The Importance of Integrating Arts into the Elementary Classroom
As the elementary school system gets more and more competitive, teachers have become so focused on the SOLS and meeting state standards that they’ve lost touch on the importance of integrating arts into their daily subjects. Students are given less opportunities to be creative as teachers try to cram as much instruction as they can into the day- which usually include textbook work and various worksheets. Integrating the arts into the classroom is crucial to student engagement, and tremendously improves retention of the subject being taught. Integrating music through math or theater through reading is not only fun, but also educational, allowing students to better grasp the content at hand. Some may be skeptical of the outcome of this practice, but it is proven that integrating the arts into the classroom really does work! I had the opportunity to teach non-fiction text features through theater, and was pleasantly surprised by the outcome and how much the students enjoyed the activity and ultimately benefited from it. Integrating the arts helps students develop problem solving skills, motor skills, critical thinking skills, and social skills, just to name a few. Integrating the arts into the classroom also benefits students who are hands-on, visual, verbal, or social learners, letting them use skills that come natural to them to their advantage. All in all, integrating the arts into the classroom helps create well-rounded, well-prepared learners and leaders for the future!
https://www.meridianstar.com/news/local_news/city-county-teachers-learn-to-combine-imagination-with-arts-integration/article_355589e9-2b7a-598c-921d-c6d82db4e542.html