Children Learn Through Art

Explore this wonderful list of skills and attributes that students aquuire as they learn through art.  It’s a great affirmation of the value of the arts in education from Lila Lasky and Rose Mukerji.

Physical/Perceptual Development

• Visual awareness information and ideas
• Spatial awareness
• Tactile-kinesthetic awareness
• Body awareness
• Eye-hand coordination
• Laterality and directionality
• Shape, size, color discrimination
• Figure-ground orientation
• Part-Whole discrimination
• Fine motor control
• Technical skills

Cognitive Development

• Associate, relate
• Sequence events
• Clarify and elaborate on meaning
• Understand cause and effect
• Solve problems
• Make decisions
• Generalize
• Communicate nonverbally

Social/Emotional Development

• Sense of autonomy/independence
• Sense of trust
• Sense of identity/individuality
• Extend flexibility
• Aesthetic growth
• Appreciate and value others’ ideas and work
• Express and deal positively with emotions
• Share
• Cooperate
• Take turns (delay gratification)
• Adapt to group needs/intersets
• Resolve interpersonal conflicts
• Acquire interests for leisure time

Taken from the book Art: Basic for Young Children by Lila Lasky and Rose Mukerji.  (NAEYC publication)

…and check out this little clip on the colours of an art room.

If you liked this post, see our art advocacy collection here.