Integrating the arts into early education isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.
For years, data has sided with the arts, showing that implementing these programs from an early age can help contribute to developing skills in problem solving, decision making, creativity, language and overall academic achievement.
In The Washington Post’s article, “Teachers are using theater and dance to teach math — and it’s working,” researchers found that pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students in classes taught by Wolf Trap-trained teachers (teachers who use a specific program that pairs art teachers with early-childhood educators to create math lessons) gained about 1.3 months of math learning ahead of their peers in the first year. By the second year, they were 1.7 months ahead.
Another article by Edutopia—“Creativity and Academics: The Power of an Arts Education”—outlines even more benefits of an arts education, including developing a growth mindset, higher self-confidence, improved cognition and communication, and deepened cultural and self-understanding.
But despite the research demonstrating how implementing the arts can be crucial to developing minds (including the National Education Association’s article The Arts Are Essential), shrinking budgets and prioritized standardized testing proves that it’s not always a priority at every institution.
The St. Luke’s Approach
At St. Luke’s Lutheran School, we believe that young minds need nourishment from many areas of education, especially the arts. By allowing students to explore their God-given artistic talents, the benefits quickly follow.
“Art and music have been huge components in my children’s lives. Just recently my daughter started taking piano classes and that’s because of her love for Mrs. Nugent’s music class and watching her do what does has really propelled her to want to learn more.” — Coleen Labbadia
St. Luke’s offers many ways for students to express themselves artistically, including playing an instrument in the Wildcat Band (starting at fourth grade), acting in the school play, singing at an Orlando Magic game and much more.
Find out more about our fine arts program at St. Luke’s Lutheran School today! Or schedule a visit and see what have to offer first-hand.