Get free weekly resources from us!
Got it! Would you also like offers and promos from Group?
Thanks, you're all set!
Two children outside playing with chalk paint.
Read in
3 mins

Teach SmART: Using Arts Integration in Your Ministry

Teaching kids about God and witnessing those moments when they genuinely “get it”—it’s one of the greatest gifts in all of children’s ministry. And even though many volunteers and leaders who serve kids each week aren’t professional educators, they can easily recognize when a teaching method is an all-out flop—and when a method really gains traction with kids.

Here’s one that’ll change the way you think about teaching when you see the impact it has on kids: Arts Integration.

Children walk through your doors with predisposed access points of learning-areas where they naturally thrive. Access points may be through music, visual arts, drama, dance, or technical skills; the possibilities are endless. To help all kids engage better with what they’re learning, you can work to recognize and teach lessons through these access points so learning becomes an equitable and exciting process. Arts Integration is one key strategy in which teachers create an environment where all kids can become artisans of learning.

What Is Arts Integration?

Arts Integration is a research-based teaching strategy that encourages teaching content in and through the arts. In its most basic form, this means kids are engaging by using visual art, drama, music, or dance intentionally as a way to learn math, reading, writing, science, social studies, or Christian education concepts.

It sounds simple enough, yet using this strategy with authenticity is sometimes a challenge. Arts Integration is more than creating a stained-glass picture collage to show a parable taught by Jesus; it’s more than just arts and crafts. Arts Integration is an intentional approach to learning, with naturally-aligned objectives being taught and assessed equitably throughout the lesson. This means teachers look at fine arts objectives and content objectives to seek a natural match between the two. This may mean writing a lesson that seamlessly uses the art form as the access point for kids learning the content concept or adapting existing curriculum to include a natural alignment with the art form. At the end of the lesson, kids have progressed toward owning the lesson concept as well as the art skill used to teach.

An Example

While it can seem like a difficult task to integrate the arts in your lesson, don’t be intimidated.  Finding an applicable artform is a wide-open prospect simply because so many possibilities exist. Let’s look at an example of an Arts Integration lesson. This will give you an idea of how you can adapt your lessons to include this learning approach.

This lesson is based on a centralized theme. Simply use the step-by-step example as a guide to incorporating the arts into your lessons.

Why Arts Integration?

Arts Integration is a very effective method of teaching that has been used and researched for more than 25 years in mainstream education. Studies show significant increases in retention and application of concepts taught in and through the arts—and kids love it. It’s exciting, creative, and challenging. Integrating the arts into lessons aligns with the natural way the human brain functions. Humans don’t live and learn in boxes that are compartmentalized within their bodies. Instead, we use all of our senses—all of our access points—to synthesize the concepts we’re learning and make meaning out of these concepts for ourselves. The arts are a natural avenue for ingesting, digesting, and producing elements of our world and our faith. By teaching in and through the arts with Arts Integration, we’re simply tapping into and engaging kids in the way they naturally learn best.

Additionally, the arts are all about processes that lead to an incredible end product. There’s tremendous value for kids in practicing essential skills and then creating a new way to express thought using artistic habits. By implementing this learning approach, we provide kids with the ability to think independently as artisans and to make choices that reflect their true learning. This leads to an understanding that’s richer and more comprehensive than through traditional methods of teaching.

Artisans in Your Midst

Jesus was a master carpenter who constructed works of art from simple elements. And all children and teachers are artisans in their journey through the world. Through intentionally integrating art forms into learning, we can help all children discover who God made them to be. We have the privilege to embrace all our kids’ talents so they can grow in love of God.

Looking for more teaching tips? Check out these ideas!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Teach SmART: Using Arts Integration i...

Get free weekly resources from us!
Got it! Would you also like offers and promos from Group?
Thanks, you're all set!
Our Pins!