Tag: homeschool fine arts

Posted on by

The Ultimate Guide To Fun Friday Activities For Kids

Enjoy these fun Friday activities for kids! By making memories having fun, learning can be so very rewarding! We are BIG fans of this type of homeschooling.

The Popularity Of 4 Day Homeschool Weeks

Do you implement or have you ever considered a four day homeschool week? Just like there is a trend towards four day work weeks, many homeschoolers keep Fridays free of structured learning and instead, have “Fun Fridays”.

5 Tips to Start Fine Arts Friday

Fun Friday Activities For Kids

Who doesn’t love themed days? Certainly not Taco Tuesday!! I’m sharing 5 Tips to Start Fine Arts Friday without overwhelming your homeschool schedule.

Fine Arts Friday is an easy way to incorporate the You ARE An ARTiST Fine Arts Curriculum. I know, you’ve already booked August and you’re doing ALL. THE. THINGS. I was right there with you signing up for every activity, co-ops, and sports. Trying to be a homeschool superhero. You don’t have to exhaust yourself (and your children) with one more monster size obligation.

fine arts Friday for homeschool
Meet #FineArtsFriday Friends!

Fine Arts Fridays: Art and Music Appreciation

For fun Friday activities, Stef says, “Knowing every Friday we were going to spend a bit of time on art helped my youngest, with delayed fine motor skills, mentally prepare while also keeping my oldest, who has a library of sketch books, happy.”

Fine Arts Fridays: Homeschool Lessons with Nana – Fine Arts Fridays and homeschool lessons with Nana are a creative way to add joy to your homeschool! Integrate homeschool art appreciation, music appreciation and hands on art lessons into your learning in a fun way.

The Beauty of Art, Music and Nature in Your Homeschool – My children have become acquainted with winter nature study, Vivaldi, Corelli, and Giotto within a few short months! Our Fine Arts Friday has become a fun and hands-on way of learning about great art and exciting time periods. Afterward, we head outside for our nature study and #outdoorhourchallenge. Fridays have become a rich, full day of beauty and learning like never before! Won’t you join us?

Homeschool Hymn Studies

Homeschool Hymn Study: Weaving Beauty Into Learning – With a homeschool hymn study, you are weaving beauty into learning! Dawn Peluso’s hymn studies are a great way to learn history, music and God’s Word.

A Beautiful Easter Hymn Study for Your Homeschool – Join us for a beautiful Easter hymn study for your homeschool and video art lessons to match! Music and art help us all to connect learning with a special holiday plus build sweet memories together as a family.

A Merry Christmas Hymns Study – Whether you homeschool as normal through December, add in Christmas activities, or trade all your homeschool curriculum for ‘Christmas School,’ a Christmas hymns study can be an enjoyable part of your school day. It is a beautiful opportunity for the family to learn and worship together.

Thanksgiving Hymn Favorites: Learning Activities for Your Homeschool – A season of thankfulness and gratitude would not be complete without sharing thanks to God for all of our blessings. One of our favorite ways to celebrate during this time of Thanksgiving is with hymn studies. Many songs help us to remember our gifts and sing our gratitude to God. Here, I’ve included Thanksgiving hymn favorites for you to enjoy, along with learning activities for your homeschool.

Make Your Homeschool Art Museum Field Trip Extraordinary

Homeschool Field Trips

5 Ways to Make Your Homeschool Art Museum Field Trip Extraordinary – A homeschool art museum field trip has been on our list for years. This year, we have already been to one and have another planned for next semester. Here are 5 things I’ve learned about how to maximize the educational experience and family fun on your field trip to the museum.

The Ultimate Guide to Virtual Art Museum Field Trips – you don’t necessarily need to leave your home to have access to things. There are so many resources you can use to enrich your homeschooling, right online! Virtual Art Museum Field Trips are one of those things!

Why You Should Take an Art Museum Field Trip – It is one thing to study a piece of art or an artist with a book or an online artist study. It is quite another to see a piece of art in person – and to see, up close, the actual brush strokes by the artist. That is one reason why you should take an art museum homeschool field trip. And here are a few more reasons you should go.

Van Gogh Experience for Homeschoolers – Our entire family definitely felt immersed in Van Gogh’s beautiful works of art. Especially in the immersion room after walking through the galleries! The Van Gogh Experience would also be a great homeschool field trip or educational opportunity to celebrate your Van Gogh studies. This is a great way to experience the paintings and works of this famous artist. We had a wonderful time!

Enjoy these fun Friday activities for kids! By making memories having fun, learning can be so very rewarding! We are BIG fans of this type of homeschooling.

Nature Study in Your Homeschool

Discover the beauty of art and nature study in your homeschool and help your children explore the simple joys of the outdoors. There is so much to marvel about in God’s great creation! The Beauty of Art and Nature Study in Your Homeschool.

How to Use the Outdoor Hour Challenges for Homeschool Family Nature Study – When getting started in homeschool nature study, here are some simple ideas to consider for your outdoor time.

Enjoy these fun Friday activities for kids! By making memories having fun, learning can be so very rewarding! We are BIG fans of this type of homeschooling.

Bears: An Art and Book Study for Your Homeschool – Delight in a bears art and book study for your homeschool! This is a beautiful combination of art, nature study, and living books to grow a gentle learning adventure about the world around us.

Nature Study Crafts for Kids: Easy Activities for Learning and Fun! Nature study crafts for kids are a hands on way to learn. What beautiful and easy activities for learning and FUN! Let us show you how.

Spring Homechool Nature Study with Art – Perfect for commemorating spring, Nana’s spring homeschool nature study with art explores all creatures great and small and all things bright and beautiful! These nature-inspired art lessons are easy and fun for the whole family!

Enjoy these fun Friday activities for kids! By making memories having fun, learning can be so very rewarding! We are BIG fans of this type of homeschooling.

Gameschooling for Fun Friday Activities

Whether stuck inside or adding fun to your Friday learning, here are some great ideas and some encouragement to get you started! The Game Homeschool is a great overview with a giant list of games for learning!

Enjoy these fun Friday activities for kids! By making memories having fun, learning can be so very rewarding! We are BIG fans of this type of homeschooling.

Homeschool Art Lessons For Hands On Homeschool Learning

Julie says, “As with every chalk pastel lesson we use in our homeschool, I adore how the boys never tire of this type of learning. Using art to learn is such an interactive teaching strategy.” – Skeletal System Activities: Everything You Need for Learning and Fun!

Nana has art lessons to complement every subject you can think of for your Fun Friday:

Try a FREE Fine Arts Friday Art Lesson with Nana HERE
Enjoy these fun Friday activities for kids! By making memories having fun, learning can be so very rewarding! We are BIG fans of this type of homeschooling.

Homeschool Fine Arts: Art and Music Appreciation for Families

You ARE An ARTiST now offers family style and grade level Fine Arts Curriculum. High school students can earn one full Fine Arts Credit. Which is super exciting! This curricula is much different than the traditional Chalk Art Lessons with Nana we have all come to love. While Nana is filming more art tutorials for Clubhouse Members, this curricula is an instant PDF download, so you can go at your own pace! Pick whichever grade you like, and if you’re anything like me with one child dipping toes in three different grades … friend, you’ve got yourself some options. Pick the topic / time period that matches up well with other core curriculum.
Clubhouse Members can purchase Fine Arts at 1/2 price – must be logged in for discount.

Here are more details on a Fine Arts Credit for High School with A Homeschooler’s Quick Guide

Enjoy these fun Friday activities for kids! By making memories having fun, learning can be so very rewarding! We are BIG fans of this type of homeschooling.

Each fine arts curriculum offers additional art appreciation books, music, and podcasts that you can use as you have time available. They also encourage you to incorporate hands-on famous artists’ and composer art lessons with Nana. These plans pull together affordably priced materials along with internet links so you can have a reasonably priced art and music appreciation program. There are 32-36 weeks planned at each level, and this allows your family plenty of flexibility to complete the curriculum in one homeschool year.

Enjoy these fun Friday activities for kids! By making memories having fun, learning can be so very rewarding! We are BIG fans of this type of homeschooling.
Enjoy these fun Friday activities for kids! By making memories having fun, learning can be so very rewarding! We are BIG fans of this type of homeschooling.
Enjoy these fun Friday activities for kids! By making memories having fun, learning can be so very rewarding! We are BIG fans of this type of homeschooling.
family style fine arts curriculum
homeschool fine arts for families

If you don’t feel that a full year of fine arts appreciation is for you, you can also choose from a collection of unique art and music appreciation unit studies which typically last 6-9 weeks.

