Arts enrichment and school readiness for children at risk
TL;DR: Examination of achievement within an arts enrichment preschool that served low-income children and a comparison to a nearby alternative on a measure of receptive vocabulary suggest that arts enrichment may advance educational outcomes for children at risk.
Abstract: Arts enrichment provides varied channels for acquiring school readiness skills and may offer important educational opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds and with diverse needs. Study 1 examined achievement within an arts enrichment preschool that served low-income children. Results indicated that students practiced school readiness skills through early learning, music, creative movement, and visual arts classes. Students who attended the preschool for 2 years demonstrated higher achievement than those who attended for 1 year, suggesting that maturation alone did not account for achievement gains. Across 2 years of program attendance and four time points of assessment, students improved in school readiness skills, and there were no significant effects of race/ethnicity or developmental level on achievement growth. Study 2 compared students attending the arts enrichment preschool to those attending a nearby alternative on a measure of receptive vocabulary that has been found to predict school success. At the end of 1 year of attendance, students in the arts program showed greater receptive vocabulary than those at the comparison preschool. Results suggest that arts enrichment may advance educational outcomes for children at risk.
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711 citations
TL;DR: This paper investigated the parent-child home music activities in a sample of 3031 Australian children participating in Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) study.
Abstract: The benefits of early shared book reading between parents and children have long been established, yet the same cannot be said for early shared music activities in the home. This study investigated the parent–child home music activities in a sample of 3031 Australian children participating in Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) study. Frequency of shared home music activities was reported by parents when children were 2–3 years and a range of social, emotional, and cognitive outcomes were measured by parent and teacher report and direct testing two years later when children were 4–5 years old. A series of regression analyses (controlling for a set of important socio-demographic variables) found frequency of shared home music activities to have a small significant partial association with measures of children's vocabulary, numeracy, attentional and emotional regulation, and prosocial skills. We then included both book reading and shared home music activities in the same models and found that frequency of shared home music activities maintained small partial associations with measures of prosocial skills, attentional regulation, and numeracy. Our findings suggest there may be a role for parent-child home music activities in supporting children's development.
124 citations
TL;DR: Data analyses suggested that the higher the normalized singing development rating, the more positive the child's self-concept and sense of being socially included, irrespective of singer age, sex and ethnicity.
Abstract: There is a growing body of neurological, cognitive, and social psychological research to suggest the possibility of positive transfer effects from structured musical engagement. In particular, there is evidence to suggest that engagement in musical activities may impact on social inclusion (sense of self and of being socially integrated). Tackling social exclusion and promoting social inclusion are common concerns internationally, such as in the UK and the EC, and there are many diverse Government ministries and agencies globally that see the arts in general and music in particular as a key means by which social needs can be addressed. As part of a wider evaluation of a national, Government-sponsored music education initiative for Primary-aged children in England ("Sing Up"), opportunity was taken by the authors, at the request of the funders, to assess any possible relationship between (a) children's developing singing behavior and development and (b) their social inclusion (sense of self and of being socially integrated). Subsequently, it was possible to match data from n = 6087 participants, drawn from the final 3 years of data collection (2008-2011), in terms of each child's individually assessed singing ability (based on their singing behavior of two well-known songs to create a "normalized singing score") and their written responses to a specially-designed questionnaire that included a set of statements related to children's sense of being socially included to which the children indicated their level of agreement on a seven-point Likert scale. Data analyses suggested that the higher the normalized singing development rating, the more positive the child's self-concept and sense of being socially included, irrespective of singer age, sex and ethnicity.
93 citations
Cites background from "Arts enrichment and school readines..."
...…that were reported to provide evidence of positive cognitive, social, and behavioral outcomes from arts interventions for different age groups, such as children in low-income and “at risk” families (Brown et al., 2010), adolescents (Catterall, 2009) and older adults (Noice and Noice, 2009)....
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TL;DR: The authors compared students' academic performance and arts education in countries outperforming the United States on the recent Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and made the argument for using arts integration as a way to teach the Common Core standards and align instruction to the Universal Design for Learning principles.
