The Power of Art

The appeal of notes carefully etched in black pen has always been lost on me. With bright

colors and swirling doodles, however, the words seem to take on a life of their own - no longer

drab against the stark white paper, but becoming elevated by creativity. In economics, my

notebook is saturated with highlighter marks that display the entire spectrum of the rainbow.

Doodles outlining examples and concepts litter the space underneath complex definitions. This

simple practice goes beyond adding a little color into my life; it has allowed me to stay engaged

with subject materials for extended periods of time, as well as have a higher ability to recall

information.

I am not alone in my love for this vivid method of note-taking. A quick glance through

my peers’ notebooks would reveal how helpful students find incorporating basic art and color

into their classwork whilst learning new material. Notes full of characters drawn with colorful

pens and highlighters are a staple for many of my accomplished peers. Even during group

projects, students gravitate towards colors, images, and fonts that engage their viewers.

I feel the most fulfilled when I am helping others learn. During my time as a swim coach

and a tutor, working with young children has become a driving passion of mine. Additionally, in

my own life, I appreciate the benefits of participating in art to enhance my education. Given the

controversy surrounding government-sponsored educational reforms incentivizing budget cuts

for art programs in public schools around the nation, I aim to shed light on the importance of

exploring alternate facets of learning. Art programs have the potential to be effective tools to

improve and foster childrens’ learning development in all subjects; concerns, however, have

been raised regarding these programs could obstruct childrens’ learning in the classroom. These
unresolved inquiries have led me to pose the question: Does art education positively affect

elementary school children's learning development?

The social-emotional learning process of developing self-awareness, self-control, and

interpersonal skills that are vital for holistic success both inside and outside of the classroom can

be augmented by art education. Art education programs explicitly and implicitly address

social-emotional learning by developing students’ abilities in facets including self-management,

social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making (“Arts Education and

Social”). Robert Morrison, a member of the New Jersey School Boards Association’s Board of

Directors and the director of the Center for Arts Education and Social-Emotional Learning,

believes that there is a strong connection between art education and the development of students’

social-emotional learning skills. Morrison explains that:

researchers identified [action and reflection] developmental experiences that were

particularly powerful contributors to… the development of social-emotional

competencies… encountering, tinkering, choosing, practicing, and contributing… and

describing, evaluating, connecting, envisioning, and integrating.

These ten actions and reflection experiences are encountered naturally through art education

programs in schools. Evidence of the positive effects on student learning created by exposure to

these experiences suggests that schools should prioritize students’ abilities to participate in

creative pursuits. Furthermore, art education allows students to communicate and relate to the

world in new ways (“How the Brain”). When students are able to experience social-emotional

competencies through art education, they will become increasingly successful and develop

intellectually.
 Art education positively affects the development of critical thinking skills, which are

recognized as being critical to problem-solving and adaptation. The teaching of art “is associated

with gains in… cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skill… motivation, concentration,

confidence, and teamwork” (Smith). The medley of scholarly and social skills obtained through

art education demonstrates that the subject allows for “academic achievement, social and

emotional development, civic engagement, and equitable opportunity” (Smith). Thus, it can be

concluded that art education allows students to master critical thinking and social development

skills that translate into the accomplishment of larger milestones later in life. Jane Emanuel, who

serves as a docent at the Bedford Gallery where she has spent decades volunteering in the student

art education program, echoes this sentiment. While touring the gallery together, she expressed

her belief that “art education enables children to grow in the area of critical thinking” because

there is no criticism or incorrect answers while performing an artistic activity. Emanuel has seen

firsthand how this artistic freedom allows students to express themselves and follow a creative

idea from conceptualization to a final product. An article published by Michigan State

University’s education department corroborates Emanuel’s observation, stating that “unrestricted

exploration helps children form connections in their brain” (Rymanowicz). Beth Miller, who

works as an elementary school teacher and advocate for art education programs, mixes art into

her academic curriculum and passionately believes that “art education increases [her] student’s

engagement and their understanding of the content [because] students are going to remember

what they applied”. By combining art and academic subjects, Miller has observed that “the

content [is more] memorable: are you going to remember building a diorama or reading a page in

a textbook?”. Developing mental processes, such as recall of learned information, advances the

learning development of students. Many teachers, including Miller, have discovered that
project-based learning enhances the cognitive ability of students’ memory. The ability to

brainstorm, conceptualize, and deliberate whilst completing artistic tasks is vital to students'

development because these skills will continue to build throughout their lives and set them up for

success in the future.

