Research that Helps Move Us Closer to a World where Each Child Thrives

Schools are curtailing programs in arts, physical exercise, and play so more time and resources can be devoted to academic instruction. Yet indications are that the arts (e.g., music, dance, or theatre) and physical activity (e.g., sports, martial arts, or youth circus) are crucial for all aspects of children's development - including success in school. Thus in cutting those activities, schools may be impeding academic success, not aiding it. Correlational and retrospective studies have laid the groundwork, as have moving personal accounts, case studies, and theoretical arguments. The time is ripe for rigorous studies to investigate causality (Do arts and physical activities actually produce academic benefits or would kids in those activities have succeeded anyway?) and what characteristics of programs account for the benefits. Instead of simply claiming that the arts and/or physical activities can transform kids' lives, that needs to be demonstrated, and granting agencies need to be more open to funding rigorous research of real-world arts and physical-activity programs.