Arts & Early Childhood
Arts related experiences are very important in early childhood. Arts remove boundaries and allow children to learn math, reading, science and other traditional disciplines in a less traditional manner. Arts experiences develop the self-discipline, creativity and confidence that will help children to succeed in school, work and life. Research has shown that early experiences in the arts can have positive impacts in other areas, such as reading, writing and math. Enriching arts curriculum allows children to create, perform and respond in the arts and helps them to reason and understand the world around them. In fact, study after study shows that students who are engaged in the arts earn better grades, score higher on exams, perform more community service and watch less television.
The term “arts” includes music, dance, drama and visual arts. Traditionally, visual arts have received the most focus in education. Children, Inc. believes that exposure to all four art disciplines will best benefit children and their learning. Dance, music, theater and visual arts can all help develop a child’s cognitive, motor, language and social-emotional skills.
Music
Studies show that music helps develop spatial skills, making math concepts easier to understand and master. Areas of the brain that process music are deeply entwined with the areas relating to perception, memory and language.
Dance
Physical movement is regulated by our brain’s cerebellum. The cerebellum stores the long lasting skill and muscle memories. Integrating lessons with dance allows students to associate and retain memories of the lesson with the muscle memory of the dance.
Drama
Drama boosts language comprehension and vocabulary skills. Dramatic exercises incorporate spontaneous thinking, problem-solving, and poise, concentration, cooperation and commitment- skills necessary for any work environment.
Visual Arts
We live in a visual world with television, movies, advertising, magazines, and much more. The visual cortex of our brain is five times larger than the auditory cortex. It is not hard to understand why children respond so well when learning through visual arts. For example, simply drawing subjects or characters from books increases motivation to read and interest in the content.
Children, Inc. is Committed to Providing Early Arts Experiences
We are committed to helping your child start elementary school with the tools and skills they will need to excel. We've learned from brain research that significant experiences in the arts are transformational for young children, literally changing the way the young brain is structured. Therefore, we have launched a community-wide arts initiative for young children, developing an arts program to enrich your child's school day in new ways.
A large part of our arts initiative has been the addition of Dance and Music Specialists to our staff. These individuals make weekly visits to Children, Inc. classrooms of all ages, working with teachers to reinforce their daily curriculum through music and dance.
David Kisor is a composer, songwriter, playwright, performer and teacher with a Master's degree in music composition from the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music. He has been active as a writer, performer and teacher in the Greater Cincinnati area for the past twenty years, writing new music and plays for the Cincinnati Boys Choir, the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati Opera Educational Outreach, The Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, the CCM Preparatory Department, the Cincinnati Children's Theatre and many other arts organizations. David is loved by both children and adults and his music fills our classrooms with laughter and an enthusiasm for the arts.
David Kisor works with hundreds of children each week, from infants through elementary school. His songwriting abilities provide unique opportunities for impact when writing and performing original songs for and with the children. His catchy tunes extend beyond the classroom with a CD for families to foster social-emotional development at home. Buy David’s music online at our e-commerce store Growing Sound!
Dance and Movement Specialist Danielle Ashley introduces our children to rhythm and movement. Danielle designs and teaches creative expression through movement and dance for the children, teachers and support staff. She is a writer, choreographer, teacher of dance and lover of children. She has a Bachelor's degree from Thomas More College and over 18 years of dance training. Her ten years of teaching experience include ballet, tap, jazz, point, creative movement and hip hop for children ages three through high school. Her choreography repertoire includes creation of pieces for seasonal plays, yearly recitals and musicals such as Bye, Bye Birdie and Guys and Dolls in Greater Cincinnati area schools and at The Dance Center, a community dance education center in Independence, Kentucky.
Arts After School
Children, Inc.’s commitment to the arts also extends into School Age Services. The After School Programs incorporate the arts into curriculum, with visits from Children, Inc. Music Specialist David Kisor as well as outside arts organizations. There are visitors, performances and field trips with such organizations as the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera, Playhouse in the Park, Contemporary Arts Center, Taft Museum of Art, Media Bridges, Cincinnati Arts Association, Cincinnati Ballet and Cincinnati Art Museum.
Arts-related Activities to Do with Your Child:
- Encourage your baby to laugh, smile and coo by singing and making faces while moving their hands and arms.
- Stimulate your baby through music, rhythm and movement by shaking a rattle, clapping to a beat or swaying to music while holding baby.
- Use silly voices and gestures when reading to your child.
- Encourage expression and imagination by suggesting your child move like a buzzing bumblebee, preying cat or other animals.
- Share stories from your childhood, acting out the scenes.
- Hum the tune to a familiar song and have your child identify the song and the words.
- Encourage your child to replicate a drawing from a favorite book.
- Provide play props that encourage imaginary play and storytelling.
- Visit child-friendly museums, exhibits, performances and libraries.
We continue to look forward and seek new and innovative ideas to enrich children’s brain development. Parents can reinforce our efforts by taking time to sing and dance with their children at home. Your continued support of Children, Inc. makes these great things possible. Please continue to share news of our positive experiences at Children, Inc. with your friends.
Arts Curriculum Components