Enjoy these fun Friday activities for kids! By making memories having fun, learning can be so very rewarding! We are BIG fans of this type of homeschooling.

More Kids Activities For Education And Fun

What other fun Friday activities would you set aside a Fun Friday for? Of course, any holiday is always a fun time to learn something new:

With You ARE an ARTiST Complete Clubhouse membership, you can enjoy access to all 800+ of Nana’s video art lessons that complement the lovely learning in your homeschool. And, with Clubhouse membership you can choose to receive 50% off the Fine Arts titles and 50% off membership to our sister site, Homeschool Nature Study.

Join You ARE an ARTiST Complete Clubhouse for All The FUN Today!

Homeschool Fine Arts Resources Bundle

Two winners! We are giving away two bundles! Two winners will receive the bundle of resources that go with the grade of Fine Arts they are using. (Fine Arts Title not included). Resources include the suggested art appreciation books, music appreciation books, art application books for the Homeschool Fine Arts grade.

Enter to win via the rafflecopter widget, below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Homeschool Fine Arts Sample

Get your FREE sample of homeschool fine arts, below:

Get Your Fine Arts Sample!

Subscribe to get your free week of art and music appreciation.

    We won’t send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

    Growing a love of art at You ARE an ARTiST is a multi-generational passion! Tricia is Nana’s daughter and a mama of five children. Nana shared her first chalk pastel art lessons with her grandchildren around Tricia’s kitchen table. Homeschooling since 2000, Tricia has seen the fruits of home education with three homeschool grads so far! She shares the art and heart of homeschooling at Your Best Homeschool and is author of the book, Help! I’m Homeschooling! She and her husband, Steve, are also owners of sister sites Homeschool Nature Study and The Curriculum Choice.

    Posted on by

    The Ultimate Guide To Fun Art Projects For Your Homeschool

    There are so many ways to integrate art into your homeschool! Use this guide to fun art projects to add a beautiful layer of learning and joy to your homeschool.

    There are so many ways to integrate art into your homeschool! Use this guide to fun art projects to add a beautiful layer of learning and joy to your homeschool.

    Art Projects by Grade Level

    First Grade Art and Music Curriculum for Your Homeschool – Creating a love for beautiful art and music in your homeschool can start from birth. It doesn’t take much effort to surround your family with the great artists and classical composers from the very start of a child’s life. Weave experiences into your everyday routine by using our Homeschool Fine Arts first grade art and music plans as a framework.

    Online Art Lessons Perfect for Grades K-3 – Art is an essential part of our elementary learners’ development. Online art lessons are a great option for grades K-3 and are easily incorporated into any homeschool lesson plan.

    There are so many ways to integrate art into your homeschool! Use this guide to fun art projects to add a beautiful layer of learning and joy to your homeschool.

    Homeschool Art Lessons Perfect for Grades 4-6 – Studies have shown, time and time again, that adding art to learning adds value across academic subjects. This educational approach is appropriate and helpful across all grade levels, including the late elementary grades 4-6.

    Why Homeschooling Middle School is Better with Hands on Learning – Study after study has shown that learners of all ages do best when the material is presented in a multisensory format. Text combined with video, hands-on creative activities, and even art as a way to demonstrate understanding have all been proven to contribute to more successful learner outcomes.

    Integrated Art for Homeschooling High School – Are you looking for ways to create a more dynamic learning environment for your high schooler? Homeschooling with an integrated art approach may be exactly what you need!

    Art Credit For High School

    Here Is How You Can Earn an Art Credit for High School – As fellow homeschoolers, we know that homeschool families like to plan their own way! That’s why You Are An Artist is an excellent fit for your visual art credit needs. Our flexible path to a visual art credit with chalk pastels allows you the freedom to plan; however it best suits your student. 

    Classical Music Appreciation Lessons for All Grades – There is no right or wrong way to start classical music homeschool lessons. The most important thing is that you start! Learn the simple steps to building a love of classical music and a knowledge of great composers.

    Art Projects for Preschool Homeschool

    Preschool Homeschool Art Activities

    Early learners need lots of play-based learning and time creating. We have to make time for preschool art in our homes and homeschools. Art is essential to the mental, social, and emotional growth of our early learners. Art is also a fantastic way to satisfy children’s natural curiosity for exploration and  experimentation.

    Art Projects By Academic Subject

    Art Projects for Ancient Egypt

    Art Lessons for Your Homeschool History Curriculum

    Yes, you can use art to teach history! No matter what time period you are studying in your homeschool history curriculum, Nana’s I Drew It then I Knew It video lessons are the easy – and fun – way to learn important parts of history. Enjoy a library of history video art lessons to match all four history cycles no matter what homeschool history curriculum you are using. Nana does the teaching and all you need are very minimal supplies. It is super easy to get started in chalk pastel art with The Best Art Lessons for Your Homeschool History Curriculum.

    • Ancient History Art Projects – “When I discovered that Nana had new chalk pastel art lessons specifically for ancient Egypt, I was so excited! I love presenting our current interests with hands-on activities, and art is just that. When my kids can create art while we read aloud about a particular subject they are interested in, it helps solidify the knowledge they are learning in ways that dry, rote memorization can not.”
    • American History Art Projects – Are you looking for fun ways to incorporate American history homeschool lessons? Maybe you already have a history curriculum, but you’re looking for ways to make it more hands-on and engaging. Chalk pastels may be just what you need to get your kids to fall in love with history!
    • Civil War History Art Projects – With Nana’s Civil War Hands-On Homeschool Lessons and the accompanying I Drew It Then I Knew It American History workbook, you can reinforce all that you are learning in your homeschool. Don’t miss Nana’s podcast on Sojourner Truth, included below!
    • Middle Ages History Art Projects and The Ultimate Guide to Medieval History Lessons – Do your kiddos love dragons, and knights, and princesses? Or maybe you are studyingthe Medieval world this year with your history curriculum. The Middle ages were an interesting time. The Roman Empire had fallen, and smaller kingdoms were vying for control. There were Barbarian raiders, wars on faith, and the Black Death to contend with, but there were some pretty exciting inventions too! The printing press, flying buttresses in gothic architecture, eyeglasses, and knights in shining armor, to name a few!
    • Modern History Art Projects – These lessons have made my history buff extremely happy. Isn’t it wonderful how we were able to pull from Nana’s different courses to create art lessons to fit my son’s interests? That’s just one of the reasons I adore our You ARE An Artist Complete Clubhouse membership. I can cater to my children’s interests in colorful and fun ways that won’t soon be forgotten.
    • Chalk Pastels Great Britain Homeschool Art Lessons – You can now travel to Great Britain with chalk pastels! Explore Big Ben, Queen Elizabeth, Winston Churchill, and much more in this unique and colorful way. Nana will be your guide on this historic trip filled with key icons and landmarks with chalk pastels Great Britain themed art.
    Make Geography Fun with Art Projects

    Make Homeschool Geography Fun!

    Are you looking for a unique way to get your kids excited about their homeschool geography? Maybe you have a hands-on learner that just needs something a little extra for their cartography lesson. Here is a unique way to learn about maps, continents, countries and world landmarks. Now you can make geography fun with chalk pastels!

    There are so many ways to integrate art into your homeschool! Use this guide to fun art projects to add a beautiful layer of learning and joy to your homeschool.

    Literature and Art Are a Perfect Combination!

    A Lord of the Rings Homeschool Study to Rule Them All
    STEAM and Science Art Projects

    STEAM and Science Activities Make Learning Fun!

    Why STEAM Learning Matters in Your Homeschool – STEAM learning has become a popular topic in education today. The good news is, a STEAM approach to learning can add creativity and innovation to your child’s education. This summary of STEAM learning includes ideas and resources for how to easily and effectively incorporate it into your homeschool.

    Shark Week Fun Art Projects

    A Shark Week Homeschool Study for Kids – Do your kids love sharks? Are you getting ready for shark week? Then let Nana take you under the sea with chalk pastels shark art for kids! These easy-to-follow video homeschool lessons will teach you and your child how to draw some of the most exciting sharks using chalk pastels.

    Dive into a Shark Study This Summer! – This homeschool study all about sharks is perfect for summer learning. It includes a shark tracking activity, online lessons, book lists, and so much more!