Students’ developing brains react positively to art stimuli in education. As research in the

field continues, neuroscientists gain growing evidence that “art enhances brain function by

impacting brain wave patterns, emotions, and the nervous system” (“How the Brain”). When

performing and observing art, increased brain function allows for higher levels of retention of the

educational material. This discovery has led to a push for integrating state-mandated curriculum

and artistic teaching so that “the arts become the approach to teaching and the vehicle for

learning” (“What is Arts Integration?”). Integration methods as simple as using colored

highlighters when taking notes in class have proven to help students understand the material

being taught. Specialist psychologist Ayben Ertem explains how “colors have been shown to

change alpha brain waves. When color is transmitted from the eye to the brain, the brain releases

a hormone affecting the emotions, mind clarity and energy levels” (Ertem). With the integration

of art and curriculum, teachers hope to bolster their students' comprehension levels, and enhance

their development. A study from Dartmouth College concluded that “the emergence of visual

artistic skills is supported by plasticity in neural pathways that enable creative cognition and

mediate perceptuomotor integration” (Dartmouth). As students are exposed to increasing

amounts of visual art, the neural connections formed in their developing brains grow and

reorganize. This neural plasticity connects sensory and motor skills in the brain, further

perpetuating the benefits of students using creativity and art in their learning development.
Visual art stimulates the brain’s neural pathways, increasing comprehension of material and

enhancing the learning development of young students.

To fully understand the effects of art education, one must investigate examples of how

schools and extracurriculars are able to support the arts and explore critical thinking within their

students. The Waldorf education system, for example, teaches students intellectual, artistic, and

practical skills through an integrated and holistic approach. Beverly Amico, who serves as the

executive director of this education system in North America, explained that the creator of the

Waldorf education system, Rudolph Steiner’s “anthroposophy [spiritual philosophy emphasizing

mutual goodwill and respect] is the foundation of Waldorf education” (Van Buren). Steiner’s

anthroposophy is similar to the modern social-emotional learning style recommended for healthy

school environments. Due to this emphasis on healthy social-emotional learning, it is no surprise

that Waldorf schools integrate “the arts in all academic disciplines for children from preschool

through twelve grade to enhance and enrich learning” (“Curriculum: Lower Grades”). One

example of art being used to foster learning development is known as form drawing. Rosemary

Gebert, a teacher of form drawing at the Waldorf Institute of Mercy College, describes this as

“freehand drawing of non-representational forms… [with] rhythmically repeated patterns,

reflections and rotations, geometric figures, [and] intricate interlaced designs” (Gerbert).

Learning development is achieved while students practice creating the drawings, not in the final

product. Form drawing requires students to practice maintaining focus, fine motor control, and

patience. Social-emotional skills are practiced and enhanced when students participate in form

drawings. Waldorf teachers guide their students to develop resilience and positive self-talk in the

face of challenging drawings (Amico). Waldorf education’s attention to the social-emotional

wellbeing and education of students through the integration of the arts helps highlight why art

education is important to the learning development of all students.

Another school structure that highlights the importance of art is Montessori education.

This is a method of teaching in which a child’s education is individualized and performed

through tasks done with high levels of independence. Similar to the social-emotional learning

aspects of Waldorf education, Montessori education's goal is to foster “each child’s natural desire

for knowledge, understanding, and respect” (About Montessori Education). The Montessori

educational philosophy, however, emphasizes student self-motivation as a powerful force for

learning development. In the Montessori education system, students develop as individuals

through exposure to advancing lessons, activities, and materials. Melissa Stepien, a teacher at

Sunnyside Micro-School, reported that her favorite independent learning tools are “the

sensory-based materials [she] uses with [her] students – particularly geometric solids, sandpaper

letters, and the colored bead stair used for arithmetic – that provide students with the opportunity

to develop their concentration and coordination” (Meinke). In this way, creative materials act as

the artistic angle of the lesson. Art and artistic materials are used to reinforce the lesson and

make the content memorable for the students. In Montessori schools, traditional art lessons are

used as an opportunity to develop “fine motor skills, hand strength, and coordination” through

actions such as “cutting, gluing, modeling, crayoning, and painting” (Dickson). The methods of

painting or cutting are the focus of these creative activities, reinforcing the idea that cognitive

development occurs within the artistic process, not the product. Additionally, these unstructured

lessons offer a sense of freedom, as the students are not restricted in their creative pursuits. This

freedom allows students to experience the realities of creation: failure, success, flexibility,
exploration, and patience. Through this process, students learn how to problem solve, which

greatly benefits their learning development in other subjects.

