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How Teachers Can Use Art to Encourage Critical Thinking

Encourage critical thinking with art.
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Welcome back to Golden Road Arts for more tips on teaching art in the classroom. We have previously looked at some of the benefits of doing art at home as a family, and today we’re focusing on key art lessons and the techniques that teachers can use to promote critical thinking in children. With the help of engaging art lessons students can develop the ability to observe, analyze and question, and see the world from different perspectives.

Top Ways for Teachers to Use Art to Promote Critical Thinking

Critical thinking helps children become more creative, develop emotional intelligence, build social skills and improve academic abilities. Though art is often undervalued as a tool for advancing these skills, it can actually play a major role in a child’s development.

Think About the Connection Between Art and Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the process of evaluating and analyzing information, making reasoned judgments, questioning assumptions and considering evidence before coming to a conclusion. And while it might not be immediately obvious, understanding art also involves considering historical data and assessing visual evidence, then using problem-solving skills to interpret an artwork or create a new work.

Develop Practical Art Lessons to Help Students Think Critically

As kids begin to develop their creative skills you can introduce focused discussions that encourage them to consider their artistic choices. Depending on the child’s age, you could discuss the context of an artwork in relation to an art movement, consider the emotions generated by the use of color, plan projects that require brainstorming a solution and more. It can also help to read our guide on integrating creative arts into the classroom curriculum.

Encourage Kids to Think Creatively in the Classroom

Once children have a foundation to work from, you can encourage them to experiment with different materials, techniques and approaches. Kids can try layering different textures, creating mixed media works, mixing different colors to create unique shades and developing their own artistic styles through exploration.

Get Children to Think About Their Creative Work

Thinking about art should become a crucial part of the entire creative process. From asking questions about an initial brief to discussing the finished piece, encouraging reflection is important for developing critical thinking skills. Students can also work together to listen, share thoughts and ask questions as a group.

Create Accessible Art Projects to Encourage Critical Thinking

As a key benefit of art for kids, encouraging critical thinking should be incorporated into as many projects as possible. You could create a group mural that requires teamwork and problem-solving, design a comic strip based on logical plot development, or create a painting in the style of a famous painter after first learning about the historical and cultural context.

Art Lessons for Critical Thinking and Childhood Development

Golden Road Arts is a leading creator of free art lessons for elementary and middle school children. Our videos and articles encourage creativity, critical thinking and other vital skills in children. Browse our free art lessons today.

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