    Human Heart Art Activity

    Human Heart Activity for Kids: Hands-On Science – Nana’s human heart activity for kids is a great hands-on homeschool science experience that highlights art, writing, diagramming, plus an exposure to brand new vocabulary. It’s a combination of multiple subjects all in one spot!

    Solar System Art Projects – Are your kids fascinated by the idea of space? Mine too! The solar system can be such an exciting area of study. Most of us still remember learning about all of the planets and space exploration when we were kids. 

    Here is everything you need to create a moon missions unit study that will blast off! Includes art, books, and even snacks for learning.

    Everything You Need For A Moon Missions Unit Study – This is a perfect time of year to learn about the moon in your homeschool. Here is everything you need to create a homeschool moon missions unit study that will blast off!

    This Homeschool Moon Study Is Out of This World – Moon activities, books, and fun art lessons for all ages! Learn about moon phases and more with this homeschool moon unit study!

    Small But Mighty Cell Activities for Your Homeschool – These online cell activities for your homeschool are multi-sensory and appropriate for all ages. In fact, online cellular biology lessons are an excellent addition for your homeschool science. Take a look!

    Small But Mighty Cell Activities for Your Homeschool

    STEAM Art Projects – A STEAM approach encourages students to ask questions and think creatively. It is also a great way to help children who typically shy away from topics related to mathematics and technology to engage and learn in a different way!

    A Microscopic World Study for Homeschool Science – Science, it’s one of those love-it-or-hate-it subjects in homeschooling. Teaching homeschool science and facilitating experiments at home might make you feel a little overwhelmed. There are so many exciting ways to teach and learn about science together at home.  This microscopic world study is a great example!

    Take Flight with These Famous Aviators Homeschool Lessons – With the Wright Brothers, Amelia Earhart, Neil Armstrong and more, you can take flight in your homeschool with these famous aviators activities.

    Famous Artists Art Projects at You ARE an ARTiST

    Famous Artists and Art Appreciation

    Exploring famous artists with your children has never been easier! Now you can expose your children to the glory and wonder of master artists like da Vinci, Michelangelo, Monet, Rembrandt, Vermeer, and so many more with chalk pastels!

    Most of the links below include Nana’s mini podcast on the artist!

    Fine Arts Curriculum for Grades 1-12 at You ARE an ARTiST

    Homeschool Fine Arts for Learning About Artists and Composers

    You ARE an ARTiST Homeschool Fine Arts lesson plans organize great art and music appreciation resources into the classical four-year cycle of history and seasons each week with a Charlotte Mason flavor. Here you will find homeschool fine arts curriculum for the whole family!

    homeschool fine arts titles at You ARE an ARTiST

    These lesson plans are available for Grades 1-12 and will offer families three different options for art study and a detailed plan for music appreciation.

    Each flexible and easy to use 32-36 week plan includes notebooking pages, coloring pages and YouTube links for art tutorials and listening to classical music.

    View more about these Comprehensive Plans for Families.

    homeschool acrylic art projects

    Fun Acrylic Art Projects

    Let Nana help you as you embark on this easy acrylic painting journey. Learn some simple tips about color, and brush strokes. You’ll be amazed at how much fun you and your kids will have! It’s easier than you might expect! Easy Acrylic Painting with Nana!

    There are so many ways to integrate art into your homeschool! Use this guide to fun art projects to add a beautiful layer of learning and joy to your homeschool.

    Art Projects for the Homeschool Mom

    Mini Moments for the Homeschool Mom with Chalk Pastels – Whether you have 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, or more, take the time to recharge your spirit with these mini moments for the homeschool mom. Even busy moms can appreciate the simplicity and ease of chalk pastels.

    Easy Mommy and Me Art Time – Taking the time to create art with your kids shows them that it is worth doing. As you connect with your child, they will see that art is interesting and fun. It shows them that you are engaged while also building your relationship through an easy and fun shared activity.

    Bible Crafts homeschool art projects

    Bible Stories Art Activities

    Bible Crafts for Kids: Meaningful and Fun Resources – A really fun way to bring the Bible to life in your homeschool is with these Bible crafts for kids. You can build memories, pass on your faith to your children and create hands on art projects that are meaningful and fun!

    A Disciples of Christ Unit Study – Homeschooling is such a unique privilege for Christian families, and it is such a sweet blessing to pass along the Word of God to our children. We have, as parents, an incredible opportunity to mold our children into disciples for Jesus, and educating at home is a powerful tool for that. And what better way to experience personal discipleship with our children at home than to study the Disciples of Christ. 

    Easter Art Projects – You can easily count the Easter art lessons as homeschool because you will also learn facts and history behind each topic. We give you just enough for an all-in-one lesson that is the perfect fit for homeschool or church-at-home. If your kids are anything like mine, you will find yourselves researching more exciting facts on your own. Or access all of our extension ideas inside the companion workbook to continue the learning. 

    Beautiful Easter Hymn Study – Join us for a beautiful Easter hymn study for your homeschool and video art lessons to match! Music and art help us all to connect learning with a special holiday plus build sweet memories together as a family.

    How to Plan an Awesome Home Bible Study for Kids – Whether you are teaching Bible in your homeschool as a daily or weekly lesson, or perhaps you are creating a church-at-home experience for your family, you will love how effective it is to add art along with your Biblical teachings. With an I Drew It Then I Knew It New Testament Guide!

    There are so many ways to integrate art into your homeschool! Use this guide to fun art projects to add a beautiful layer of learning and joy to your homeschool.

    Holiday Art Projects For Throughout the Homeschool Year

    Thanksgiving art activities for your homeschool

    Thanksgiving Art Activities

    Nana has all sorts of Thanksgiving homeschool lessons to fill the whole month. Abraham Lincoln, Aaron Copland, pilgrims, the Mayflower voyage, a map of the very first Thanksgiving, Cranberry Thanksgiving and more!

    Christmas Tea Time

    Christmas Art Lessons for All Ages

    Enjoy this ultimate list of Christmas Homeschool Art Lessons! Christmas homeschooling allows us to focus on the real reason for the season. And you can do that in so many ways. We will give many resources to choose from and help you customize your perfect Christmas school day, week, or month.

    Favorite movies for Christmas Homeschool

    Christmas Book to Movie Homeschool Activities – Check out this festive list of Christmas books made into movies – with homeschool activities your kids will love! Now your kids can re-create their favorite book characters and movie scenes with chalk pastels!

    movies art lessons

    Movies Art Projects

    Favorite Movies Homeschool Art Lessons – Don’t let family movie night become boring! Bring some excitement back with these chalk pastel art lessons. All you’ll need is a pack of construction paper and a set of chalk pastels. So grab your favorite movie snacks or make some of your own and join Nana for some of your family’s favorite movies.

    homeschool art lessons for favorite movies
    Included with You ARE an ARTiST Clubhouse Membership!
    • Incredibles
    • Mary Poppins
    • Peter Pan
    • Seuss Truffula Trees
    • Tangled
    • Penguins of Madagascar
    • Star Trek
    • Super Hero Shield
    • Angry Birds
    • Bruce of Finding Nemo
    • Cars Mater and Lightning McQueen
    • Cat in the Hat acrylic
    • Charlie Brown Christmas
    • Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
    • Despicable Me Minion
    • Dinosaur – Jurassic Park
    • Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat
    • Finding Dory
    • Frozen
    The beauty of art, music and nature in your homeschool!

    Art Lessons for Nature Study and The Seasons

    The Beauty of Art and Nature Study in Your Homeschool! Discover the beauty of art and nature study in your homeschool and help your children explore the simple joys of the outdoors. There is so much to marvel about in God’s great creation!

    Art Activities for Every Month of the Year

    Look ahead to ALL the art activities for homeschooling you can enjoy every month of the year:

    There are so many ways to integrate art into your homeschool! Use this guide to fun art projects to add a beautiful layer of learning and joy to your homeschool.

    Nana has all of these Homeschool Art Projects ready for you in the You ARE an ARTiST Complete Clubhouse, along with 700+ video art lessons and an art lesson calendar with art for every day of the year!

    It is all done for you!

    Join the You ARE an ARTiST Complete Clubhouse for Instant Access NOW!