Additionally, Visual Thinking Strategy is a teaching program meant to foster student

inquiry in art, encouraging students to observe independently and make claims with

evidence-backed by analysis. Visual Thinking Strategy is an example of how art education can

be utilized “to teach thinking, communication skills, and visual literacy to young people”

(“Visual Thinking Strategies”). Observing complex art and “responding to

developmentally-based questions, and participating in group discussions” allows students to

enhance their critical thinking skills (“Visual Thinking Strategies”). Due to this analysis of

artwork, the Visual Thinking Strategy program has found evidence that it supports “developing

critical, creative thinking skills that lead to increased visual literacy for students across all fields

of study” (“Art Gallery: Visual”). The Art in a Suitcase workshop offered by the Bedford Gallery

in Walnut Creek, California uses artistic analysis similar to the Visual Thinking Strategy as a tool

for developing critical thinking skills in young students. In this workshop, trained volunteers

bring an art project to the classroom that challenges students artistically and cognitively. Students

begin the workshop by observing famous examples of artwork focused on a specific element,

such as landscapes or color theory, and discussing what they see as a collaborative group. After

the discussion, students work on their own individual artwork incorporating the specific element

of art highlighted earlier, followed by a final discussion period with their peers in which the

students share their finished artwork pieces (“Youth Tours: Art”). Elementary school children's

learning development and ability to practice critical or creative thinking is bolstered by this

instructed inquiry in art.

 Art programs are affected negatively by the limited budgets of American public schools.

Government initiatives, such as the No Child Left Behind Act, the Common Core Standards Act,

and standardized testing scores, put emphasis on “core subjects and skills that students [need] in

order to succeed in college” (McDonald). The result of these government initiatives is an

increase in funding for core subjects and a decline in the budgets of art classes, “leading to a

huge drop in arts opportunities in schools” (McDonald). However, art educators such as Miller

and Emanuel argue that removing art programs from the school curriculum slows critical

thinking development and weakens the connection between children and learning. When schools

decrease their art program funding, they are depriving students of the opportunity to reach their

full academic potential. Since 2008, “more than eighty percent of schools nationwide have

experienced cuts to their budgets. Further budget cuts have been made in recent years in response

to the COVID-19 pandemic and online learning” (Timon). According to Miller, another reason

that art education programs are underfunded is due to a disconnect between the classroom and

the community; parents and members of society are disconnected from the classroom, and

unaware of the learning processes being encouraged.

It is important in this conversation of public school funding to recognize the opportunity

differences between low-income public school students and high-income public school students.

Data from the U.S. Department of Education demonstrates that low-income students are less

likely to have access to art education tools than high-income students. Research has found that

“ninety-three percent of high-poverty secondary schools offered visual arts in 1999-2000; just

eighty percent did so in 2008-2009” (O’Brien). The disparity between high-income and

low-income public school student funding, which is increasing, can be attributed in part to the

community. In wealthy public school districts, many parents are able to fill the gaps in funding
provided by the state; in poor public school districts, on the other hand, additional funding is a

challenge to receive. Teachers in low-income schools, such as Miller, often use their own money

to buy supplies in order to give their students the art education experience. The lack of funding

for art education in low-income public schools comes at a heavy cost for the students, as they

have arguably the most to gain from art programs. The National Endowment for the Arts 2012

report demonstrated that when disadvantaged students were given art education experience, they

“significantly outperformed peers from a low-arts, low-socioeconomic status, closing (and in

some cases eliminating) the gap that often appears between [poor] students and their more

advantaged peers” (O’Brien). Specifically, low-income students with art education held higher

GPAs, higher test scores, and were more likely to graduate, as well as complete college. To

lessen the gap in achievement between low-income public schools and high-income public

schools, our education departments must provide public schools the funding for the quality art

education experiences they desperately need.

Cumulatively, art education positively affects elementary school children's learning

development. Spreading awareness of the benefits of art education is critically important, as art is

a tool that is currently under-utilized in public schools. The positive effects of art education for

students should matter to society because this subject is increasingly cut out of school budgets.

When art education is the first item on the chopping block, young students are the ones that

suffer the price. This is especially true for children from low socioeconomic backgrounds, whose

lives can be significantly altered through education. Students learn in different styles, and

depriving children of art education is a large disservice to the academic progression of our future

generations. Art education helps students develop skills that will allow them to succeed not only

in academic settings, but in life. For the sake of society, the public must be educated on the
benefits of art education so that children can experience the holistic and multifaceted approach to

education that they deserve.

Through the research and writing of my senior paper, I discovered how experiences with

art programs enhance students’ social-emotional learning and strengthen the development of

their critical thinking skills due to the brain’s high functioning response to art stimuli. By delving

into alternative teaching philosophies, such as Waldorph and Montessori, and highly regarded

teaching programs, such as Visual Thinking Strategy, I have been able to show how integrating

art into the educational curriculum amplifies children’s learning experience.