Parent Corner
Tweens and the Arts - for learning and for joy
Considering the busy pace most middle schoolers keep, the idea of squeezing a few more activities into their days might seem downright impossible. Yet, making time to fit in activities like music, visual and creative art, dance and movement can benefit your children in ways you might never have imagined.
What the arts can do for children
Research backs up what teachers and parents often know instinctively—the more opportunity children of all ages have to express themselves in creative, age-appropriate ways, the better they do with their studies, the more personal interests they develop, the better they understand the world they live in and the more sensitive and caring they’re likely to become.
Here are some other ways the arts can benefit children (compiled from research
by Americans for the Arts at
http://www.americansforthearts.org/):
• Students who are involved in after-school art activities show greater use of
complex language than their peers who participate in sports of community service
activities.
• The arts develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills that can improve
students’ overall academic achievement and school success. These are also skills
that employers say make successful workers.
• Practice with creative drama has been shown to improve learning-disabled
students' behavior and speaking skills.
• Students who are very involved with theater also show high levels of
achievement in reading.
• Students who are very involved with instrumental music also show high
achievement in math.
• When middle schoolers were allowed to use drawing and writing on history
assessments, they showed a deeper understanding of the topic. This was true for
both English language-proficient and English-limited students.
• Teen boys who were considered “reluctant readers” showed more interest in
reading when the content was linked with art such as graphic novels and
cartoons.
Weaving the arts into your days
Though the days of fingerpainting and singing the A, B, Cs may seem long gone,
there are many fun and easy ways for you to incorporate a healthy dose of the
arts into your children’s lives. Here are some ideas to try:
• Tap into what interests them most. If they are all about anime, a book like
How to Draw Anime & Game Characters, Vol. 1: Basics for Beginners and Beyond
by Tadashi Ozawa can teach them how to draw the characters they love to read
about. If hip-hop’s what they listen to, a class in hip-hop dance can expand
their interests while giving them a healthy workout.
• Help children learn about art forms that were created by artists/performers of
their own ethnic or racial heritage and about family members who have a
particular artist talent. This is a great way to teach them personal and global
history and to possibly spark a new interest.
• Use the computer for creating, not just chatting. There are many wonderful
online resources that teach about art and artists and let children create with
their computers. At http://www.kids.gov/k_arts.htm you’ll find many interactive
tween-friendly sites to try.
• Play music you love and listen to the music that your children love, too. Even
if it’s not your taste, listening to the music your kids are into can teach you
a lot about what matters to them. Music can be a great conversation starter and
a way to build connections (e.g., “You know, this sound a little like a band I
listened to when I was your age. Let me play some of that music for you.“) The
public library is a great resource for music—new, vintage and world beat—for you
and your children to explore.
• During the middle school years, children are learning a lot about who they
are. Journals and sketchpads can give them a safe place to try their hand at
poetry, to record their deep thoughts in colorful language and to sketch their
dreams. Make sure to provide a collection of writing and drawing tools such as
gel pens, colored pencils and pastels.
• Expand your art library. Borrow or invest in a few good books on famous and
popular art for your family library (History of Art for Young People by Anthony
F. Janson is one collection to look for) and/or bookmark any of the many online
museums;
http://www.jpbowen.com/children/#museums and
http://www.museumspot.com/categories/kids.htm are a couple of
family-friendly sites to link to with your children.
There are many biographies on the lives of artists of all types that can be an
inspiration for your own budding artists. At local booksellers and online at
http://www.kidsart.com you’ll find suggestions of books and other media that
will introduce your children to the artists they love.
• Watch recorded and live art performances. Local high schools, colleges and
other performance spaces host live dramatic performances. Check the local
newspaper for listings of upcoming events. Public television and the local
library are also good resources of pre-recorded art performances to view at
home.
• Practice photography. During the middle school years, some children find it
more comfortable to express their creativity from behind the lens, rather than
out in front. Inexpensive disposable cameras that they can tuck into backpacks
and purses can be great tools for photographic expression.
• Summer art camp activities can expand their interests. There are so many
creative, dramatic and musical art experiences for children during the summer
months. Talk with your children’s guidance counselors and/or check the listings
in local newspapers for summer art camps and workshops aimed at young teens.