American education has turned its focus towards STEM in recent years. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. Now, there’s nothing wrong with those fields. They’re important, help to propel society forward, and have many career paths that can lead to financial success. However, there’s a reason that there is a movement to turn STEM into STEAM, with the additional A standing for the arts, as the arts and humanities are a pivotal part of education, from the best preschools through college.
Luckily, private schools in Kendall, along with the best private schools anywhere, still offer an emphasis on the arts in education. That flexibility to offer an education that best fits students in the eyes of the institution is one of the academic benefits of private school. Knowing that many private schools like to emphasize the arts and humanities, here are three reasons that teaching the arts in schools matters:
The Arts and Humanities Helps Students Grow Emotionally
Children in elementary and middle school are in one of the most important developmental stages of their lives. Not only are they physically growing, and dealing with all that comes with that, these are the years that they learn about how they interact with other people. In school, children are forced to grow emotionally as people. By including an emphasis on the arts and humanities, students have a better chance not just to understand why they feel the things they might feel, it helps them put words to those things that they cannot on their own and opens them to new ways of thinking.
Not Every Student Thrives in STEM
STEM classes are important as a part of getting the well-rounded liberal arts education that is one of the long-term benefits of private school, but many smart students struggle with math or science that could thrive in art classes. It’s as simple as a student being a visual or hands-on learner, rather than being able to memorize formulas and definitions. Putting them in a series of classes that a student struggles in or simply is bored by makes them uninterested in going to school. Once that happens, a student is no longer getting everything out of school that they possibly could. In fact, for many students, the arts and humanities are what excites them to go to school and learn about. By emphasizing the arts, private schools in Kendall offer a space for students who excel in this realm of education to get the most out of their academic experience.
The Arts Help to Train Students’ Minds in a Practical Way
It’s impossible to ignore that math is involved in art. Take a painting. Scale and perspective are elements that matter in making a painting look the way it is supposed to look. It may not necessarily be memorizing formulas, but it’s a practical application of mathematic principles, done so in a way that helps students thrive. Another practical way that the arts help students is through their focus. Music class, for instance, helps students focus while working in a group to create something. Furthermore, a creative writing class helps with problem-solving and thinking outside of the box. All of these are skillsets that act complementary to STEM education and help students grow.
About 10% of students in the United States attend private schools, which make up 25% of schools. One of the great benefits of the best private schooling is the attention that teachers can give to students and this is no different at private schools in Kendall. The other great benefit is the ability to base their curriculum on what they feel is best for students. This allows for an emphasis on the arts and humanities at private schools in Kendall, and it allows for students to find a private elementary school that emphasizes math and science if they prefer that as well.