    Growing a love of art at You ARE an ARTiST is a multi-generational passion! Tricia is Nana’s daughter and a mama of five children. Nana shared the fun of her first chalk pastel art lessons with her grandchildren around Tricia’s kitchen table. Homeschooling since 2000, Tricia has seen the fruits of home education with three homeschool grads so far! She shares the art and heart of homeschooling at Your Best Homeschool and is author of the book, Help! I’m Homeschooling! She and her husband, Steve, are also owners of sister sites Homeschool Nature Study and The Curriculum Choice.

    Posted on by

    The Best Way To Add Music To Your Homeschool

    It does not take a lot of musical expertise to teach your children to learn and to love music! These are simple and effective ways to add music to your homeschool.

    The Benefits Of Music In Learning For All Ages

    If you ask me what I ate for breakfast yesterday or what is on my grocery list for this week, I probably won’t remember. However, if a song I listened to in my childhood starts to play, I will probably remember the lyrics.  

    It does not take musical expertise to teach your children to love music! These simple tips will help you add music to your homeschool.
    Photo by Amy Law

    Music is powerful both emotionally and educationally. Studies have shown that music study in children can increase academic performance, memory, language skills, social skills, self-discipline, and emotional skills. Pair that with the fact that music education can be fun, and you have a winning combination.

    For our family, music education is a time that we can come together and learn and grow as a family. It is a fun time that involves listening together, singing together, and maybe even a bit of silly dancing together. Having those shared learning experiences helps create family bonds and fond memories.

    The Best Way To Add Music To Your Homeschool

    I love listening to music, from silly kid’s songs to contemporary praise music and those old classic hymns. However, I do not have the gift of musical talent, and when I first started homeschooling, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to teach music to my children.

    It does not take musical expertise to teach your children to love music! These simple tips will help you add music to your homeschool.

    I quickly learned that it does not take a lot of musical expertise to teach your children to learn to love music! While we have added performance music classes to our current schedule, I taught them music appreciation through various easy-to-use resources for years.

    First, simply listen to a variety of music together as a family. It seems so simple, but they learn so much just through exposure. At times we would listen to whatever struck our interest; other times, we would focus on different genres of music, and other times we would listen to the same hymn in different styles.

    Second, learn about the different composers and artists composing and performing the music they hear. You can use the internet to search or read various biographies about them.

    Finally, whenever possible, expose them to live music. Our state symphony does a great children’s series that is reasonably priced and full of different visual effects. However, in most places, you can find lots of local music. Check with your local community college or university to see about concerts; look for free outdoor concerts in the summer.

    Outdoor concerts can be an excellent start for young children because they have more freedom to move around and not be as quiet as might be expected at an indoor concert.

    *Outdoor concerts can be an excellent start for young children because they have more freedom to move around and not be as quiet as might be expected at an indoor concert*

    Homeschool Music Lessons For You

    As you introduce your students to new music, new artists, and new composers, it can be very beneficial to have some easy lessons to help you teach them about music. Not only does it take the time planning off your plate, but if you are anything like me, having a plan means I am more likely to get it done.

    The new art and music appreciation courses are a stress-free way to incorporate music appreciation into your homeschool.

    The courses are designed by grade level, and each course introduces students to a variety of art and music appreciation. For music, the younger grades listen to music from a particular composer or era, including suggested reading to learn more.

    As students get older, the lessons include notebooking pages and timelines. There are also art lessons related to the music lesson included in some of the weeks.

    Classical Music Appreciation Lessons for All Ages

    *Clubhouse members get a 50% discount on all fine arts titles!

    Grade 9 art and music appreciation for homeschooling high school
    Homeschool Music Curriculum for High School

    High School Music Lessons

    There are writing assignments and more in-depth reading assignments for the high school level courses to make it rigorous enough for high school credit (while still simple for the parent). As with most high school courses, the grade levels are suggestions, and you can use them for any year of high school.

    While the lessons are created by grade level, you could easily turn them into family-style classes, especially the elementary and middle grades selections. You can have the whole family read and listen together.

    The Beauty of Art, Music and Nature in Your Homeschool

    There are also family-style units that focus on one artist and one composer. These are a great way to start your studies!

    It does not take musical expertise to teach your children to love music! These simple tips will help you add music to your homeschool.

    Additional Resources For Music In Your Homeschool

    As you learn about different composers and listen to their music, you can add even more fun to your lessons with Nana’s Composer Chalk Pastel Lessons, included in the You Are An Artist Complete Clubhouse Membership.

    You can even turn that composer study into a complete unit study, like this one from Beethoven.

    One of my favorite parts of studying music is teaching my children beautiful hymns! They are a great way to include music in your homeschool. You can use these free hymn studies, and Nana also has a hymns course in the You Are an Artist Membership.

    You can see more fun ideas for hymn study with The Art of Hymn Study!

    It does not take musical expertise to teach your children to love music! These simple tips will help you add music to your homeschool.

    Dawn is a passionate follower of Jesus, wife to Chris, and homeschool mom of four. In her spare time she loves to read, hike, and write on her blog Schoolin’ Swag. She enjoys reviewing curriculum and helping moms find the right fit for their family.

    Posted on by

    Homeschool Music Activities For Students With Special Needs

    These homeschool music activities are a wonderful fit for students with special needs. Multisensory and appropriate for all reading levels, these activities make learning accessible for all students.

    These homeschool music activities are a wonderful fit for students with special needs. Multisensory and appropriate for all reading levels, these activities make learning accessible for all students.

    The Value Of Music For Students With Special Needs

    As I tried to find the perfect words for this post, memories of my early walk into motherhood stirred my heart and mind. I thought about the struggles. I thought about all the special people brought into my life. I thought about all the evaluations, diagnoses, and therapy visits. My mind sifted through all the research and all the resources.  

    I was brought to that place as a budding special needs homeschool mom, feeling overwhelmed, with a plethora of materials in my lap. I vividly remember searching for effective ways to help my little learner. During this time of reflection, I asked myself, “What really worked for my son? What did he love? What engaged him during the learning process? What helped him remember?”

    The answer was simple: anything interest led combined with a multi-sensory approach. Music being highly beneficial in so many ways. Music played a key role in his academic learning and still does.  It’s an incredible tool for out of the box learners.  

    These homeschool music activities are a wonderful fit for students with special needs. Multisensory and appropriate for all reading levels, these activities make learning accessible for all students.

    Music and Academic Learning In Your Homeschool

    As a mom who homeschools an out of the box learner, I too have to think outside of the box. I realized this when I was presented with a sound based intervention that stimulates the auditory system. This intervention uses altered music monitored by a professional. Through this experience, I discovered that research based music intervention actually exists to help students with a variety of diagnoses from autism, developmental disabilities, and down syndrome.  

    At our very first private therapy visit, my son’s speech language pathologist encouraged an evaluation for sensory processing disorder. After meeting with an occupational therapist, we mapped out a plan for an in home activity called Therapeutic Listening. I do have to say that after she used all those big words I didn’t quite understand, I was very skeptical. She explained to me all the different ways that music intervention would help my son. She then modeled how to implement Therapeutic Listening, five days a week, twice a day for 20 minutes. I shared with her that I needed some time to process all of this information.

    I went home (still skeptical) with paperwork in hand, a list of materials, and discussed this plan with my husband. We decided it was best to try this sound based intervention. Within one week of Therapeutic Listening, we noticed a dramatic change in my son’s sensory processing. It was a miracle. To find a detailed description on Therapeutic Listening, needed materials, and how it benefits children with learning differences, click here for more information about therapeutic listening.

    These homeschool music activities are a wonderful fit for students with special needs. Multisensory and appropriate for all reading levels, these activities make learning accessible for all students.

    Below are helpful links relating to music therapy. You will find academic products, ways to integrate music, and free resources for special needs children.

    How Music Helps Students with Special Needs

    It’s a Snap! 4 Ways to Use Music With Special Needs Students

    Involving music is a fun and enjoyable way to learn. After seeing the fruitful benefits in my son, we have included music in our home for all of our children.  It is such a natural way to learn. Not only does a charming song assist in retaining facts and language development, it also creates a time of bonding.

    How fun is it to watch little toddlers squeal with delight as we sing together.  What pleasure it brings to a mother’s heart when her two busy boys march around the house, singing in unison, “I’m in the Lord’s Army, Yes, sir!”.

    These homeschool music activities are a wonderful fit for students with special needs. Multisensory and appropriate for all reading levels, these activities make learning accessible for all students.

