Art as a tool for
learning
“Literature, music and the arts all are
necessary for the development and
flowering of a student to form an
integrated total personality”-
Rabindranath Tagore
“ There is a lack of mediation and creativity everywhere, specially in schools. The arts are missing from our lives and we are giving way to violence” – Yehudi Menuhin
Why art?
children experience joy and enjoymentwhile learning
Learning happens through play with natural material like clay, sand, flowers, leaves etc.
Children can express their ideas and
emotions freely
All the senses of the child are developed through keen observation, curious exploration and spontaneous expression
Children become sensitive towards the environment
Aesthetic sensibility is
developed among learners.
Children are encouraged to
respond to beauty in
colour, shape, form,
movement and sound.
Children learn in multiple ways – audio, visual, through body movement
Children express themselves
through a variety of media (Not
everybody is clever with words)
Children become aware of local art forms
Higher order thinking skills are developed - im
agining,
observing, spatial reasoning, designing, constructing,
planning, producing, inventing, generating new ideas,
discovering new ways of looking at things
Brings children closer to their environment
Children appreciate their cultural heritage
Children respect each other’s expression
How does one weave art into teaching and learning ?
Give children the opportunity to explore and develop their ideas by noting what they see around them, by trying different material, tools and techniques and expressing themselves through different activities like drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, modelling.
Adopt an interdisciplinary approach and make creative lesson plans using expressive art forms across the curriculum
The arts are an essential part of human experience, not a frill. They are important and effective tools of learning!
Think of different ways of using art as a tool in the
classroom!