Are your children commonly exposed to art-rich experiences? Do you bring your child to live theater, or fear doing so because they may not behave or make it through the entire show? If you have not shared the experiences of local theater with your child or possibly taken them on a special trip to the lights, sounds, and magic of Broadway, then you may want to consider it this new year. There are countless studies and research that has been done to show that theater for children is critical to their academic, social, and emotional development. Here is a quick list of the benefits of exposing your child to theater from a young age.

 

  • Increased academic performance in school. “Study after study has shown that the arts are more than fluff. Longitudinal data of 25,000 students involved in the arts, conducted at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education by Dr. James Catterall, shows that consistent participation greatly improves academic performance and signi cantly bumps up standardized test scores. Students who make time for the arts are also more involved in community service, and less likely to drop out of school. And we’re not just talking about upper middle class kids. These facts remain, regardless of a child’s socioeconomic background.” (Source: Rose Theater Chicago)
  • Children who experience live theater and a wide variety of shows with characters that are different than them are more accepting than their less cultured peers of other people’s ideas, religions, sexual orientations, and cultures.
  • Children who visit live performances have lengthened attention spans.
  • Children who view a variety of theater shows have been shown to have increased empathy and understanding of the plight of others and act on that knowledge.
  • Theater fosters creativity and imagination, and allows children to think beyond the storyline.

 

Follow our blog and Facebook postings about opportunities for children to experience the joy of theater. Call Backdrops by Charles H. Stewart at (978) 682-5757 or visit our website at  www.charleshstewart.com for more guidance and stage backdrops that will make your show a hit!