Abstract
The adverse effects of poverty on child development are well documented and can have far reaching outcomes. This review of literature looks at the effects of poverty on child development indirectly through parenting. Positive parenting techniques are particularly important in sensitive periods of development, and negative parenting, influenced and exacerbated by the stress of poverty can set children back cognitively and emotionally. A relatively recent area of research explores the effects of creative arts engagement on the developing brain and the academic and social outcomes of children. Many of the positive benefits of arts engagement bolster areas of development that parenting plays a role in shaping. The collection of data suggests that at-risk children have the most to gain form early intervention, long-term arts education.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Dosage: The frequency and depth of engagement with arts education.
Acetylcholine: A neurotransmitter in the brain that plays a crucial role in memory and muscle control.
Brain Plasticity: The brain’s ability to change its structure and function in response to internal or external stimuli.
Cultural Relevance: Awareness understanding and implementation of the beliefs, values, and customs of any specific culture.
Cortisol: A hormone produced by the adrenal gland that is directly related to the body’s stress response
Academic Ideation: Formation of ideas and opinions in reference to academic achievement.
Parental Scaffolding: When a parent guides a child’s learning through moderating support during goal-oriented tasks.
Socioemotional Development: The process by which a child begins to understand how they experience, manage, and express their emotions in relation to themselves and those around them.
Cognitive Development: The development of knowledge, disposition, and problem-solving skills within young brains.
Inhibitory Control: The use of attention and reasoning to control and filter automatic urges.
Arts Education: Learning that utilizes or is based in artistic mediums such as dance, music, theater, and visual arts.
Parental Stress: A distinct type of stress that arises when parenting demands exceed the resources and abilities of a parent.