Art and Math
Art and math have a lot in common with each other. In fact you can see the math in art and the art in math! Patterns, shapes, geometry, symmetry, spatial reasoning, proportional reasoning, etc… are all a part of the arts (visual art, music and dance), as they are of mathematics.
Some of what you see your child doing in school in the arts, is also an engagement with mathematical ideas at the same time! By blending mathematics and the arts, students learn in ways that are intellectual, emotional and physical. Children learn in many different ways, and research tells us that participating in the arts is one way that is very engaging for all of us.
A child stringing beads in a pattern on a string or creating a patterned bracelet is creating an understanding of patterning, although to them it may look simply like a pleasing design. When a child learns to play the piano, they are developing mathematical understanding of the relationships between scales, notes and chords. Symmetry can be seen in the symmetrical features of a butterfly or in a design when building. Children may notice patterns in wallpaper, tile tessellations on the floor or on a phone cover, rhythmic beats or repeated choreography in music videos or chords in a popular song. There is math everywhere!
How might you and your child notice and name the mathematics in the arts (visual, music and dance) that you encounter? Making the links helps deepen the understanding of both!