Americans for the Arts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the arts in America, cites the following benefits for youths who participate in the arts at least three hours or three days each week:

•they are 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement
•they are 3 times more likely to be elected to a class office within their schools
•they are four times more likely to participate in a math and science fair
•they are 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance
•they are 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem
•they are twice as likely to read for pleasure
•they are four times more likely to perform community service

Researchers from the Arts Education Partnership (AEP) reviewed 62 studies of how dance, music, drama, visual arts and other arts affected student achievement.  They found that children that participated in strong arts programs:

•showed improvement in reading comprehension, speaking, and writing skills
•showed improvement in spatial reasoning, conditional reasoning, problem solving and creative thinking
•showed improvement in active engagement, disciplined and sustained attention, retention, persistence, and risk taking
• showed improvement in self-confidence, self-control, self-identity, conflict resolution, collaboration, empathy, social tolerance, and community engagement

WHAT CAN I DO?

The Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE) suggests these tips for inspiring a young artist at home:

Sing together
Dance together
Draw together
Read together
Write together
Take photographs and talk about them together
Attend performances together
Enroll your child in after school or summer programs in the arts

If you are interested in the Arts your children will be too.  The more your child sees artists in action and talks about the Arts the more ideas he or she will get about how to participate and contribute.

Source: Lois Thome, WINK News (Dec. 15, 2008)