Teaching Art

Homeschooling offers advantages that traditional schooling cannot: flexible schedules, more time with family members to build relationships, and instruction tailored to each student’s needs. But homeschooling has its challenges as well, and one of those can be teaching art. If a parent doesn’t have a lot of background or experience, they might be at a loss about where to begin. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Books

Judy Press has written a number of fun arts and crafts books for younger children. These are some of my favorite books, and we used them a lot when my children were little. They include:

Art Starts for Little Hands: Fun & Discoveries for 3- To 7-Year Olds

Alphabet Art: With A-Z Animal Art & Fingerplays

Around the World Art & Activities: Visiting the Seven Continents Through Craft Fun

Mona Brookes is another of our favorite artistic authors. Her books include Drawing With Children: A Creative Method for Adult Beginners, Too and Drawing for Older Children and Teens

There are also resources to introduce children to famous artists and their styles. We’ve enjoyed using the book Discovering Great Artists: Hands-On Art for Children in the Styles of the Great Masters by MaryAnnKohl and Kim Solga.

And if your kids are like mine, they enjoy drawing comics. For some help with cartooning, look for  Art for Kids: Cartooning: The Only Cartooning Book You’ll Ever Need to Be the Artist You’ve Always Wanted to Be by Art Roche. We found it at our library, though you can also find it online.

Curriculum

There are a variety of different art curricula available to homeschoolers as well. Here are some you might try. Some are books, some videos, some online, and they vary in price.

Artistic Pursuits – Books and Supplies. Price: about $50 per book

Atelier – Books and DVDS – About $150 per level (about one year)

How Great Thou Art – Books for art instruction. Price: between $10 – $40, depending on which books you purchase

Masterpiece Art Instruction – Books, DVDs, and Online instruction. Price: varies depending on the product.

See the Light – DVDs – $15.00 per volume (there are 9 in all)

What art books or curriculum have you found helpful?