019, Brookings performed a study on 42 schools that had received funding or additional support for their arts programs. They collected data including “student-level demographics, attendance and disciplinary records, and test score achievement.” (Kisida and Bowen) At the end of the study, they concluded that “relative to students assigned to the control group, treatment school students experienced a 3.6 percentage point reduction in disciplinary infractions, an improvement of 13 percent of a standard deviation in standardized writing scores, and an increase of 8 percent of a standard deviation in their compassion for others. In terms of our measure of compassion for others, students who received more arts education experiences are more interested in how other people feel and more likely to want to help people who are treated badly.” (Kisida and Bowen) Although recent studies have proven that the arts have a lasting effect on student's academic and social performance, Waldorf education has been integrating the arts in its pedagogy since its beginnings in 1919.
Waldorf education integrates an array of arts into the curriculum to support academic growth, develop communication and collaboration skills, and give children a well-rounded, joyful educational journey. At Cedarwood our Early Childhood program rotates through art activities daily. They include sculpting, painting, drawing, puppetry, storytelling, and even sewing. Our grades and middle school programs not only include fine arts such as watercolor, pastels, chalk, and figure drawing but venture into stone and wood carving, metal work, and three-dimensional design of animals, architecture, and more. In grades 1- 8, students learn math, science, history, and languages all with an integration of the arts. This includes yearly plays, geometric artistry, illustrating their own textbooks, game creation, machine design, stylized paintings of specific time periods, and so many other projects that weave art into their daily learning. In addition, starting in grade 1 our students practice music. It begins on the recorder and by grade 3 transitions into string instruments which students will continue to take lessons on through grade 8. Many students leave with the ability to read music and play their instrument at an intermediate level.
Cedarwood Waldorf School prides itself on teaching our students to be well-rounded by developing the child head, hands, and heart. Many high schools are thrilled to accept our students and find that their love of learning, their writing, and their problem-solving abilities make them an asset to the school. Consider the benefits of an arts-integrated Waldorf school when looking at what is important in your child’s education. You may be surprised by the effect it can have on their love of school.
For more information about our curriculum please visit our Welcome webpage. If you are interested in seeing the arts-integrated curriculum firsthand, please schedule a tour. If you would like to read the articles used in this post, you can see the Public School Review article here and Brookings article here.