Education Articles

The Institute for Education and the Arts posts these articles focusing on education.

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THE HANDWRITING IS ON THE WALL
Margaret Webb Pressler, Washington Post, October 11, 2006

“When handwritten essays were introduced on the SAT exams for the class of 2006, just 15 percent of the almost 1.5 million students wrote their answers in cursive. The rest? They printed. Block letters . . . College hopefuls are just the first edge of a wave of U.S. students who no longer get much handwriting instruction in the primary grades, frequently 10 minutes a day or less. As a result, more and more students struggle to read and write cursive.

“Many educators shrug. Stacked up against teaching technology, foreign languages and the material on standardized tests, penmanship instruction seems a relic, teachers across the region say. But academics who specialize in writing acquisition argue that it's important cognitively, pointing to research that shows children without proficient handwriting skills produce simpler, shorter compositions, from the earliest grades.”

Read more here.

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CREATIVE LEARNING IS PART OF BETTER STUDENT PERFORMANCE
(EDITORIAL)
James F. Tune and Mary Snapp, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, October 12, 2006

“The arts help all students learn to succeed in school and beyond. Students who participate in the arts are more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, to be elected to class office, to participate in a math and science fairs and to receive awards for school attendance. Compared with their peers, students in the arts read for pleasure twice as much and perform more community service. In addition, arts education has a positive impact on deterring delinquent behavior in at-risk youth and can improve the developmental growth of all children.

“What students learn through the arts and curricula infused with creativity helps prepare them for the real life demands of today's economy. Creative programs help students learn how to collaborate with others, enhance critical thinking skills, communicate clearly in a variety of media, produce results in real-time and think outside the box.”

Read more here.

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THE NEGLECTED MUSE: WHY MUSIC IS AN ESSENTIAL LIBERAL ART
Peter Kalkavage, American Educator, Fall 2006

“Why should young people study music? One answer presents itself on the basis . . . [that] music has a central place in the lives of young people. For many, music is their life. Teaching music to the young is therefore much more than conveying historical information and technical facts, or helping students develop their musical talent. It is more than the effort to make them competent and aesthetically refined. In getting young people to engage in a serious study of music, we are giving them an opportunity to know themselves better by becoming more precisely aware of the amazing power that music has over them. Also, as we shall see, we are giving them an opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the natural world—and of our connection to it—by becoming more aware of the mathematical order that underlies music.”

Read more here.

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WYNTON MARSALIS ON AMERICA’S MUSICAL CLASSICS
An Interview with Wynton Marsalis, American Educator, Fall 2006

Marsalis says: “Art interprets the human soul, and the technology of the human soul does not change. The power of great music is timeless. That’s why it remains such an indispensable tool for teaching our youngsters. What’s more, music is one of the few things that transcends the boundaries of race, class, religion, and geography that too often divide us.”

Read more here.

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KEEPING ART ALIVE UNDER NCLB
Interview with Nina Ozlu, chief counsel for Americans for the Arts
Education World, October 11, 2006

Ozlu says: “A child's education is not complete unless it includes the arts. In spite of the arts being named a core academic subject under NCLB, access to arts education in our schools is eroding. A report from the Center for Education Policy concludes that, since the enactment of NCLB, 22 percent of school districts surveyed have reduced instructional time for art and music. We believe this is because preparation for math and reading testing is commanding more and more time in the school day.”

Read more here.

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