From early in life, children are aware of, and receive information from, their environments. Children are, above all, kinesthetic learners. They thrive on bright colours, interesting textures, new tastes and temperatures and a wide variety of perceptual experiences, including mass, weight, density and sound.

The art curriculum aids students in building a sensory “vocabulary” based on materials and how they can be used. Primary students are fascinated by the texture of wet clay. They will often make objects that are significant only to themselves and perhaps only in the moment that they are being made. Nevertheless, students’ work is of great importance, both as an expression of the student’s own experience and as evidence of his or her capability.

The study of art encourages experimentation, thought and analysis. It allows students to compare material objects with abstract ideas. As students mature, this experience allows them to combine their abstract ideas with materials in order to create objects of ever increasing complexity.

Through art education, students learn to express themselves in new ways and with greater precision. Indeed, skills acquired through art have much greater and farther-reaching benefits. Through the art curriculum, students develop copying skills, perseverance and lateral thinking abilities. By learning self-confidence and intellectual daring through art, a student becomes an adult who can think outside the box, and more importantly an adult who can think outside “the self.”