    Music Activities For Homeschooling Students With Special Needs

    “Recent scientific studies have uncovered a startling new fact about the effect of certain types of music on a child’s brain. While children listen to music of the Baroque period in particular (Bach, Vivaldi, Handel), the brain scans reveals instant and spontaneous lengthening of fibrous brain cells. These cells quickly become amazingly active and stretch out-reaching to connect with other cells. Baroque music, unlike any other styles of music, is responsible for this remarkable development.”

    A Charlotte Mason Companion Personal Reflections on The Gentle Art of Learning by Karen Andreola

    You ARE an ARTiST Homeschool Fine Arts Graded Art and Music Curriculum for all ages

    Homeschool Fine Arts, Fine Art and Music Appreciation

    As a mother who does not have professional training or a background in music, I began researching music appreciation in Karen Andreola’s book, A Charlotte Mason Companion.  

    I took great comfort in Ms. Andreola’s reassuring statements, “appreciation of classical music had nothing to do with playing the piano or learning any other instrument” (p. 200)  and “classical music appreciation need not be taught by a professional music teacher, that it can be done by a parent who has no particular background or training in music. As with so many subjects in our home education process, I have been learning along with my children, and have always found it rewarding.” (p. 201).  

    One of my favorite aspects of home education is that it provides an abundant opportunity to learn alongside my children, even in music. Research determined that listening  to classical music is beneficial for the brain, specifically listening skills and concentration. What joy for a special needs mother to find that a myriad of studies also concluded that music kindles both sides of the brain!

    Homeschool Music Activities For Students With Special Needs

    You ARE An Artist, Art and Music Appreciation Studies

    After these wonderful discoveries, we dove into You Are An Artist, Art and Music Appreciation Unit Studies.

    These Charlotte Mason inspired studies are family friendly and simple to navigate. The units arrive equipped with an overview on how to implement music into our everyday life and homeschool routine. This quickly encouraged a life style immersed in music appreciation. With direct links to biographies and music, the exposure to talented composers derived in a natural way, lending itself to multi-sensory learning for all of my children, including my son with special needs. I loved that the note booking pages offered an arranged place for my son to write and draw with minimal distractions. They also provided a nice space for note-taking, sketching, and tracking music. Perfect for a busy mother of eight.

    You Are An Artist, Art and Music Appreciation Unit Studies

    Signing Time With Rachel Coleman

    I am forever thankful for Signing Time with Rachel Coleman. I remember the day I first saw Signing Time in action. My son was completely nonverbal at the time and I was 36 weeks pregnant with my daughter. My little family at that time moved across the states for my husband’s new job position. While visiting family, I paid close attention as my niece watched the program. She was only two years old, and I was amazed at how many signs she knew, just by watching the Signing Time DVD’s. Impressed, I asked my sister-in-law all about this multi-sensory resource.

    Rachel Coleman’s story immediately touched my heart. I instantly purchased the videos, hoping it would help my son communicate. Complete with tactile, auditory, and visual learning, Signing Time encouraged communication! After using Signing Time for a few weeks, I witnessed his first language awaken. The repetition of signs in a multisensory fashion, helped my son and I learn sign language in an effective and engaging way. Rachel Coleman’s strategies to reinforce American Sign Language proved effective with appealing music and catchy songs. We still know “Do You Know the Colors of the Rainbow”, “Days of the Week”, “Alphabet Song”, and the “Pizza Song”!

    The music truly helped (even my children now!) ingrain the signs into our memory. My son learned the alphabet, numbers 1-20, colors, days of the week, food items, and so much more all through Signing Time. This program also helped with potty training at age two! Signing Time also builds vocabulary and encourages reading skills (as the written words are displayed). I have personally found that using Rachel Coleman’s videos actually encourage verbal communication! Check out their free dictionary, evidence based resources, and subscriptions here.

    4 Weeks to Read

    I purchased this program as a supplemental resource to do in addition to a reading program we are using. I also purchased this reading curriculum for one of my sons who showed signs of reading readiness.

    4 Weeks to Read curriculum includes Lesson Manuals, a Teacher’s Guide, and Flashcards. The books are in full color and numbered, easing a child into the beginning reading process. That’s not all! 4 Weeks to Read implements music! The music aided in memorizing the sounds, identifying letters, vowels, and the two vowel rule. The simple and repetitive songs helped fill gaps and prepare literacy skills. My four year old listens to the songs in this program.  While coloring or playing, I hear him randomly sing the songs we are learning, “When two vowels go walking…..”! Click here to listen to the music that is included in 4 Weeks to Read. You will also find digital downloads and everything this program offers!

    You Are An Artist, Art and Music Appreciation Unit Studies

    Additional Resources For Homeschooling Learners With Special Needs

    The additional resources listed below we have used or are currently using in our homeschool. They all offer either a hands-on learning experience and/or short, effective daily lessons.

    Pride Reading Program

    Pride Reading Program is an Orton-Gillingham curriculum that incorporates reading, writing, spelling, and comprehension. Sky writing, sound tiles, games, and finger writing on your palm are a few examples of their multi-sensory approach.

    Spelling U See

    Designed by Dr. Karen Holinga, a talented homeschool mother of twelve years, Spelling U See gently moves a child through the spelling process in a natural way. The daily spelling lessons are short and effective with a lot of repetition. My children have always enjoyed copying nursery rhymes and songs. See how we implemented Spelling U See and Eric Carle’s famous book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar

    Adding beautiful color combined with tactile, auditory, and visual learning brought a breath of fresh air into our homeschool for all of my children. With Nana's lessons and affordable materials, getting started with chalk pastels was so easy.

    Chalk Pastel Art

    Adding beautiful color combined with tactile, auditory, and visual learning brought a breath of fresh air into our homeschool for all of my children. With Nana’s lessons and affordable materials, getting started with chalk pastels was so easy. To read how my son benefits from painting with Nana, https://treasuringthetinymoments.org/blog/6/

    Handwriting Without Tears

    This is an exceptional program to teach handwriting. This program uses hands on manipulatives and strategies that meet a variety of learners. All of my children start with Handwriting Without Tears to learn how to write their letters. My older children use their cross curricular workbooks to practice cursive.

    Math U See

    Math U See offers videos that teach math concepts, manipulatives, workbooks, songs, and repetition to meet the needs of students. Many math resources are available on their website.

    Sight Words

    This is a program that brings learning sight words to life. Each sight word arrives with eight multi-sensory activities. My son with learning differences loved this program and now my five year old loves it just the same. Sign language, word searches, dab and dot, play dough, and so much more are all incorporated!

    These homeschool music activities are a wonderful fit for students with special needs. Multisensory and appropriate for all reading levels, these activities make learning accessible for all students.

    More Learning for Special Needs Homeschoolers

    You will also be encouraged with these resources for your homeschool!

    Jamie Gault

    Jamie is the author of A Brown Bear’s Language Arts Study, a literature-inspired homeschool mom of eight, and a former educator. She enjoys a bookshelf bursting with colorful picture books  and children’s stories of all genres. Indulging in a read aloud with all of her children around her is one of Jamie’s favorite moments of her days. Be sure to find Jamie on Instagram and visit her blog, Treasuring the Tiny Moments Homeschool, to be encouraged by all her learning adventures with her wonderful family.

      

    Posted on by

    The Beauty Of Art, Music And Nature In Your Homeschool

    Do you incorporate nature study into your homeschool? What about art and music appreciation? Learning art and music history is very important, as is learning about the world right outside our door. Now you can quickly and seamlessly include the beauty of art, music, and nature in your homeschool.

    The Beauty Of Art, Music And Nature In Your Homeschool

    The Value Of Art, Music and Nature In Your Homeschool


    I admit I’ve been lacking when it comes to fine arts and music in our homeschool. Sure my kids knew who Picasso and Monet were, but if you asked them about Giotto or Bruegel, they would have given you a blank stare. The same goes for music appreciation. My kids knew of Beethoven and Mozart but had no clue who Vivaldi, Corelli, or Handel was.

    And that was just the tip of the iceberg, folks. Please don’t take my homeschool mom card away!

    How could I possibly have time to incorporate these AND nature studies into an already full homeschool schedule?

    The Beauty Of Art, Music And Nature In Your Homeschool

    It was pretty easy!

    You ARE An Artist has created an Art and Music Appreciation study called Homeschool Fine Arts! And now they have a new site called the Homeschool Nature Study! They have interwoven these incredible resources so that they complement each other and only take 45 minutes to an hour per week.

