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Children will succeed throughout their lives if they acquire skills essential for the new millennium. The arts excel in helping children develop thinking skills (creative thinking, decision making, problem solving, imagining and imaging, and knowing how to learn); social skills (speaking and listening, cooperative work, capacity to teach others, negotiation and conflict resolution skills, and tolerance for differences); and personal skills (individual responsibility, perseverance, self-management, and integrity)
Why "Learning Languages Through the Performing Arts"?
The Arts Education Partnership has conducted several research projects about the impact of learning through the arts. These findings explore both cognitive and emotional outcomes for students. In particular, the performing arts are wonderful instruments for language instruction because they engage the whole person in verbal and nonverbal multi-sensory ways of self-expression and communication. Students become active, self-motivated constructors of meaning and, therefore, lifelong learners.
School administrators report that in schools with powerful arts programs, they see increased student performance as measured by grades, test scores, attendance and retention. Partnerships with community arts organizations and individual artists can engage the expertise of community members in ways that enhance student learning.
Arts and education partnerships enable young learners to reflect upon and represent themselves in their own communities, to become active citizens in their own neighborhoods. The arts help to promote both the creative abilities and cultural literacy that are critical to developing fully engaged citizens in the global society.
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