New teachers are often encouraged to bring innovative ideas and creative lesson planning concepts into the core curriculum in order to reinforce and solidify the concepts the children are learning. The question then becomes how can this be done effectively and is this an effective method of teaching?
Research on Arts in School
According to R. Barker Bausell, a biostatistician and senior research methodologist at the University Of Maryland School Of Nursing, the idea of adding arts in particular into the core curriculum is “ridiculous”. An example of a lesson where a teacher integrated dance into a lesson on photosynthesis was criticized by Mr. Bausell as unsupported by research and ineffective. [Rodricks, Dan. (2010, December, 12). More time for teaching: an idea 'too simple to fail'? The Baltimore Sun, P. 21]
The fact is, schools that have made it a priority to integrate arts into the curriculum as part of a reform strategy have not only seen a positive change in the school environment (meaning it raised student moral) but have also seen an improvement in student performance. [Deasy, Richard J. (editor) (2002), Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Achievement and Social Development, Washington, DC: AEP]
Thinking about integrating arts into the core curriculum makes sense logically as well. The Chinese proverb explains this logic precisely: Tell me and I’ll forget, Show me and I’ll remember, Involve me and I will understand. The idea here is to not simply lecture or even demonstrate, but to have students physically involved in the learning process.
How to Integrate Arts into the Classroom
First, understand what is meant by arts: the arts include any type of creative expression including music and dance. So coming back to the earlier example of incorporating dance into a lesson on photosynthesis:
Will a student learn the process of photosynthesis best if listening to an explanation? (Tell me and I will forget)
Will students learn the process of photosynthesis best if a teacher helps them label a chart explaining the process? (Show me and I will remember)
Or will students best learn the process when moving around the classroom, changing their physical movement based on the stages of photosynthesis? (Involve me and I’ll understand)
Whenever possible, it is always best to find ways to involve students in the learning process. Using arts to draw students into the lesson is one excellent method for doing so. Here are some simple ideas that can help utilize a variety of arts to increase student focus and learning.
- Play calming music (without words) to help calm students in the morning or after recess.
- Have students put new concepts into songs as a way to review for a test.
- Have students create posters and present information to the class instead of simply lecturing on each topic.
- Have students use a variety of dance moves to learn steps in a complicated process, like photosynthesis.
The more engaged students are in the lesson, the more likely they are to comprehend and then remember for standardized testing. While standardized testing may not be the best method for tracking student achievement, integrating the arts into lessons will increase student comprehension and thus have a positive impact on those all important test scores.
Related Information:
How to Help Students Stay Focused – Tips for teachers on how to increase student focus during lessons.
Tips and Tricks for New Teachers – Add these tips to your bag of new teacher tricks to have a successful first year.
Lesson Planning Tips for New Teachers – Find out all you need to know about how to write a great lesson plan.
Jennifer Wagaman - Jennifer is a mother of 2 and has both public, private and administrative experience in the education field.
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