The mission of the BYU ARTS Partnership is to ensure that all children benefit from an education that provides academic excellence, social confidence, and personal expression through experience with the arts. This book was designed to supplement and support teacher’s experiential and embodied learning in the arts so they can provide the same for students. The most important thing for a teacher to know is how it feels to participate and benefit from engagement in the Arts.

The arts form an integral foundation for living and learning. Arts education authentically contributes to the development of the whole child. Human development is tracked through physical, cognitive, social, and emotional milestones. Arts activities can provide consistent relaxed practice of developmental skills.

The arts play a crucial role in nurturing the holistic development of children, encompassing physical, cognitive, social, and emotional domains. By engaging in authentic arts experiences, children explore their senses and movements, fostering vital neurological connections and enhancing their overall well-being. Teachers can leverage arts activities to identify and address developmental strengths and weaknesses, while also providing a trauma-sensitive approach to support students' academic and personal growth, ultimately fostering a strong mind-body connection essential for learning and healthful living.

This article proposes arts strategies to refine motor skills and activate the senses, promoting a relaxed and mindful classroom environment. Through these activities, educators can assess students' developmental progress, emotional regulation, and response to stress. The "Arts Playbook" provides concise, 5-10 minute arts-based activities from visual arts, dance, music, and drama, to serve as "brain breaks" throughout the school day.

Through arts education, teachers can observe and enhance students' cognitive abilities by engaging them in activities that foster problem-solving, creativity, and higher-order thinking. By incorporating frameworks such as the Studio Habits of Mind and the 21st Century Skills, educators can cultivate critical cognitive skills like envisioning, reflecting, and collaborating, ultimately preparing students for success in both academic and personal realms.

All learning is a social and emotional experience, and competence in these areas is essential for success. Arts-integrated teaching strategies provide child-centered activities for supporting social and emotional well-being and develop resiliency.

Each art form, including music, dance, theatre, media arts, literary arts, and visual arts, offers a rigorous academic learning experience with distinct standards and outcomes, contributing significantly to cognitive development, personal growth, and societal advancement.

This chapter explores the nature of art and aesthetics, reflecting artists' diverse perspectives and beliefs about the definition of art and beauty. It emphasizes the importance of understanding and valuing various aesthetic theories and preferences in appreciating and interpreting art.

The arts fulfill diverse roles in society: from fine arts expressing imagination and aesthetics, folk arts preserving cultural heritage, to entertainment arts engaging audiences, and ceremonial arts facilitating rituals and spiritual expression. Through these genres, the arts contribute to cultural enrichment, entertainment, learning, identity formation, and social cohesion.

Dance is a universal art form that allows individuals to express emotions and tell stories through movement. In the classroom, dance serves as a dynamic tool for holistic development, integrating physical, social-emotional, and cognitive learning experiences.

This article introduces the art form of drama and its role in storytelling, expression, and reflection of human life and society. It outlines the principles and benefits of integrating drama in the classroom, emphasizing its ability to enhance learning, foster creativity, and develop essential skills through collaborative and imaginative activities.

This article explores music's definition and educational significance, highlighting its role as a form of art and cultural expression. Emphasizing its benefits in academic achievement, social-emotional development, and cognitive function, the article provides practical strategies for integrating music into elementary classroom instruction, empowering educators to create dynamic and enriching student learning experiences.

Visual art encompasses various mediums like painting and digital art, serving as a means of expression and cultural reflection. Integrating visual arts into education fosters creativity, critical thinking, and cultural awareness among students through techniques like teaching basic drawing skills and guiding students in observing visual art.

The article explores how studio structures and cognitive habits impact student learning in the arts, highlighting the importance of cultivating specific mindsets within studio settings to enhance educational outcomes.

The article delves into the concept of "students at work," emphasizing the importance of student agency and active participation in arts education. It discusses various strategies for fostering student engagement and ownership of learning experiences within the arts.

The article explores the concept of critique and reflection as a vital studio structure for discussing and analyzing student artwork, aiming to enhance artistic decision-making and personal expression. It outlines a four-step process for facilitating effective critique sessions, emphasizing the importance of clear goals, varied formats, allocated time, and archiving for further evaluation and growth

The article explores the significance of performance and exhibition in arts education, emphasizing their role in fostering creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration among students. It highlights the value of providing opportunities for students to showcase their artistic achievements through performances and exhibitions, facilitating meaningful learning experiences and promoting a deeper appreciation for the arts.