Preschool Ar tat home is an outlet for imagination, thoughts and ideas. And a visual arts program for preschoolers introduced early in life, helps children cope with the world in general and assists them to recognize colours, understand the difference between light and dark, identify shapes, sizes and perceive reality in a more objective manner.

There is something else that not many people are aware of. Children in countries that have mandatory art classes in schools consistently score highest in math and the sciences. While children found lagging behind are usually in countries where visual arts activities are not supported or the support for art is on the wane.

Reasons why art is important is because children are multi-modal and full of potential ideas and thinking and often use these different and combined means to communicate their ideas through artistic activity. Absence of art activities leads to frustration and behavioural issues later on, which could have been easily avoided.

Furthermore, through arts in early childhood, children develop language and acquire social skills like sharing, cooperating with others, assuming responsibility for tasks such as clearing up and recognising importance of others. They also realize their own personal preferences along with finding their place as an individual.

Acquiring motor skills at an early age

By participating in creating art and craft, children become familiar with complex movements of hands and fingers very early in life. This strengthens their forearms and fingers and helps them handle even tiny objects with ease.

Griping a pencil, holding a paintbrush, colouring with a crayon, are all the fine motor skills that children acquire through a hands-on approach prevalent and practiced in an art class.

While other more complex actions, such as using a pair of scissors,helps instil dexterity and confidence needed in children when they begin to write.

Developing a more expressive language

In addition to getting their hands messy by participating in visual arts program for preschoolers,children get an opportunity to expand their vocabulary by learning new words that relate to colours, shapes and interacting with peers and teachers alike.

By having a wider vocabulary to access, children can be more descriptive and are able to use new words when interacting with others and while discussing and presenting their ideas.

Another important factor is art activities stimulate and improve the levels of understanding and the ability to express the feelings triggered when looking at and handling different types of objects. This ability to express comes in handy once the child joins a regular school.

Helping take better decisions

Several studies make it apparent that visual arts program for preschoolers helps strengthen critical-thinking and sharpens problem-solving skills in young children. The process of art by its very nature tends to open up several avenues for children where their decision making skills will be tested and will be found very useful.

For instance, when creating their art and they suddenly discover that they have to decide, make a choice out of the many options that are available to them. Making decisions is a critical skill,and will be of big help when the time comes to make a real life choice in real time.

Through visual arts in early childhood education, children get to try out new ideas, decide whether to use or discard them. Such situations inspire children. Spark creativity and imagination. Gets them to use critical thinking to react to new experiences and problem-solve whenever they feel it becomes necessary.

Help children discover unity in diversity

Children are curious by nature and become quickly aware of something that intrigues them, like for instance when they notice a difference in the way some people look different or discover that they are behaving in a strange manner.

Evidence clearly indicates that children have an innate ability to notice these differences. Prompting them to ask the most challenging questions at the most inconvenient times.Don’t forget, their questions are attempts to make sense of those observations so they can make sense of their own world.

Rather than trying to shush your child, convert and use these opportunities to start a dialogue and help your child understand and respect the differences that they see around them.

Art education is perhaps the most helpful way to ensure children understand and learn to respect similarities and to see reality in a non-conflicting way. New perspectives generally provide children with personally meaningful information and also introduce them to cultural issues, new concepts and ideas about the society they live in.

Make new connections in the brain

Introducing visual arts in early childhood education is fun and entertaining. It helps children learn in a multi-disciplinary and multi-sensorial way. As a matter of fact, art makes children and adult feel nice inside. But why so?

Because art involves all of the senses — sight, sound, touch, taste and smell — there is a lot happening to our brain when we create art. The synapses in the brain of small children begin to fire away at random as they experience and react to new situations that immerse their senses and further stimulates their creativity.

As a matter of fact, a child’s brain makes billions of new connections with each and every experience it is exposed to. Creativity by itself is vital for remaining healthy, remaining connected to yourself and others and connected to the planet.

In young children, art activities lead to the formation of well-rounded personalities, good attachment, self-esteem and pave the way for more robust and better mental health.

About Abrakadoodle

Art inspires children to think different, be innovative, and devise new ways to learn about interesting things found in the real world.  This is the kind of learning experiences Abrakadadoodle creates. Igniting the minds of children to discover, imagine,  play and
learn like never before. www.abrakadoodle.com.sg