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Why Art is Important in Education

8/11/2014

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“Seeing new patterns and possibilities is the essence of creativity . . . If we are merely competent – even if our competence is world class – we will not be able to produce the new services or products that are path breaking and highly desired . . . Creativity, innovation, and flexibility will not be the special province of an elite. It will be demanded of virtually everyone who is making a decent living, from graphic artists to assembly line workers, from insurance brokers to home builders.” 

                                                                                                                 NCEE - National Center for Education Evaluation

Each Monday, as I prepare for the week ahead, I go through my dance bag to make sure all is in tact for the tots I teach. I am always struck by all that goes into a single class and how my word cards, colorful stuffed animals and tambourine sits right next to my ballet shoes. I love that through my journey in life as a dancer I have rested in the sweet spot of early childhood education. Dance has become the tool I use to open space for the learning of a child, and Kinderdance in particularly opens pathways (kinesthetic, visual, auditory) through its use of dance and movement integrated with academic learning. All children have the opportunity to become engaged, interested and successful. By introducing children to multi-faceted curriculums we support multi-faceted intelligence or better yet … 'multiple intelligences'.

In Early Childhood News, 'Why Art is Important in Education' , the author Connie Bergstein Dow explains Howard Gardner's theory on multiple intelligences, 'Multiple intelligences identifies the linguistic and mathematical intelligences, but in addition to these, 
[is also] the musical, naturalist, interpersonal, intrapersonal, spatial, and bodily-kinesthetic intelligences ' 

As explained in a recent article in the Journal of Dance Education, “the more intelligences we use, the more holistic our understanding. So it stands to reason that teaching methodologies that involve multiple intelligences will educate students more fully. Creative movement interweaves many (if not all) intelligences simultaneously.”

So … off I go to teach the first class of the week … knowing it will benefit each child for the rest of their lives. I love my job.
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    Shasta Bridges is a certified early childhood movement specialist and Founder/Director of Kinderdance Atlanta. With over 30 years teaching experience in all ages and genres, Ms. Shasta holds a special affinity for teaching to young children. 
    "It is that mind, body, sprit connection that dance brings to the student that inspires me daily. Dance training gives children tools for both release and discipline that will support them for the rest of their life.' 

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