Hi! Welcome to my blog! My name is Jane (PlainJane) and I am the blessed and happy wife to Jeff and doubly blessed mama of two perfectly wonderful daughters. Please join me as I share our Lifestyle of Learning through Christian homeschooling and homesteading on our little hobby farm with our prairie girls.
Bookworm is our dd14/9th grader.
Our perfectionist and over-achiever. She loves reading, playing violin, her Paint horse, Annie, being a farm girl, and History re-entacting.
Ladybug
is our dd11/6th grader.
Our "girls just want to have fun" girl. She loves to play and has a great sense of humor, but also likes reading, music, her Quarter Horse, Kitty, and History re-enactment.
We are finished reading
the Moody books
By Sarah Maxwell
and HIGHLY recommend them
Please click on images for
information
~ I am a part of... ~
he said to them, "Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you -- THEY ARE YOUR LIFE. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess." Deuteronomy 32:46-47
Jan. 2, 2008~ What We Do For Homeschool - ART & MUSIC ~
Getting back to my series of posts on "What We Do For Homeschool", today we tackle Art & Music...
First I must confess that Art & Music are at the end of our daily schedule, so they often get left out. But here is what we "try" to do...
ART
So far, this year we are doing Art on Wednesday and Fridays. It was so much easier in past years when the girls had art from a wonderful Christian teacher at Co-op, but we don't have that this year, so it's up to me. We have used some great books in years past for Art (and haven't finished them - but plan to pick them up again later).
Don't worry, the above picture I took of several things we have used in the past as well as now, but these are ones I like:
Visual Manna's Complete Art Curriculum by Richard and Sharon Jeffus (pictured with Mona Lisa). I like this curriculum with all the small art prints and brief paragraphs telling about each piece - something our children would not be othewise exposed too. Lord willing, we will get back to it. I had stopped it because I had just found out about the next Art curriculum that I just "had" to buy...
God & the History of Art by Barry Stebbing (shown open to "American Gothic"). I love this huge book too! It gives over 260 fun art lessons as well as a very excellent history of art in chronological order. It would be good used alone or in conjunction with your history studies. Again, I hope to get back to this soon. Ladybug really liked this study!
Last year we did (hit & miss) The Wonderful Art of Drawing Horses by Barry Stebbing. I thought it would be fun for my horsey-lovin girls. Bookworm enjoyed it, Ladybug - not so much! To be honest, we only got to page 15. I think if I had been more diligent in doing this book once or twice a week, it would have been a bigger hit.
This year, I decided to take a more relaxed approach to art and just have fun with it. Doing something where there is no right or wrong to it - letting our creativity flow -- so we are using the book, Watercolor for the Artistically Undiscovered by Thacher Hurd and John Cassidy (a Klutz book). And I must say, all 3 of us girls are having fun with it. For one thing, it's okay if we put it away for a month and then pick it up again; and it's relaxing! Something I have learnt so far is that it makes a difference in the quality of watercolor paints and brushes you use -- the little cheapie sets you find at Walmart just don't cut it - spend a couple of dollars more at a craft store.
Here we are today experimenting with watercolor.
MUSIC
Genesis 4:21 states: "And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ." Jubal was the Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Grandson of Adam. He was the "father" of harp and organ - as in, he didn't have to take lessons - God gifted him. Isn't that neat?
The Bible is packed full of verses stating we should sing (or make music) to the Lord. Music and worship are important to God, it is important to me too!!!
Neither my husband nor I are trained or gifted in music. Oh, I did take piano for six months as a young adult, and wish I did have more training, but that is about it - just enough to help the girls out when they were starting out with music theory. But I do greatly appreciate good music and wanted to encourage our girls as God sees fit. Thankfully, our girls have taken to music like ducks to water and it is such a blessing.
Bookworm has been taking violin for 7 years and loves using her gifts in ministry. We are so blessed that her instructor lives only 1/2 mile away where she learns both classical and fiddle. And she practices about an hour a day, 6 days a week.
Ladybug also took violin lessons for a couple of years and enjoys playing for her own pleasure, but is now starting guitar (got a guitar for Christmas) and is so excited about it. We have ordered her Christian Guitar Lessons via DVD by Jean Welles and she has already learnt one song via their e-newsletter. Her sister is also sneaking in and learning guitar too! :) And both are teaching themselves how to play piano via some Christian instruction books I have. (Keys for the Kingdom Series and Alfred's All-in-One Sacred Course).
Both girls were also involved in our church's bi-annual Kid's Choir musicals (K-5th grade). Ladybug has one more show and then she is too old. Bookworm LOVES drama and bemoans the fact that we don't have any decent Christian drama opportunities she can be involved in - we are still working on that one.
So as you can see, I guess they are not lacking in music instruction. In addition to their instrumental instruction, someday, I hope to start using some of this stuff...
Otherwise, we do a few field trips to the orchestra, plays, and the such as long as it is not offensive in our Christian walk (which can eliminate a lot of things).
That's all!
This concludes the 8th post in my series of "What We Do For Homeschool". I have one more to go -- Home Economics/Life Skills. Please stay tuned.
Sarah had taken piano lessons (we have an electronic keyboards) a couple of years ago. She needed to be more consistent with her practicing, so we've stopped formal lessons until then. Do you know of a good book and/or program for learning at home by yourself? Something that's not too expensive. Since you mention your girls are sort of learning on their own, I was just wondering. Thanks. :)
JoAnn
you were quiet, and I'd heard there was bad weather your way.
Art and music is where we come somwhat unstuck. Both mine have piano lessons, but we forget to study the history of music, I'm afraid. And we have Art books but they tend to slip off the list when we are busy, and again, I forget to do the famous artists.
Maybe this should be a New Year Resolution for me LOL.
I hope you don't mind I pinched some of your resolutions to get myself started!
Have a Happy and Blessed New Year, my friend.
Jackie
x
Thank you. I enjoyed seeing what works for you. We started How Great Thou Art yesterday. We did another of Barry Stebbings books a couple years ago and really enjoyed it. I am going to do it right along with them this time. Should be fun.
Jenn
How neat, My kids are really enjoying the Piano we got, and so sad our Piano teacher(who was going to start teaching DD the Violin) is moving in a few months, but I think I can force my self to learn music( I play by ear). Anyhow thank you for this newest installment of what you do for ......
I enjoy this post.
Presently we are learning about the artist Degas and composer Schumann. We are going to switch from watercolors to pastels I think.
The arts are such fun!
Those are some great music recommendations. I'll have to book mark this page and come back to it.
Wow, your going to have one talented girl there - Bookworm that practices every day for one hour at a time. Such discipline. (Just like her mother!)
Your little one with her guitar looks so sweet.
Antoinette
(thanks for the email - I appreciate the info)
Jane,
You have done the most beautiful job on what you do in your hs. I always leave feeling so blessed. I love seeing a lot of similar things we both have picked and then to see things that I have never seen or heard of before. Thank you for sharing ! I have gleaned so much from you and love knowing now that you have blogged about it I can go to your archives when I need to remember what you said.
We have used some great books in years past for Art (and haven't finished them - but plan to pick them up again later). 
