Creative Arts and Drama: The Benefits of Incorporating Them in Alternative Schooling and Education
Alternative schooling and education have become increasingly popular over the years. Parents and educators alike are recognizing the limitations of traditional school systems and are seeking alternative approaches to provide students with a more holistic learning experience.
One important aspect that has gained significant attention is the inclusion of creative arts and drama in alternative schooling programs. In this post, we will discuss the benefits that creative arts and drama can bring to students’ academic, social, emotional, and personal development.
Academic Benefits
The inclusion of creative arts in alternative schooling programs can enhance students’ academic performance. Studies show that exposure to music and visual art can improve spatial-temporal skills, which are critical for math success (Rauscher et al., 1997). Furthermore, incorporating writing exercises into drama activities helps develop language skills such as grammar, vocabulary usage, syntax/structure organization (Barton & Levstik, 2004).
Students who engage in creative arts also tend to have higher levels of motivation towards their academics as they become more confident through exploring different aspects of creativity – this increased self-esteem leads them to feel more willing to take risks academically.
Social Benefits
Incorporating creative arts into alternative schooling programs provides opportunities for peer interaction outside traditional classroom settings. Through participation in group projects or performances such as plays or musicals or other collaborative activities like painting classes together gives children an opportunity to work together on a shared goal while developing teamwork skills.
Drama specifically has been found to promote empathy by allowing participants to connect emotionally with characters they portray or observe; thus teaching children how others see things from their perspectives (Friedman & Katcher 2011). This very act alone promotes understanding between peers leading towards better communication just beyond the stage setting but also outside it.
Emotional Benefits
Creative arts play a vital role in promoting positive mental health among students by offering an outlet for self-expression. Through arts such as painting, drawing, music composition or drama students can explore their own feelings and emotions in a safe and non-judgmental environment (Schirrmacher et al., 2019).
Drama participation has also been found to promote emotional intelligence by providing children with the opportunity to practice reading facial expressions and body language accurately while learning how different tones of voice convey meaning. This skill is useful for developing social connections and managing conflicts effectively.
Personal Growth Benefits
Creative arts offer opportunities for personal growth through fostering creativity, imagination, self-discipline, risk-taking behaviors among students. Engaging in creative activities allows children to develop their own unique voices that are necessary for success both within academics but also outside the classroom setting.
Moreover, by requiring students to perform or showcase their work publicly gives them a chance to face their fears head-on which builds confidence levels that are essential for leadership roles later in life.
Conclusion
Alternative schooling programs have the potential to provide students with a more holistic learning experience than traditional school systems. The incorporation of creative arts and drama into these programs provides numerous benefits across academic, social-emotional development as well as personal growth areas.
Educators must recognize the importance of this aspect of education and provide adequate support so that students can benefit from it fully. By doing so we will be able to create better-rounded individuals who can contribute positively towards society in multiple ways beyond just academic proficiency alone – creativity fostered through art studies helps us solve problems using lateral thinking techniques developed from years of exposure!
Alternative Amie 
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