Overview

 

Performing arts in early childhood education is much more than just a fill in on a wet afternoon, or an attribute of a school's logo to attract a specific type of student. Performing arts is a core component in early childhood curriculum and education (Wright, 2003). An education rich in the Arts is vital to children's success as not only learner's but as individuals, and members of society, highlighting creativity and imagination, and also the values of cultural understanding and social harmony that the Arts can generate (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2011). With an affluent environment and practical and proactive experiences, performing arts offers growth and development across all learning areas of development.

 

The performing arts environment is just as important as the content being delivered. A performing arts centre needs to have charcteristic features that allow the children to construct meaning of the arts and its curriculum through visual, representational and playful aspects. The environment should be safe, but designed so the children learn through play-based experiences, where children are presented with an abundance of developmentally appropriate materials that are culturally relevant, interesting and intellectually stimulating (Bullard, 2010).

 

Educator interaction during performing arts learning experiences leads to many beneficial developments. The Vygotskian theory instructs educators to take an active role in the children's play for it's learning potential to be maximised. Educators blend these perspectives by acknowledging the benefits of children’s self-directed play while pinpointing how teachers can unobtrusively enrich children’s
play, thus enhancing its learning potential, through “carefully crafted intervention” (Kontos, 1999).

 

Within the subject of performing arts, diversity and culture has the potential to be incorporated in a large way with a full positive impact. Art forms such as dance, theatre, writing, music and the visual arts draw on the creativity and interests of Australians of many abilities. Having a disability in one area does not discount a person's many and varied interests and abilities (Australian Government, 2007). With funding and multiple legislations in place, mainstream schools have the ability to have positive stances on the engagement and learning of all students, with or without disabilities, and are providing the evidence that schools with highly inclusive classrooms, particularly those within the perofmring arts sector, are highly effective schools (Department of Education and Training, 2013).

 

The National Advocates for Arts Education (NAAE) believe that the arts must be included as an essential learning area in the development of the Early Years Learning Framework. Engagement in the arts provides numerous benefits for learning in these important early years. Basic literacy, numeracy and scientific concepts are introduced through music, movement and visual arts making. Social skills, important for tolerance, understanding and celebration of diversity, are developed through arts experiences such as dramatic play, singing and dancing (Victorian Department of Education and Training, 2013).