Posted in Academic Tips

Should Every Student Be Required To Take a Performing Arts Course?

When it comes to extracurricular activities, performing arts don’t seem that important. After all, there’s a lot of other skills that children need to develop, and there just isn’t time for it. However, you’d be surprised to learn that performing arts can benefit children in all sorts of ways. Here’s why all students should take performing arts courses.

Build Up Confidence

When taking a performing arts course, children are expected to perform in front of others. When they’re doing this with the support of their tutors and fellow students, this can help them blossom as their own person, and gain all important self confidence. They’ll also learn how to work with others, and these are skills that will be with them for the rest of their life.

Higher Academic Achievement

Some parents would be surprised to know that performing arts actually help academic achievement. In counties where academic achievement is higher, such as Japan, Hungary, and the Netherlands, performance art is a mandatory part of the curriculum. It has been suggested that those who study performing arts perform higher in reading, writing and maths skills.

Allow Children Self Expression

It’s no secret that many students are reporting they feel depressed these days. There’s a lot of expectations on them, and the pressures of school and their personal lives can become somewhat much. Performing arts have been found to help students feel happier in themselves, and so help them to perform better in school. This is because they’re able to find a way to express themselves. Some find it easier to do so through dance, or music for example. Whatever method they use, they have an outlet for their feelings.

 Teach Students Perseverance

As most people know, a skill won’t come to you right away. That’s why performing arts are so important for students, as they teach them that they need to work towards building that skill up. It may be learning to play the piano, or developing their acting skills. Whatever it is, if they enjoy it, they’ll be more willing to work towards getting better. They can carry these skills over into the rest of their daily life.

Teach Empathy

One of the best things about performing arts is that it can open students’ minds to the needs of others. They’ll be taught to put themselves into the shoes of others, and feel what they’re feeling. This is very important in helping them develop empathy skills in later life.

As you can see, performing arts courses can give children a wide reaching range of skills, that they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives. If you’re a parent, or an educator, it’s well worth considering giving your children performing arts courses.