Art in Every Class

With schools facing budget cuts across the country, the arts are often the first thing on the chopping block. Advocates for the arts point to studies showing how the arts help children learn. Yet sometimes arts education is downsized to just “art on a cart,” leaving teachers frustrated over the lack of resources.

One district in the US is taking a different approach, by integrating the arts into all their classrooms. The Opening Minds Through the Arts program in Tucson, Arizona uses art to teach math, reading, writing, science and social studies in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Joan Ashcraft manages the program, which is now operating in more than forty Tucson public elementary schools. She’s here to share her thoughts on making the arts an integrative part of the curriculum.

Edutopia: "Tucson Schools Enhance Learning with the Arts"

Video: "Music and Dance Drive Academic Achievement"

(Photo courtesy michale via Flickr/Creative Commons)