Are you wondering how to homeschool art to a child when you don’t have any art skills yourself?
And where do you even begin?
Well, I’ve got some great homeschool art advice for you.
First, take a step back and think about your long-term goals for your child. Most people want their kids to create beautiful artworks, but they lack the experience to guide them. So, when it comes to planning homeschool art lessons, they often feel unsure about where to start.
The truth is, as a homeschool mom I started this way too! Even after art college, I had no idea where to start first with my own kids. But through the years, I’ve learned that teaching the wrong art lessons can confuse, be too advanced, and even make a child hate art. I also learned these value lessons starting my own homeschool art classes to the public.
Art should be fun and a curious adventure, where the child feels in charge of their own creation. And there is a way to get there, even if you have no experience homeschool art teaching background.
Here are 5 insightful homeschool art tips to get you started:
1. Define Your Goals – Before diving into lesson planning and scouring Pinterest for ideas, ask yourself critical questions.
What is your ultimate objective in teaching art?
Do you intend to develop a comprehensive art curriculum, or are you just looking to incorporate a few fun art projects during the month?
Do you want your children to work independently and nurture their creativity?
Clarity on your goals will guide you in selecting suitable projects and building the necessary skills. If you’re planning a few projects, it’s a matter of finding fun ones and gathering the required art supplies.
However, if you aim to establish a year-long art curriculum consider the skill sets you need to introduce and cultivate throughout the year.
2. Choose Your Art Focus – Decide on a specific domain within visual arts that piques your interest. This could encompass painting, clay modeling, or any other area.
My book “Defining Visual Arts” offers recommendations on various domains. Once you’ve made your choice, consider the mediums you’d like to explore, such as watercolor paints or tempera paint.
You can find more information on these materials in my blogs and books.
3. Master the Basics – Familiarize yourself with the elements and principles of design that will be the cornerstone of your art lessons.
A solid grasp of these fundamentals is crucial for effectively homeschooling art lessons. For a comprehensive list of art elements and their recommended teaching order, consider referring to my book “Early or Elementary Art Guide which is an easy read and is very basic to understand if you are teaching children 3 – 12 years old.
4. Plan Your Schedule – Craft a homeschool art schedule for the academic year. Determine how frequently you’ll conduct lessons and their duration. A well-structured plan ensures consistency and monitors progress over time. It also helps you keep track of the skills you’ve taught and your students’ development.
Check out my blog post Building Out An Art Calendar
5. Create the Right Environment – Establish an environment conducive to teaching art, considering factors like lighting, space, and access to essential art supplies. I have written many helpful homeschooling art blogs you can reference on this topic. Read how to set up a art space HERE. In my books, I offer a detailed checklist of key homeschool art environmental aspects to consider.
By reflecting on these questions and discussing them with your family, you’ll be well-prepared to embark on your art-teaching journey.
And always remember, you can guide children in the art world even if you don’t possess a natural artistic talent or prior teaching experience.
The best advice I can give you from one homeschool parent to the next is:
- Before you plan art activites talk to your family.
- Decide how often you want art to be part of your childs curriculum.
- Decide what area of art you want to foucs on.
- Create a simple schedule on how often.
Homeschooling art can be fun and easy to start once you Identify your desiredoutcomes.
For more insights on this topic, be sure to check out my blog post titled:
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