Spelling - and Art. History - and Art

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Spelling, says Megan Shada, is her favorite subject. It didn't used to be, the earnest fifth-grader explains, but that's changed. Why? "Because of sculpture," she answers quickly, looking a bit surprised that the question need even be asked.

Spelling and sculpture. It may sound like an odd pairing, but at the Kenwood Elementary School in Kearney, Neb., the intertwining of art and academics is nothing unusual. Here students learn about shapes from the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, farm animals from the paintings of Grandma Moses, and basic concepts of physics while designing mobiles inspired by Alexander Calder.

Art is expected to enlighten all the learning that goes …