Creating art is fun – but is it necessary?
The next time that you wonder if making and studying art is really essential to your kid’s education, think again.
Research has shown that creative art is often linked to better academic achievement. It improves reading comprehension as well as cognitive and critical thinking skills.
Here are four surprising ways that creative art can enhance your kid’s reading comprehension and cognition.
1. Art trains kids’ communication and interpretation skills, which boosts reading comprehension.
Students who study art have often been observed to read and write better than their peers who do not study art.
The exposure and creation of art enhance children’s development while positively affecting other aspects of their learning. For instance, in the case of visual arts, findings reveal that drawing can support kids’ writing skills while visualisation training can improve their interpretation of text.
Before they read words, children are reading pictures,
said the children’s books writer and illustrator, David Wiesner.
Art is a form of inquiry that allows your child to observe, express, and communicate ideas – all of which are crucial in reading comprehension as well.
When your child sketches an apple, he or she will notice details such as the apple’s gradient colour, shape, shadow, texture, and imperfections such as a slight bruise.
As with reading and writing text, artmaking involves analysing, recording, and understanding something – an idea or image – that can be conveyed to an audience. This is an integral form of communication.
Look for reading programmes for kids that incorporate a wide variety of art materials and creative mediums. Encourage your child to discuss his or her art and reflect on the art of others.
Through this, their cognitive process and ability to see things from various vantage points and uncover meaning in them will improve. These skills are critical in other disciplines as well, including reading comprehension.
Read also: Reading in Children: 8 Ways to Raise an Avid Reader
2. Creating art boost kids’ innovation and problem-solving skills.
Art enhances creativity and imagination. Creative thinkers can see multiple solutions to one problem. How is this connected to better reading comprehension?
Art promotes the skill to interpret literature on a deeper level – to read beyond the surface and analyse text in a myriad of ways.
In our highly competitive education landscape, those who are creative have the upper hand.
When it comes to their ability to use their imagination, apply out-of-the-box thinking to solve complex questions, and comprehend difficult text, creative children have a better chance of success.
Consider an enrichment class that involves plenty of creative art.
Any time your kid engages in art, he or she is unwittingly sharpening essential cognition skills.
3. Art connects children more deeply to the world around them.
Findings suggest that experiencing art can connect people more deeply with the world around them, and to common issues in society.
Essentially, creative art allows young children to develop deeper connections and empathy. Similarly, reading broadens a kid’s understanding and ability to respond to conflicts – whether in books or in real-life.
In this way, art and reading comprehension skills complement and feed into one another, as they both develop your child’s awareness, emotional intelligence, and thinking process.
Read also: What is the Best Age For Kids To Start Reading Programmes?
4. Creative art develops greater self-confidence and reading comprehension.
Art boosts self-confidence.
Studies show that children are more engaged and motivated in their studies when art is integrated into their lessons. Look for reading programmes for kids that have a nurturing environment where kids can feel free to experiment, make mistakes, and create.
Learning art has been connected with social and emotional development. An enrichment class should not only prioritise academic success; it should emphasise perseverance, confidence, and leadership as well.
The foundation of literacy and reading comprehension is confidence. Every champ can stand to gain from creative art when it promotes exactly that: confidence.
It is an essential component to all learning – not just for the classroom, for real-life application as well.
Want to learn how MindChamps Reading & Writing incorporates creative art to help your child enjoy reading?