This document discusses the benefits of music, theater, and child care for children's development. It notes that studies have found cognitive and academic benefits to music education, as music stimulates the brain. Theater also benefits children by helping them learn social skills and understand literature. The document argues that budget cuts that reduce access to these programs deprive children of important learning opportunities. It concludes that providing music, theater, and child care from a young age can have long-lasting positive impacts on children's development and future success.

1. Jordan New
November 15, 2011
Corbett 4th Period
Senior Project Paper
One heated topic across the United States is whether the benefits of music, theater, and child
care are significant enough to make an impact on children’s lives. When funds are cut from
school or other organizations, it is usually the fine arts department that is cut off first. These
budget cuts could be depriving children of not only fun experiences, but the imperative learning
skills that are involved. Music is defined by wordIQ as “a word whose accepted definitions vary
with time, place and culture,” and then further goes on to categorize it as organized sound,
subjective experience, a category of perception, and a social construct (“Music- Definition”).
This is one display of the universality that makes music able to connect with different cultures
and people all across the United States. The continuity of music makes its benefits able to reach
all children, if the opportunity is made available for them. It is easily seen that music, theater,
and child care are positive experiences for all children.
One popular type of child care chosen by parents is summer camps. Not only do they
provide a safe environment for children during the summer while parents work and get daily
errands completed, but they are a fun and educational activity for them to acquire new skills,
meet new friends, and become more comfortable in an out-of-home environment. Some argue
that this is essential for children development. For example, AncaGheaus argues that “there is a
duty to ensure that care for all children older than one be shared between parents and people who
come into children’s lives as strangers but who are prepared and willing to develop caring

2. relationships with them,” portraying the need for nonparent relationships and the ability to trust
those unfamiliar to them (Gheaus). If this skill is not comprehended at a young age, future
relationships may be affected. Social skills are built when relationships are formed, so the
younger children are able to depend on people other than their parents, the better. One study by
Jane Waldfogel concludes that childcare after the child is at least one year old has proved
helpful. This is, however, with the assumption that the center of care meets the correct criteria
(Gheaus). The main need for child care is “children’s and parents’needs, fairness, and a general
duty to protect children from unacceptableforms of dependency. Taken together, these arguments
show that parents do not have the moral right to exclude their children from nonparental care”
(Gheaus). It is easily seen that child care is essential for the upbringing of children. Its benefits
are plentiful and prominent. Not only does it make children feel more comfortable in foreign
environments, but it develops them socially while giving parents a break. “Children are
dependent on adults’ care if their needs for security, nourishment, hygiene, affection,
socialization, and basic education are to be met. Since it shapes their bodies, personalities, and
various abilities, the care they receive is crucial in determining their opportunities, both as
children and as future adults” (Gheaus). Combining the physical, emotional, and psychological
benefits with the benefits of music and theater will create the ultimate learning experience for
children in an educationally stimulating environment.
The continual argument over whether music education is important and effective for children
has been around for years. Budget cuts diminish the availability and emphasis put on the arts in
schools even though it is not something that should easily be dismissed from children’s lives.
Regarding the cognitive and academic benefits of music education, studies have been conducted
and observations prove that music is mentally stimulating. “Proponents for the Mozart effect

3. claim that performance on tasks of spatiotemporal reasoning may be improved for ten to fifteen
minutes immediately after listening to part of a Mozart piano sonata or similar complex music”
(Črnčec, Wilson, and Prior). The Mozart Effect is one example of studies being performed in
evaluation of music on willing participants, including children. Another common observation
among musically inclined individuals is their academic potential that parallels their musical
abilities. It is typically seen that students in the fine arts that have been taught music theory
along with simple music skills have more achievements in the classroom. Experiments have
been made to prove these observations, such as the studies carried out by Hetland, who took a
sample of seven hundred and one children aged three to twelve undergoing music lessons and
observed their cognitive skills. The study found that “there appears to be a medium to large
effect of music lessons on spatiotemporal ability” (Črnčec, Wilson, and Prior). Other observations
regarding education and music have been made regarding children. Special needs students are
often put into music programs in order to create happy environments that have also been shown
to improve their mental functions with special techniques. Along with special needs students, “a
more recent study has found that economically disadvantaged children who had two years of
musical training performed better than controls on tests of arithmetic” (Črnčec, Wilson, and Prior).
Music has been proven to help children of all situations, and acts as a fun, educational way for
them to meet new people, widen their interests, and become talented in a unique, substantial
area. Combined with child care, the positive outcomes are numerous. “Music lessons designed
to developauditory, visual and motor skills have benefited reading skillschildren’s engagement
with the Kodaly method has improved reading andarithmetic and there is evidence that there are
increases inchildren’s Intelligence Quotient when they engage in practical music makingalthough