    I decided to take our love of Nana’s chalk pastels we usually do on Fridays and name it Fine Arts Friday with some nature study thrown in too!

    You ARE an ARTiST’s art and music appreciation program is designed for busy homeschooling families. The art & music appreciation plans organize a variety of resources so you can open the schedule and, with little preparation, offer your children experiences with great artists and composers!

    The Beauty Of Art, Music And Nature In Your Homeschool

    Homeschool Fine Arts and Nature Study

    We are currently using Homeschool Fine Arts Plans Grade 6: Medieval and Renaissance Art and Music.

    Artists Included in Grade 6

    • Giotto di Bondone
    • Fra Angelico
    • Leonardo da Vinci
    • Raphael
    • Sandro Botticelli
    • Michelangelo
    • Pieter Bruegel, the Elder
    • Albrecht Durer
    Homeschool Fine Arts are open and go music and art plans for homeschool families.

    Composers Included in Grade 6

    • Antonio Vivaldi
    • Johann Sebastian Bach
    • George Frideric Handel
    • Joseph Haydn
    • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    • Ludwig von Beethoven
    • Franz Schubert
    • Hector Berlioz


    By creating a habit of viewing paintings each week and listening to carefully curated music, my children are getting to know various artists and composers within a particular period. We’ve already had a ton of fun observing works such as:

    • Flight into Egypt
    • Life of St. Francis Renunciation to Wealth
    • The Dream of Joachim
    • Lamentation of Christ


    You ARE An Artist Fine Arts Appreciation plans are listed by grade, but you can also use them family-style! There is so much flexibility with this program. Use it, however, works best for your family.

    The Beauty Of Art, Music And Nature In Your Homeschool

    The new Nature Study Membership works seamlessly with the art and music appreciation. There are over 20 Nature Courses to take AND a remarkable Nature Study with Art and Music Appreciation for all Seasons!

    Homeschool Nature Study - Bring the Handbook of Nature Study to Life in Your Homeschool!

    Homeschool Lessons For Art, Music And Nature Studies

    Homeschool Fine Arts Curriculum by Grade

    Each fine arts curriculum offers additional art appreciation books, music, and podcasts that you can use as you have time available. They also encourage you to incorporate hands-on famous artists’ art lessons with Nana. These plans pull together affordably priced materials along with internet links so you can have a reasonably priced art and music appreciation program. There are 32-36 weeks planned at each level, and this allows your family plenty of flexibility to complete the curriculum in one homeschool year.

    If you don’t feel that a full year of fine arts appreciation is for you, you can also choose from a collection of unique art and music appreciation unit studies which typically last 6-9 weeks.

    The Beauty Of Art, Music And Nature In Your Homeschool

    Homeschool Nature Study and Outdoor Hour Challenge

    The Homeschool Nature Study Membership encourages you to get outdoors with the #outdoorhourchallenge. It also uses the Handbook of Nature Study to help bring life to your nature studies. With the Nature Study Membership, you’ll be enrolled in ALL of the nature study courses, including:

    • Autumn
    • Birds
    • Creepy Things
    • Forest Fun
    • Garden
    • Getting Started
    • Herbs
    • High Desert
    • Insects
    • Mammals
    • Moss, Fungi, and Lichen
    • Nature Crafts
    • Nature Journaling
    • Nature Study with Art and Music Appreciation – All Seasons of Curriculum
    • Planning Resources
    • Pond
    • Rocks
    • Seashore
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • The Outdoor Mom
    • Trees
    • Weather
    • Wildflowers
    • Winter
    • Winter Wednesdays
    The Beauty Of Art, Music And Nature In Your Homeschool

    There is even a handy calendar with daily prompts so you can choose what bite-size chunks of nature works best for you and your family. The nature calendar provided us with YouTube videos, photos, and notebooking pages for each day of the month!

    The Beauty Of Art, Music And Nature In Your Homeschool

    The Homeschool Fine Arts and the Homeschool Nature Study Membership ARE separate from the You ARE An Artist Clubhouse membership. But clubhouse members get 50% off and receive a Van Gogh and Handel 6-9 week unit study as a sample of this curriculum.

    You ARE An Artist Clubhouse members also receive another Winter Nature Study with Art and Music Appreciation from the Homeschool Nature Study website. This nature study is roughly three months’ worth of materials!

    That’s a load of resources, folks!

    The Beauty Of Art, Music And Nature In Your Homeschool

    How To Incorporate Art, Music And Nature Into Your Homeschool Routine

    Art and Music Appreciation

    With our Art and Music Appreciation, my kids are learning the basics of drawing with the Draw Squad. We are learning about different famous artist and their artwork each week, and that has been quite entertaining. Don’t think that art appreciation must be serious and dry, especially when you’ve got kids.

    At least my kids like to find the exciting and weird subject matter in each piece. Like clouds that look like UFOs or floating heads or faces that look like they have indigestion. Oh, yes, it’s true. But by pointing out some of these funny and unique bits of each artwork, my kids remember the artist, the time period, and the artwork themselves.

    Why yes, the Madonna and Child, by Berlinghiero, does have alien qualities!

    The Beauty Of Art, Music And Nature In Your Homeschool

    For Music Appreciation, we’ve been learning and listening to Vivaldi:

    • Spring (Four Seasons)
    • Summer (Four Seasons)
    • Concerto for Two Trumpets
    • Sovente il Sole
    • Concerto in D for Piano and Guitar

    Our favorite piece so far is his Four Seasons. My son said the Summer was quite “morose.” We did Nana’s Vivaldi Spring Tree chalk pastel and have added Vivaldi to our notebook timeline.

    Homeschool Fine Arts plans from You ARE an ARTiST

    Nature Study

    Nature study has contained more about Vivaldi and a composer notebooking page! He goes beautifully with any season really. We’ve studied snowflakes, winter birds, winter mammals, the winter night sky, and most recently, bulbs because our daffodils are in full bloom, and our tulips are emerging!

    The Beauty Of Art, Music And Nature In Your Homeschool

    My children have become acquainted with winter nature study, Vivaldi, Corelli, and Giotto within a few short months! Our Fine Arts Friday has become a fun and hands-on way of learning about great art and exciting time periods. Afterward, we head outside for our nature study and #outdoorhourchallenge. Fridays have become a rich, full day of beauty and learning like never before! Won’t you join us?

    Join the You ARE an ARTiST Complete Clubhouse Today!
    Outdoor Hour Challenges with Homeschool Nature Study

    Erin is a writer, blogger, and homeschooler to two intense kids. Her blog is filled with information to help you explore a child led education while making meaningful connections with your children. Discover favorite read alouds, seasonal books, games, art projects, hands-on activities, and learn to just breathe through the ups and downs of life. She loves nature, farm life, good books, knitting, new pens, and hot coffee. Erin is a contributing writer for Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers. Her work has also been featured on Simple Homeschool and Book Shark.

    Posted on by

    Homeschool Music Curriculum for High School

    This homeschool music curriculum for high school is easy and suitable for fine arts transcript credit. Everything you need to get started.

    There are so many benefits of studying music and great composers in high school! Here is the homeschool music curriculum for high school that makes it easy and suitable for fine arts transcript credit.

    …music appreciation is different from playing an instrument in the same way that being a natural actor is different from enjoying a Shakespeare play, or being able to paint is different from enjoying a painted picture. I think that all children, not just the musically inclined ones, should learn to appreciate music.

    -Charlotte Mason

    Benefits of Homeschool Music Curriculum For High School

    Why would you study music and composers in high school? With these studies, your high schooler can:

    • Grow a real love for wonderful music
    • Connect with art of all kinds
    • Discover a better understanding of how to express feelings and thoughts
    • Earn a fine arts credit!

    You just may find that your high schoolers will make music and art appreciation their own. Your high schoolers might not push these studies aside when they get busy – but carve out time for them! Time to slow down and to listen.

    Fun Example of John Willliams Composer Study

    Here is an example of our homeschool music curriculum for high school with a study of composer John Williams. Enjoy this fun medley of John Williams compositions. It is guaranteed to put the tunes in your head for the rest of the day. Besides, it is designed by a clever young man who really worked hard a putting a great medley together. This may also give you some ideas if your high schooler is studying videography.