Abstract: Does arts integration contribute to student success for disadvantaged student populations? The introduction to this article compares students’ academic performance and arts education in countries outperforming the United States on the recent Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and makes the argument for using arts integration as a way to teach the Common Core standards and align instruction to the Universal Design for Learning principles This evaluation of research helps to support the evidence base by examining the quality of studies published between 1995 and 2011 investigating the use of arts integration with disadvantaged student populations, including economically disadvantaged students, English language learners, and students with disabilities Four hundred fifty-three studies were explored, resulting in the inclusion of forty-four studies in this analysis Studies were categorized as the following: single art in
73 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined observed emotion expression and teacher-rated emotion regulation for low-income children attending Settlement Music School's Kaleidoscope Preschool Arts Enrichment Program.
Abstract: No studies to date examine the impact of arts-integrated preschool programming on the emotional functioning of low-income children at risk for school problems. The present study examines observed emotion expression and teacher-rated emotion regulation for low-income children attending Settlement Music School's Kaleidoscope Preschool Arts Enrichment Program. At a level of p
73 citations
Cites background from "Arts enrichment and school readines..."
...Indeed, Brown et al. (2010) provided evidence that Kaleidoscope effectively uses arts classes not only to train artistic skills but also to develop skills in language, literacy, math, science, and social/cultural learning....
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...Over the course of a year of program attendance, children attending Kaleidoscope’s arts-integrated Head Start program showed three times the gains in receptive vocabulary as children attending the traditional Head Start program that did not include the arts in such a full, structured, and intentional way (Brown et al., 2010)....
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...Moreover, children attending the Kaleidoscope program showed three times the growth in receptive vocabulary as their peers attending a traditional Head Start (Brown et al., 2010)....
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...Brown et al.’s (2010) study of Kaleidoscope’s arts-integrated program found that children with developmental delays showed school readiness growth equal to that of their typically functioning peers....
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References
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Book•
01 Jan 1998
TL;DR: This chapter discusses strategies for helping children with Reading Difficulties in Grades 1 to 3, as well as recommendations for practice and research.
Abstract: 1 Front Matter 2 Executive Summary 3 Part I: Introduction to Reading 4 1. Introduction 5 2. The Process of Learning to Read 6 Part II: Who Are We Talking About? 7 3. Who Has Reading Difficulties? 8 4. Predictors of Success and Failure in Reading 9 Part III: Prevention and Intervention 10 5. Preventing Reading Difficulties Before Kindergarten 11 6. Instructional Strategies for Kindergarten and the Primary Grades 12 7. Organizational Strategies for Kindergarten and the Primary Grades 13 8. Helping Children with Reading Difficulties in Grades 1 to 3 14 Part IV: Knowledge into Action 15 9. The Agents of Change 16 10. Recommendations for Practice and Research 17 References 18 Biographical Sketches 19 Index
5,743 citations
01 Nov 2000
TL;DR: From Neurons to Neighborhoods as discussed by the authors presents the evidence about "brain wiring" and how children learn to learn to speak, think, and regulate their behavior, and examines the effect of the climate-family, child care, community-within which the child grows.
Abstract: How we raise young children is one of today's most highly personalized and sharply politicized issues, in part because each of us can claim some level of "expertise." The debate has intensified as discoveries about our development-in the womb and in the first months and years-have reached the popular media. How can we use our burgeoning knowledge to assure the well-being of all young children, for their own sake as well as for the sake of our nation? Drawing from new findings, this book presents important conclusions about nature-versus-nurture, the impact of being born into a working family, the effect of politics on programs for children, the costs and benefits of intervention, and other issues. The committee issues a series of challenges to decision makers regarding the quality of child care, issues of racial and ethnic diversity, the integration of children's cognitive and emotional development, and more. Authoritative yet accessible, From Neurons to Neighborhoods presents the evidence about "brain wiring" and how kids learn to speak, think, and regulate their behavior. It examines the effect of the climate-family, child care, community-within which the child grows.
5,295 citations
"Arts enrichment and school readines..." refers background in this paper
...…of integrated arts education for preschoolers holds importance given the critical nature of early experience (Bowman, Donovan, & Burns, 2001; Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000; Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998), but stops short of addressing possibilities for integrated arts enrichment in the school…...
