How to Teach Art for Homeschooling Families

Discover how to teach art at home with our guide on organizing supplies, cross-curricular learning, studying art elements, and using Kids’ Art Academy to enhance your homeschool art curriculum.

Introduction:

Embarking on the journey of homeschooling art education offers a unique opportunity to deeply engage with your student's creative development. This post outlines how to effectively set up a conducive learning environment with a well-organized art supply tub, utilize art to enhance cross-curricular learning, and embrace the fundamental elements of art and design. We will also highlight how Kids’ Art Academy can help streamline this process, providing structured, fun, and educational art lessons that cater to a range of interests and skills.

Setting Up Your Art Supplies

The first step in teaching art effectively at home is to establish a well-equipped art supply hub. Choose a location that is both accessible and conducive to creative messes, such as a garage, basement, or a waterproof tablecloth-covered area in your living room. Stock this space with essential supplies like various types of paper, markers, crayons, watercolors, and scissors. Opt for open shelving or easy-to-open storage boxes to keep everything within easy reach for spontaneous art sessions.

To maintain organization, consider sorting supplies into categories based on the frequency of use or the type of medium. This could involve having separate bins for frequently used items like pencils and erasers, and more specialized compartments for items like oil pastels or clay. Labeling each bin clearly can help streamline the creative process and aid in quick cleanups.

Lastly, integrate some flexibility into your setup to accommodate different types of art activities. Having a mobile cart can be beneficial, as it allows you to move supplies easily from one area to another, supporting various art projects wherever they are best suited in the home. This mobile solution can help manage clutter and make art education a dynamic part of your homeschooling experience, encouraging regular engagement and exploration in the arts.

Cross-Curricular Opportunities:

Art can serve as a powerful tool to enhance learning across various subjects by providing a creative outlet for students to express their understanding and perspectives. In language arts, for instance, students can illustrate scenes from literature or create visual interpretations of poems, which aids in deepening their comprehension and analytical skills. Such activities make abstract concepts more tangible and engaging.

In social studies, art can help bring historical events to life. Assign projects where students create visual diaries or propaganda posters from a specific era, or have them reconstruct historical scenes through paintings or sculptures. These projects encourage students to engage deeply with the material and employ critical thinking to interpret historical contexts through art.

For a more global perspective, consider incorporating art from different cultures into lessons. This can be an excellent way to teach respect and appreciation for diverse cultures while also expanding students' artistic horizons. Projects could include creating traditional crafts, studying foreign artists and their techniques, or exploring how different cultures use art to celebrate important events and rituals. Such lessons not only teach art but also instill a broader, more inclusive worldview.

Studying the Elements of Art:

Delving into the elements of art provides a structured way to introduce young artists to the building blocks of artistic creation. Start with simple exercises that focus on each element. For example, to teach 'line', you could have students draw using different tools and strokes to see how each line changes the feel of a drawing. This exercise can be extended to 'shapes', where students can learn about the impact of geometric versus organic shapes in art.

When teaching 'color' and 'value', initiate projects that involve creating color wheels and value scales, which are essential for understanding how colors interact and the impact of lightness and darkness in artworks. These lessons can be particularly engaging by incorporating real-life applications, such as designing a piece that depicts a time of day using color and light effectively.

For 'texture', consider art projects that require students to create mixed-media pieces, allowing them to physically feel and experiment with different textures. Such tactile experiences help cement the concept more effectively. Similarly, teaching 'space' through techniques like overlapping, size scaling, and linear perspective can greatly enhance a student’s ability to render three-dimensional illusions on a two-dimensional surface.

Incorporating these fundamental elements into your teaching will not only provide students with the necessary tools to start creating thoughtful and expressive art but will also lay the groundwork for more complex concepts, ensuring a well-rounded education in the visual arts.

Inspiration from Artists and Art History:

Art history serves as a gateway to understanding the evolution of human thought and aesthetic values. Introducing students to this rich field can begin with thematic lessons that cover different art periods, such as Renaissance, Modernism, or Contemporary art. Highlight how each period reflects the societal changes of its time and discuss the pioneers of each movement.

Interactive timelines can be a useful tool in these lessons, helping students visually place artists and their works in chronological context. This approach can be deepened by focusing on specific artists who have influenced major changes in artistic style and technique. For instance, exploring how Picasso's innovation with Cubism broke away from traditional perspectives in art can encourage students to think critically about creative boundaries.

Projects that require students to research and present on a particular artist or movement can also be effective. This not only reinforces their understanding but also improves their research and presentation skills. Encourage them to explore less well-known artists as well, which can broaden their understanding of the diversity and scope of artistic expression worldwide.

Incorporating art history into your teaching can transform how students view art; it's not just a skill, but a dialogue with the past, enriched with a multitude of voices, styles, and cultures. Engaging with this field fosters a deeper appreciation and critical understanding of art that students will carry with them beyond their education.

Exploring Art from Different Cultures: