At Parker Performing Arts School all elementary students experience daily arts exposure and training. Starting as young as preschool, experiencing the arts has shown to have a positive impact on students’ academics, social and emotional growth. Students who may not have a vested interest in the arts at a young age can still benefit from the exposure and instruction in the arts.
“Young students who participate in a music program starting as early as preschool develop phonetic awareness, vocabulary, and language processing, coordination and motor skills, and imaginative thinking.” - (Des Moines Symphony)
At Parker Performing Arts School, we offer daily training and exploration in a multitude of arts subjects including music, dance, movement, visual arts, and theatre. This daily training offers students the opportunity to explore their world in a trusted environment, through a lens of creative expression. Starting a student in arts programming early helps develop key skills and training for future success. Playing and listening to music increases vocabulary and literacy. Dance and movement helps students gain spatial awareness and connect with their body’s physical abilities. Theatre builds confidence, speech, and storytelling skills. Visual arts helps students interpret their world through visual creation, while also increasing dexterity and fine motor skills.
“In early childhood, art education is all about exploration. The goal is to encourage children to express themselves while broadening their creative horizons.” - (Rocky Mountain College of Art)
Early childhood exposure to the arts assists in cognitive development and social and emotional growth through the use of neural stimulation, creative problem solving, dramatic play and more. Participating in arts activities, from Dance to Theatre to Music to Visual Arts, helps young students develop skills that benefit their academics as well as their personal growth.
“Engaging in dance education programming during early childhood positively influences a child’s physical development. For instance, after participating in an eight-week dance program, a group of 5-year-old children showed significant improvements with rhythm, coordination and balance.” - (Dell'Erba and Middleton)
As the school of choice for the performing arts in Douglas County, PPA strives to create inclusive, safe and understanding environments for students to explore the various arts avenues. As further studies develop around the arts and child development, more and more evidence points to your student’s exposure to the arts starting at a young age helping in brain development, social skills and emotional health.
Early childhood—from birth to age five—is a remarkable period in human development. At one year old, a baby’s brain is 70 percent of its adult size; at three years, it has reached 85 percent and is already crisscrossed by the connections that provide for human thought and communication. Live music—and the human interaction that accompanies it—is one of the most intense, multi-sensory, and physically involving activities in which young children and their caregivers can engage together. (Carnegie Hall)
No audition is required to attend PPA. Artistic instruction is offered at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. Students of all ability and interest levels are welcome to attend Parker Performing Arts School.
Parker Performing Arts School (PPA) is a public, tuition free performing arts school serving elementary and middle school students, chartered by the Douglas County School District. We deliver the art of education combining a rigorous academic curriculum and daily training in performing and visual arts We accept all K-8 students interested in pursuing their artistic passion. Enroll now.
Works Cited
Carnegie Hall. “Why Making Music Matters: Music and Early Childhood Development.” Carnegie Hall, Carnegie Hall, 2025, https://www.carnegiehall.org/Explore/Articles/2020/12/09/Why-Making-Music-Matters. Accessed 3 7 2025.
Dell'ErbaDell'Erba, Mary, and Gwynne Middleton. “Dance Counts.” Arts Education Partnership, 2025, https://www.aep-arts.org/dance-counts/. Accessed 2 July 2025.
Des Moines Symphony. “https://www.dmsymphony.org/about/news/8-benefits-of-music-education-for-young-children/#:~:text=Early%20exposure%20to%20music%20helps,eye%20coordination%20and%20motor%20skillsz.” 8 Benefits of Music Education for Young Children, Des Moines Symphony, 4 August 2023, https://www.dmsymphony.org/about/news/8-benefits-of-music-education-for-young-children/#:~:text=Early%20exposure%20to%20music%20helps,eye%20coordination%20and%20motor%20skills. Accessed 2 July 2025.
Rocky Mountain College of Art. “Art Education for Early Childhood: Encouraging Creativity from a Young Age | RMCAD.” Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, 7 January 2025, https://www.rmcad.edu/blog/art-education-for-early-childhood-encouraging-creativity-from-a-young-age/. Accessed 2 July 2025.