My artistic 8-year-old daughter would like all day to be crafts, doodling, and other creative endeavors. I don't feel qualified to lead her in creative projects, and I tend to run away from mess, so I am always looking to outsource our homeschool art. Finally, I have found a curriculum that will allow her to learn important art concepts as well as expand her creative feats, all from the comfort of our own home.
Note: I received digital access to this product as well as reimbursement for the time spent writing this review in exchange for my honest thoughts.
The Online Art Curriculum from Atelier Homeschool Art by Arts Attack provides just the guidance I need to implement art projects in my home that are instructional and easily accessible, as well as fun for my elementary kids to accomplish. I used Level 3, which is recommended for ages 6 to 10. My daugher and I can't wait to continue in the process of learning and experimenting with art.
Since most of the country is stuck at home in some kind of stay-at-home order or suggested self-quarantine, an online art curriculum seems like a pretty great option. And it is! I had to buy art supplies, of course, and a kit to go along with the lessons is available on the Arts Attack site. But doing art at home allows more time for creativity to piggy-back off of lessons. Many times my daughter would do a second project after her first because she had such a fun time!
"It's much better than taking a class," she said one day. "Because then the teacher would be saying to hurry up because time was almost over."
I thought that was an interesting comment coming from her. She insists she is going to be an artist when she grows up, but she shies away from anything "too hard." Before we began each of the videos we began, she expressed a worry that it looked "too hard." And she resisted the idea of a new project. She wanted to go back and do the one(s) we had already watched and tried doing!
She doesn't need to be rushed. Doing a lesson in her own time, in her own home, was a positive experience for her.
Each of the 20 lessons in the online art curriculum levels provides a video lesson, a teacher instruction sheet, and a student review page. Each video is then nicely bookmarked with materials needed, project instruction, students working, and final images of the student's projects.
I love that the video art lesson has been presented to a room of children. From my perpsective (as a person who is clearly not an art teacher), doing so provides clarity to see how other children respond to the presentation and how they interpret it.
From my daughter's perspective, seeing the other children working (and seeing their final projects) was integral. As I mentioned, my daughter loves the creative process but fears her own limitations. Seeing the teacher's work sometimes make her say "oh, that's too hard! I can't do that!" Once she saw the other students working, she felt like she could get started too.
Teachers are not always the best examples: other children are!
Each of the different levels offered by Atelier Homeschool Art by Arts Attack offers basic instruction in the art elements and principles, including art, color, shape, space, texture, pattern, and balance, with even more principles being introduced at older ages. This instruction is given via 20 lessons (per level) with videos, full teacher's guides, and student handouts.
In addition to the lessons offered, each level comes with a digital library of up to ten famous paintings to analyze and understand in relation to the principles learned in the lessons. An enriched family package also comes with an additional online Great Master's Library. High-quality prints with discussion notes are also available for purchase if a more detailed art appreciation and art history instruction is desired.
As I mentioned, I did Level 3 with my second grader (recommended for ages 6 to 10). My four-year-old daughter also tagged along. We were a team, and she did some parts of the projects, and I did others. Some projects were too hard for her. Now I want to get a lower level so she can have art class too! Although, as my older daughter pointed out, we can go back and do this again with her once we've finished all the lessons and little sister is a little older!
I also loved that each project we did was completely different: line drawing, painting, and rip and glue. I loved this! I shy away from painting, but art that works in a variety of mediums is lots of fun for me!
Atelier Homeschool Art by Arts Attack is on Facebook and at Instagram. You can also enter an amazing giveaway to get a year acess to any level! Anyone in the world can enter, since this is a digital product!
You can also save 10% on your online curriculum purchase from Atelier Homeschool Art by Arts Attack. Use the code SAVE10 (expires 11/1/2020).
What are you waiting for? Get creative, and start by checking out this amazing online art curriculum.
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