~Robert L. Lynch
A guest article by Lillian Brooks today focusing on helping children with learning difficulties be excited about the arts. Take it away, Lillian!
Getting
Children With Learning Difficulties Excited About the Arts
For children with learning difficulties, the
arts can be like brain training and therapy all rolled into one. The list of
benefits is a long one: better language skills, improved
problem-solving abilities, more confidence, reduced stress, and more
friendships, to name but a few. OK, so you’re sold on the idea. Now, how do you
get your child interested, too? Here are a few different approaches you can
take.
Set Up
a Hobby Room
Visual arts, like painting, drawing, and
sculpture, are very beneficial to children with learning disabilities. As PBS
Parents discusses, visual arts help kids to process
concepts that they struggle to express in language, and help them develop their
creativity. However, a big concern you might have is the mess making art can
create. The solution is to set up a hobby room. Cover surfaces and the floor
with sheets or plastic mats, and let your kids create without worrying about
the mess they will make. If you don’t have a whole room to spare, you could set
aside a corner of one room to use, and keep sheets and mats stored away when
not in use.
Have
Sew Much Fun
Are you short on space for a hobby area—and
short on patience for messes? Don’t worry. Your child can still participate in
visual arts with nothing more than a needle and thread! Weaving has been shown
to be particularly soothing for children with ADHD, but no matter your child’s
abilities, creating basic sewing projects, such as adding buttons to garments
and making pillowcases, can be a calming,
mess-free activity. If your child has sensory issues, be sure to let them pick
their own fabric and other materials. Many children with learning differences prefer soft fabrics over rough, scratchy
cloth, so take a field trip to the craft store to let your little one find
their favorite material to stitch into something beautiful.
Buy a
Musical Instrument
Many children with learning disabilities
thrive in the field of music, due to it being a nonverbal communication method.
It is also superb for brain development because not only does it sharpen their
auditory skills, it also helps develop hand-eye coordination, while the pattern
recognition developed from interpreting sheet music carries over to reading
skills. It’s no wonder, then, that music can have benefits for children with
learning disabilities, including reduced aggression, better communication
skills, and improved psychological well-being.
Start by asking your child what instruments
they might be interested in, and take them to a few trial lessons to see how
they get on. Many clubs give you the first lesson free to see how your child
takes to it. If they like it, get them an instrument of their own to practice
with.
Take
Them to a Dance Class
Dance can help children to develop their
motor skills and coordination, and it’s a great option for kids with excess
energy. You can find dance classes that cater specifically to children with
learning difficulties or with special needs in general. Such classes often have
less of a technical focus and more of an expressive focus, encouraging kids to
convey whatever they are feeling in that moment. This Huffington Post article describes what these
classes are like. Alternatively, you could take your child to a conventional
class, which will focus more on things like technique, accuracy, and precision.
Classes like this are great for building memory due to the complex steps that
kids must remember, and they often come with a chance to perform on stage.
Go to
Performances and Exhibitions
You might be able to inspire the desire to
create art in your children by taking them to see some great art or performances. Most galleries have
free exhibitions at various times of the year, or you could take them to see a
live performance by a dance troupe or a band. Try to find something that’s age
appropriate for your child or that they have an interest in. Six-year-olds
might not appreciate the nuances of “Swan Lake,” but they may love a
contemporary street dance performance. Likewise, many children get interested
in drawing by copying comic book art featuring their favorite superheroes.
Get your child involved by asking them about
things they’d like to do, but remember that they won’t know what they like
until they try it. Be prepared to spring a few new ideas on them—at the very
least, it will be an interesting new experience for them. If you’re persistent
and willing to experiment, you’ll soon find something that they like.
Photo: Pixabay
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