The Power of the Arts

I attended the Power of Art 2015 conference early this month and have written about it in my i am style over fashion blog, 

http://iamstyleoverfashion.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-power-of-art-2015.html 

As part of our gifts we have received a book by Sally L. Smith, the Founder of the Lab School of Washington DC, educator and expert in the teaching of youth with learning differences. The Power of the Arts: Creative Strategies for Teaching Exceptional Learners, provides the theoretical basis for using the arts as a vehicle for academic learning for children who have learning disabilities, ADHD, or other difficulties in school. It explains how these children can benefit from different classroom strategies by discussing characteristics common in children who struggle in school, then it goes on to explore strategies to help these students to overcome their difficulties through the arts. The book also presents techniques for using the arts to assess student ability, measure their progress and increase their self-esteem. It includes practical, how-to guides for activities in ten fields of art, including woodwork, graphic arts, computer arts, architectural design, plaster and painting, film animation, drama, dance, elementary music and secondary music - all written by artists in residence at the Lab School in Washington, USA.

I think Ms.Smith's book is an excellent resource to share with educators and parents and although she is no longer alive her great research lives on through her literature and the Lab schools. Art can be used to teach more than art!