The classroom practice of the arts : from the inside out!

Why teach the arts? Surely schools just need to teach literacy and numeracy to prepare children for life and work? The arts are noisy, messy, resource and time intensive so why bother? Are the arts important to the overall development of the child? Would classrooms not be neater and quieter without the arts? What benefits will children enjoy from engaging in sustained quality arts programs? The chapter introduces the importance of children engaging in arts programs, with a vignette by a preservice primary teacher describing how engagement in the arts made a difference in one child's lifo and illustrates that teachers have a crucial part to play in providing their children with arts experiences-from the inside out The chapter continues by demonstrating that, as well as developing skills, understanding and attitudes in each of the art forms, children can gain significant tangential outcomes in other areas. It includes research that shows that when children are engaged consistently in arts programs their academic achievement can be enhanced and they can develop confidence and skills in numeracy and literacy, engaging with the material through creative and multi-dimensional approaches using all artforms. Through the arts, children also learn to understand and express themselves in socially appropriate and meaningful ways. The chapter ends with a vignette illustrating that working in the arts can be an intensely personal process as children get to know themselves and their abilities on the inside, then learn how to express themselves to the outside world.