"Art does not solve problems, but makes us aware of their existence," sculptor Magdalena

Abakanowicz has said. Arts education, on the other hand, does not solve problems.【M1】______ Years of research shows that its closely linked to almost anything that we as a nation say we want for our children and【M2】______ demand to our schools: academic achievement, social and【M3】______ emotional development, civic engagement, and equitable opportunity. Involvement in the arts is associated with gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skill. Arts learning can also improve motivation, concentration, confidence, and teamwork. A report by the Rand Corporation about the visual arts argue that the intrinsic pleasures and【M4】______ stimulation of the art experience have more than sweeten an【M5】______ individuals life—according to the report, they " can connect people more deeply to the world and open them in new ways【M6】______ of seeing," creating the foundation to forge social bonds and community cohesion. And strong arts programming in schools helps close a gap that has left many child behind: From【M7】______ Mozart for babies to tutus for toddlers to family trips to the museum, the children of affluent, aspired parents generally get【M8】______ exposed to the arts whether or not public schools provide it.【M9】______ Low-income children, often, do not. " Arts education enables those children from a financially challenged background to have a more level playing field with children who have had those enrichment experience," says Eric Cooper, president and【M10】______ founder of the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education.

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