    How to Use You ARE an ARTiST Homeschool Music Curriculum for High School

    • Our fine arts homeschool plans for high school can be enjoyed independently by your high schooler.
    • Schedule a composer of style of music to be listened to for a period of time.
    • Very few supplies needed. You can use the Classical Music Start Up Kit.
    • One afternoon a week, your high schooler can focus on one composer.
    • Your student uses the Listening Log included in the plans to record answers and thoughts. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers. It is perfectly acceptable for your student to write that he thinks that a certain selection of music is ‘annoying,’ if he has taken the time to listen and to respond.
    • Your high schooler then uses the log sheets to then write a biographical summary of the composer and to respond to the music he listened to. This is a written narration.
    Fine Arts Curriculum for High School - There are so many benefits of studying music and great composers in high school! Here is the homeschool music curriculum for high school that makes it easy!

    With our homeschool music curriculum, think of all of the great music you can listen to in those short, few minutes each week. It adds up over the course of a year and a lifetime and is well worth the effort!

    View a Sample of Grade 11 Fine Arts Appreciation HERE.

    More Fine Arts Resources for Your Homeschool

    Get Your High School Fine Arts Plans Today!

    — You ARE an ARTiST Clubhouse members enjoy ALL Homeschool Fine Arts Plans at 50% off! —

    You ARE an ARTiST’s plans pull together affordably priced materials along with internet links so you can have a reasonably priced art and music appreciation program. There are 32-36 weeks planned at each level, and this allows your family plenty of flexibility to complete the curriculum in one homeschool year. The plans are listed by grade, but you can also use Grades 1-8 family-style if you have multiple children at home.

    This homeschool music curriculum for high school is easy and suitable for fine arts transcript credit. Everything you need to get started.

    Written by Barb McCoy and updated by Tricia Hodges

    Growing a love of art at You ARE an ARTiST is a multi-generational passion! Tricia is Nana’s daughter and a mama of five children. Nana shared her first chalk pastel art lessons with her grandchildren around Tricia’s kitchen table. Homeschooling since 2000, Tricia has seen the fruits of home education with three homeschool grads so far! She shares the art and heart of homeschooling at Hodgepodge and is author of the book, Help! I’m Homeschooling! She and her husband, Steve, are also owners of sister sites Homeschool Nature Study and The Curriculum Choice.

    Posted on by

    First Grade Art and Music Curriculum For Your Homeschool

    You ARE an ARTiST first grade art and music curriculum for your homeschool is a fun overview year for art and music appreciation! You can use it with a variety of ages as an easy way to introduce child-friendly art and music in your homeschool.

    First Grade Art and Music Curriculum For Your Homeschool

    Creating a love for beautiful art and music in your homeschool can start from birth. It doesn’t take much effort to surround your family with the great artists and classical composers from the very start of a child’s life. Weave experiences into your everyday routine by using our Homeschool Fine Arts first grade art and music plans as a framework.

    Benefits of Using Homeschool Fine Arts Plans

    Here is an overview of how you can use our You ARE an ARTiST Homeschool Fine Arts first grade art and music plans in your homeschool.

    • These open and go plans can be used to bring beauty to any homeschool.
    • Use them as a lovely complement to a classical and Charlotte Mason atmosphere of learning.
    • Use one plan for the whole family and save money.
    • Spend more time learning together because we have gathered all the resources for you.
    • These plans are loved by hundreds of homeschool families.
    This first grade art and music curriculum for your homeschool is an overview year for art and music appreciation. Use with a variety of ages!

    Homeschool Art Lessons Perfect for First Grade

    Week 1 Homeschool Art Appreciation: Pierre Auguste Renoir

    Homeschool Art Option 1

    • Use the link in the plan to view Renoir’s painting, A Girl With a Watering Can
    • Use the suggestions in the homeschool art plans to complete a picture study of this painting. You can either view the painting or you can print out one copy for your own family’s use.

    Homeschool Art Option 2

    • Read the pages in the Oxford First Book of Art
    • Ask the Look Closer Questions included in the plan
    • Complete the activity

    Homeschool Art Option 3

    • Use the twelve Step 1 Level 1 cards from Child-Sized Masterpieces and match the paintings created by the same artist.
    • Memorize the name of the painting, A Girl With a Watering Can by Renoir.
    • Color the Impressionist Art Masterpieces to Color – A Girl With a Watering Can. Use the link in Option 1 to view this painting online as you color.

    Using the Child-Sized Masterpieces, in just a few minutes a week, your child will enjoy being able to touch and use the cards to view a beautiful painting, learn the painting’s name and a little bit about the artist. These cards are appropriate for children of all ages.

    Even if your children are very young, they will probably enjoy looking through the cards with you. I would suggest putting the featured card out for display throughout the week. Repeated exposure is the key to art appreciation at this age. So just viewing the painting once online isn’t usually enough to make a lasting impression.

    First Grade Homeschool Music Lesson Plans

    The music plans for listening to composers include a Grade 1 play list, listening questions and composer notebooking pages.

    Week 1 Homeschool Music Appreciation: Antonio Vivaldi

    • Read the suggested pages in Lives of the Musicians. The object at this level is to expose your homeschool children to classical music. The story in the book gives a little background for the composer. After you read the biography, ask your children to tell you what they remember about Antonio Vivaldi. Don’t get too caught up in the details at this age.
    • Choose to listen to Vivaldi’s music as much as possible. Listen to any you have on streaming platforms or online.
    Vincent Van Gogh is part of Nana’s Famous Artists series in the You ARE an ARTiST Clubhouse.

    More Homeschool Art Lessons Perfect for First Grade

    Online Art Lessons Perfect for K-3 – Art is an essential part of our elementary learners’ development. You ARE an ARTiST also offers online art lessons for a hands-on component. These lessons, taught by Nana, are a great option for grades K-3 and are easily incorporated into any homeschool lesson plan.

    This first grade art and music curriculum for your homeschool is an overview year for art and music appreciation. Use with a variety of ages!

    More Fine Arts Resources for Your Homeschool

    In summary, when you use these plans with your children, you will be offering them a chance to look at some of the most famous artists in the art world. They’ll spend a few minutes a week with you talking about and learning about great art. In addition, they will, at the very least, have been exposed to a handful of famous composers in an enjoyable, non-stressful way.

    Get Your Homeschool School Fine Arts Plans Today!

    — You ARE an ARTiST Clubhouse members enjoy ALL Homeschool Fine Arts Plans at 50% off! —

    family style homeschool art and music plans

    You ARE an ARTiST’s plans pull together affordably priced materials along with internet links so you can have a reasonably priced art and music appreciation program. There are 32-36 weeks planned at each level, and this allows your family plenty of flexibility to complete the curriculum in one homeschool year. The plans are listed by grade, but you can also use Grades 1-8 family-style if you have multiple children at home.

    This first grade art and music curriculum for your homeschool is an overview year for art and music appreciation. Use with a variety of ages!

    Growing a love of art at You ARE an ARTiST is a multi-generational passion! Tricia is Nana’s daughter and a mama of five children. Nana shared her first chalk pastel art lessons with her grandchildren around Tricia’s kitchen table. Homeschooling since 2000, Tricia has seen the fruits of home education with three homeschool grads so far! She shares the art and heart of homeschooling at Hodgepodge and is author of the book, Help! I’m Homeschooling! She and her husband, Steve, are also owners of sister sites Homeschool Nature Study and The Curriculum Choice.

    Posted on by

    Preschool Art and Music Curriculum For Your Homeschool

    This preschool art and music curriculum for your homeschool has everything you need to foster an early love and appreciation of art and music.

      The Benefits Of Adding Art And Music To Your Homeschool

    What do you think of when you hear art and music for preschoolers? Do you think that should be for older children? Maybe you already have a full plate and do not know how to add anything else. You might even be thinking that your preschooler is far too wiggly to sit still for art and music lessons.

    I have great news, art and music for preschoolers has many benefits and can be super simple to implement in your homeschool.

    This preschool art and music curriculum for your homeschool has everything you need for an early love and appreciation of art and music.
    Photo by Dawn Peluso

    First, incorporating art and music with your preschooler is a great way to create shared family experiences and bonding. You can sing songs together, talk about art, and even create art together.

    Second, music and art can help increase language skills. So often, parents feel pressured to focus on reading and math. However, preschool-aged children learn best through hands-on activities and play. Art and music will help prepare them to learn those reading skills when the time is right.