4. not all of the evidence supports these findings,” (Kokotsaki and Hallam). All of these studies and
observations serve as prime examples that music can help the development of children greatly.
Along with music and child care, theater is another way for children to receive treatment
they need in an enjoyable manner. According to Amy Jensen, “Arts education, including theater
education, not only has relevance for today’s young people but is also uniquely positioned to
substantially contribute to the new forms of literacy that are essential to navigating our
contemporary culture,” (Jensen). Theater is used in literature classes across America, whether it
is Shakespeare’s classics or a more modern Ibsen. Plays express universal themes and help
children understand the continuity throughout history. Also, actually acting out the plays and
making them come to life is beneficial to children. This is seen in Dewey’s “practical and
experiential educationmovement, which required students to learn by doing. [It] embraced a
mimeticeducational context that requiredboth the theater student and teacher toembrace new
educational theater literacy” (Jensen). This movement creates new boundaries of learning in the
classroom and has proved helpful for those participating. Also, social skills are developed when
kids experience acting. Learning to project your voice and making a statement can teach a shy
child to be more comfortable with themselves and more comfortable around others (Appleton).
Another thing that has been discovered is the emotional tension that is released when children
participate in theater because of the form of escape that it provides. Theater provides an outlet
for children to express themselves creatively. Not only is it used by drama teachers, but it is
used by literature teachers to expand their techniques. “These educatorsrecognize theater as an
effectivemodality for teaching concepts inherent in their fields of study” (Jenson). Further
development and understanding of characters takes place when a play is being acted out. To get
the full meaning of the author, actors look into the backgrounds of each character, the history of

5. their time period, why they say what they say, and why they do what they do. Not only does this
lead to a better more believable performance, but it enables the student to learn the play in
greater depth. It is easily seen that theater benefits children not only socially but educationally
and should be used by programs nationwide as a fun way of development.
When viewing music and theater benefits along with child care, the question of age is
brought up. Researchers have found a significant amount of positive information regarding the
effects music and theater have when experienced at a young age, especially outside of the home
environment. “In 2001, de l'Etoile developed an in-service music-training program for child care
personnel working with infants and toddlers and found that when caregivers received this
training, the children in their care demonstrated increases in visual, vocal, and physical
engagement behaviors,” (McDowell). The benefits of music are most effective at a young age.
When children are in early development their brains absorb everything around them and can take
in a lot more information with greater ease. This means that they get all the benefits found for
children in camps, but it has an even greater outcome. The Perry Preschool Project, which
“followed children in different preschool programs from age three through adulthood, have
shown us that these early educational experiences significantly impact the long-term direction of
children's development” (Fox). Young children keep their early childhood experiences with
them for the rest of their life. Exposure to music, theater and social development in early child
care will result in a better life once grown.
“Community music began with the pockets of immigrants who settled in various
parts of the United States” and has grown into a nationwide tool for enhancement of our
children’s cognitive, psychological, and social skills (Leglar and Smith). There has been
improvement in the areas of Self-Esteem, memory, academic performance, teamwork, discipline,

6. and enjoyment (Holt). It is obvious that the performing arts are very important for children and
can help them lead enhanced adult lives. Child care enables social skills such as trust to develop
with ease, Music coincides with intelligence and higher cognitive skills, and theater develops
social skills along with confidence.

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