It’s Up to You to Introduce Your Child to the Arts

A focus on standardized testing and shrinking budgets in the U.S. educational system have led to a decline in instruction of the fine arts, to the chagrin of teachers and students alike. What used to be a standard feature in elementary schools across the nation is increasingly giving ground to more math, science and literature, putting pressure on parents to introduce their children to activities like music and painting.

For those who have children with learning disabilities, this is especially important, as the arts offer a number of benefits for mental development. Early exposure can also inspire lifelong passions that provide focus and inspire invaluable confidence in their abilities. Here’s how you can get your youngster involved and why you should.

Music

Play a variety of styles at home, which shouldn’t be difficult with so many songs and compositions available at your fingertips through websites and mobile apps. You may want to start off with classical tunes before moving on to jazz and rock ‘n’ roll. Eventually your child will hear a sound that piques their interest in one of the myriad of instruments available for study. The benefits are enormous, as playing a tune helps establish focus, rhythm and timing, which help out in other aspects of their learning as well.

Painting

Take a visit to the local art museum, where you’ll see work from the hands of the masters themselves. Besides being an excellent learning experience, it may inspire your child to try their own hand at painting. A writer with Living in Dialogue, a website devoted to issues in public education, emphasizes how important this is specifically for children with learning disabilities, as visual art serves as a vital means of emotional expression and provides a source of self-esteem when they are struggling with other subjects in school.

Pottery

It all begins with clay, something that children are normally drawn to play with at a very young age, as they love the feeling of this material slipping through their fingers and how easily it can be shaped into various shapes and figures. That’s your gateway to the this wonderful art form. You can help them advance yourself or find a tutor if they show a keen interest. This activity has a meditative aspect that relieves stress and offers a period of calm after a long, hard day focused on math and science.

Dance

Films and videos could be the key to generating an interest among your children in this art form. Though you may be picturing little girls in tutus practicing their pirouettes at ballet class, boys are often drawn to the athleticism of some other forms of dance, which provide wonderful benefits physically, mentally and socially. It helps them meet new people while building their self-esteem and giving them some exercise. In fact, it has proven so helpful in children’s development that it’s inspired a new form of therapy for those with learning disabilities.

Sewing

Working with textiles is often overlooked in discussions about the arts, and that’s a huge mistake, as it provides a practical skill set as well as an excellent avenue for self-expression. Sewing and other needlework also teach your child to focus and follow step-by-step instructions to make something beautiful, a lesson that carries over into many other aspects of life. You’ll have no trouble finding a number of projects to begin your creative journey, as there are plenty of kid- and beginner-friendly tutorials and patterns online.

You can be your child’s inspiration. Show an interest in the arts yourself, and they will surely follow in your footsteps. The power is in your hands.

*Lillian Brooks is the founder of learningdisabilities.info. For years, Lillian worked as a special education teacher with a focus on teaching children with learning disabilities. She created learningdisabilities.info to offer information and understanding to parents of children with learning disabilities, as well as adults who are in need of continued support in order to succeed.