    Art and music also help develop preschoolers’ fine and gross motor skills. Holding a paintbrush or chalk pastel, singing with rhythm instruments, and dancing with the music are just examples of how art and music help with motor skills.

    Finally, art and music lessons in your homeschool can increase emotional well-being in children by helping them learn to express themselves and become more aware and observant of the world around them. They learn to describe artwork and use those same skills to describe their own emotions. Children hear songs that express different feelings and learn to use that same vocabulary.

    Remember, with preschool art and music, the goal is exposure and experience, not mastery and perfection. 

    Charlotte's Web Homeschool Art Lessons in our preschool art and music curriculum homeschool

     Our Favorite Homeschool Preschool Art Curriculum Choices

    The benefits of art and music are many, but that does not change the fact that it may seem like a daunting task. However, there are many great options to include an art and music curriculum in your home. Remember that this doesn’t have to be something you do for hours a day or even every day. A few minutes or an hour a few times a week will offer your child a depth of incredible knowledge and experience.

    One of the easiest ways to include your preschooler in art lessons is the Preschool homeschool art lessons from Nana! She has created a wide variety of simple chalk pastel lessons perfect for the preschool age group.

    She starts with a short five-minute video that explains to parents how to teach art to preschoolers. Then there are some fun basic shape drawings. In addition, there is a course for each season and our personal favorite, the Preschool Barnyard Homeschool Art Lessons. The adorable tractor and farm animals from that course are lessons my children go back to time and time again. 

    Make Your Homeschool Art Museum Field Trip Extraordinary
    Photo by Shawna Wingert

    One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

    In addition to teaching preschoolers to create art, it is beneficial to teach them to appreciate the art of others. Art history is a subject that many parents do not feel comfortable teaching, and it might feel overwhelming or like it is too complicated for preschoolers. However, the new first-grade fine arts lessons are the perfect solution. I know it says first grade, but the great ideas and resources easily adapt for preschoolers (and can be used with older children to do them as a family to save time and create shared memories).

    This simple homeschool fine arts program will help you choose good pieces of artwork to share with your children and give you different ways to engage with that artwork. There are links to digital images that you can view and discuss, hands-on artwork ideas, book suggestions, and an idea for incorporating some great artwork in a hands-on fashion with Child-Sized Masterpieces and Dover Classics coloring books.

    The child-sized masterpieces were an excellent addition for my three-year-old. He started by matching them and advanced to using them as a memory game. They are so simple to use and exposed him to many great works of art.

    preschool art and music curriculum homeschool

     Top Homeschool Music Curriculum Choices

    In addition to art lessons, the first-grade fine arts lessons include ideas for music appreciation. In a low-pressure manner, it introduces a new composer every four weeks. You can read about the composer and then listen to various music from that composer. The style is easy to incorporate into your day. You might listen while you eat lunch or as you are getting ready for nap time. Other families might enjoy playing the music while children are quietly coloring or building with blocks.

    If you have a You Are an Artist membership, there is a beautiful four-week homeschool unit study about George F. Handel. This study is set up much the same as the fine arts lessons and includes information about Handel and suggested listening. If you have older children joining in, there are some worksheets you can include.

    Join the You ARE an ARTiST Complete Clubhouse Today!
    This preschool art and music curriculum for your homeschool has everything you need for an early love and appreciation of art and music.
    Photo by Amy Law

    Additional Resources For Homeschool Art and Music For All Ages

    Whenever possible, we enjoy using programs that work for the whole family. Hymn studies can be a great way to incorporate music and art for the entire family. These hymn studies include music and art, and they are perfect for the whole family to enjoy together.

    You can also check out this great post with ideas for making time for preschool art in your home!

    Finally, if you have a Disney fan in your house, you may want to check out the second-grade fine arts curriculum for homeschool. It includes some songs from favorite Disney movies, and this would be a great way to get even a preschooler interested in music and fun for the whole family.

    Dawn is a passionate follower of Jesus, wife to Chris, and homeschool mom of four. In her spare time she loves to read, hike, and write on her blog Schoolin’ Swag. She enjoys reviewing curriculum and helping moms find the right fit for their family.

    Posted on by

    Homeschool Fine Arts: Comprehensive Lesson Plans For Families

    Homeschool Fine Arts Curriculum for YOU! We are so excited to announce that You ARE an ARTiST is offering a line of graded art and music appreciation curriculum for families. And don’t miss the announcement about homeschool nature study with the Outdoor Hour Challenges, below!

    Grades 1 and 6 plus a Van Gogh and Handel family-style unit study are already available for you. These will be a beautiful part of your homeschool plans. And there will be some really, really great things to look forward to.

    These comprehensive homeschool fine arts lessons plans include activities, materials lists, planners, book suggestions and more!

    You ARE an ARTiST Homeschool Fine Arts Graded Curriculum

    How did this all come about? I have a dear, wonderful and talented friend in Barbara McCoy. Barb mentored me early in our homeschool days with practical advice. Barb was also the friend that encouraged me to share Nana’s art lessons with families in ebook form! She has been instrumental in encouraging our family in so very many ways. More than she knows!

    When I learned that my friend, Barb, would be retiring and stepping away from both her Harmony Fine Arts curriculum and The Handbook of Nature Study, I knew that these wonderful resources needed to continue to be accessible to other families. Both her fine arts curriculum and her nature studies have been so important in our own homeschool. It is my passion to continue what Barb began in encouraging fellow homeschool families and sharing a love fine arts and the joy of getting outside and enjoying nature.

    Homeschool Art Appreciation, Music Appreciation AND Nature Study!

    Barb developed a series of fine arts curriculum to meet the needs of her own four children. She then offered those plans to other families. That is also how You ARE an ARTiST began! Nana first shared her art lessons with my children around our kitchen table. Then, we started sharing those art lessons with you.

    These comprehensive homeschool fine arts lessons plans include activities, materials lists, planners, book suggestions and more!
    I got to meet Barb in person at a homeschool retreat! Don’t tell anyone that we skipped one of the sessions so we could go do some Florida nature study. We saw SO many amazing shore birds!

    Homeschool Nature Study Membership – Outdoor Hour Challenges

    On the nature study side, my family fell and in love with the Handbook of Nature Study and the accompanying Outdoor Hour Challenges early in our homeschooling. The simplicity and ease of the weekly outdoor hour challenges brought joy to our homeschool (my review) and opened our eyes to the world right out our own back door! You can take a look at a Winter Bird Study we enjoyed as a family several years ago.

    So, in addition to fine arts, we will continue to serve families with the nature study that Barb started. We have a new sister website offering you homeschool nature study with the Outdoor Hour Challenges.

    That means in addition to Nana’s art lessons, we will also offer you art appreciation, music appreciation AND nature study!

    FAQs Homeschool Fine Arts Questions

    • You can take a peek at the fine arts curriculum HERE.
    • An overview of the entire fine arts series for grades 1-12 can be found HERE.
    Art and Music Appreciation lesson plans for homeschoolers.
    • There is a family style Van Gogh and Handel Unit Study available for purchase HERE.
    • Homeschool Fine Arts Grade 1 and Grade 6 are also available and are perfect family style – especially for families brand new to art and music appreciation.
    • Our members receive the Van Gogh and Handel Unit Study AND a deep discount on the new line of curriculum. It is a great time to join Nana in the You ARE an ARTiST Complete Clubhouse and enjoy all the benefits of membership!
    • We are NOW ACCEPTING our first members for Homeschool Nature Study membership, HERE.

    I am so very thankful for my friend, Barb. She offers so very much to homeschool families like mine and yours! It is truly an honor to be able to continue to share her passions for art and music appreciation and nature study.

    Please be patient with us during this transition time. We are working diligently behind the scenes to offer you these amazing resources! We can’t wait to share it all with you!

    Want to be the first to find out when each Homeschool Fine Arts title will be released? Be sure to join our mailing list at the bottom of our website – just under the Art For All Ages Since 2010! banner.

    Growing a love of art at You ARE an ARTiST is a multi-generational passion! Tricia is Nana’s daughter and a mama of five children. Nana shared her first chalk pastel art lessons with her grandchildren around Tricia’s kitchen table. Homeschooling since 2000, Tricia has seen the fruits of home education with three homeschool grads so far! She shares the art and heart of homeschooling at Hodgepodge and is author of the book, Help! I’m Homeschooling! She and her husband, Steve, are also owners of The Curriculum Choice.