ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at aesthetic development and the role of the arts as they relate to reading and writing. Art instruction and aesthetic education will encourage the development of cognitive strategies that are also used in reading and writing. Jean Piaget's work on infant development during the sensorimotor period demonstrates how the type of activity promotes cognitve growth. Elliot W. Eisner feels the common separation of the arts and cognition is fundamentally in error; it is not that the arts are separate, but rather, they involve a different aspect of cognition, a different way of knowing. Experiential learning has the added benefit of aiding the development of communication skills. The primary role of the senses provides a first step in constructing a rationale for integrating the arts with the teaching of reading and writing. Education in the arts cultivates sensitive perception, develops insight, fosters imagination, and places a premium on well crafted form.