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...…in turn, interfere with children’s acquisition of cognitive skills that form the basis of school readiness (Bulotsky-Shearer, Fantuzzo, & McDermott, 2008; Fantuzzo, Bulotsky-Shearer, & McDermott, 2007; Huffman, Mehlinger, & Kerivan, 2000; Raver & Knitzer, 2002; Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000)....
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TL;DR: The link between socioeconomic disadvantage and children's socioemotional functioning appears to be mediated partly by harsh, inconsistent parenting and elevated exposure to acute and chronic stressors.
Abstract: Recent research consistently reports that persistent poverty has more detrimental effects on IQ, school achievement, and socioemotional functioning than transitory poverty, with children experiencing both types of poverty generally doing less well than never-poor children. Higher rates of perinatal complications, reduced access to resources that buffer the negative effects of perinatal complications, increased exposure to lead, and less home-based cognitive stimulation partly account for diminished cognitive functioning in poor children. These factors, along with lower teacher expectancies and poorer academic-readiness skills, also appear to contribute to lower levels of school achievement among poor children. The link between socioeconomic disadvantage and children's socioemotional functioning appears to be mediated partly by harsh, inconsistent parenting and elevated exposure to acute and chronic stressors. The implications of research findings for practice and policy are considered.
3,753 citations
"Arts enrichment and school readines..." refers background in this paper
...These same children face multiple threats to academic functioning, including a lack of fit between home and school demands (Brand & Felner, 1996), and developmental difficulties related to poverty (Duncan & Brooks-Gunn, 1997, 2000; McLoyd, 1998), and arts education may represent a good match at multiple levels....
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...The cultural relevance of education represents just one challenge confronting racial/ethnic minority children, who also face disproportionate odds of experiencing income poverty, and correlated ecological risks (McLoyd, 1998)....
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...…face multiple threats to academic functioning, including a lack of fit between home and school demands (Brand & Felner, 1996), and developmental difficulties related to poverty (Duncan & Brooks-Gunn, 1997, 2000; McLoyd, 1998), and arts education may represent a good match at multiple levels....
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01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: The accumulation of multiple environmental risks rather than singular risk exposure may be an especially pathogenic aspect of childhood poverty.
Abstract: Poor children confront widespread environmental inequities. Compared with their economically advantaged counterparts, they are exposed to more family turmoil, violence, separation from their families, instability, and chaotic households. Poor children experience less social support, and their parents are less responsive and more authoritarian. Low-income children are read to relatively infrequently, watch more TV, and have less access to books and computers. Low-income parents are less involved in their children's school activities. The air and water poor children consume are more polluted. Their homes are more crowded, noisier, and of lower quality. Low-income neighborhoods are more dangerous, offer poorer municipal services, and suffer greater physical deterioration. Predominantly low-income schools and day care are inferior. The accumulation of multiple environmental risks rather than singular risk exposure may be an especially pathogenic aspect of childhood poverty.
1,933 citations
"Arts enrichment and school readines..." refers background in this paper
...Poverty risks, ranging from prenatal malnutrition and teratogen exposure to impoverishment of the home learning environment, predict high levels of developmental difficulties for low-income children (Evans, 2004), and arts education may offer mechanisms for growth....
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TL;DR: The accumulation of multiple environmental risks rather than singular risk exposure may be an especially pathogenic aspect of childhood poverty as mentioned in this paper, where low-income children are read to relatively infrequently, watch more TV, and have less access to books and computers.
Abstract: Poor children confront widespread environmental inequities. Compared with their economically advantaged counterparts, they are exposed to more family turmoil, violence, separation from their families, instability, and chaotic households. Poor children experience less social support, and their parents are less responsive and more authoritarian. Low-income children are read to relatively infrequently, watch more TV, and have less access to books and computers. Low-income parents are less involved in their children's school activities. The air and water poor children consume are more polluted. Their homes are more crowded, noisier, and of lower quality. Low-income neighborhoods are more dangerous, offer poorer municipal services, and suffer greater physical deterioration. Predominantly low-income schools and day care are inferior. The accumulation of multiple environmental risks rather than singular risk exposure may be an especially pathogenic aspect of childhood poverty.
1,844 citations