DO THE ARTS REALLY HELP MY CHILD IN MATH?

I’m willing to bet that most have heard the assertion, if not the research, about the arts and math. A couple of times a year, I hear the question from a parent and it is always difficult to answer. The difficulty lies in whom the child is we are speaking about and how my own biases get infused into the conversation. Each conversation I have is characterized by the particular talents and/or struggles the child is facing making it difficult to provide a standard response. Also, having been a music teacher in my pre-principal life, it is difficult to approach my response in an unbiased way. While, admittedly, a standard response is not appropriate when having a discussion about an individual and my biases are a strength on this subject (if I do say so myself), there are common items that appear in each conversation that support the connection between the arts and mathematical success. Read More...