Have you ever thought about how to help your kids get more understanding of the ARTS? Do you know the names of the different types of ARTS? Some people may not know what they are so I'll share them and a brief discription with you here.
Music- musicians placing notes together to make songs that we hear.
Dance- choreographers put together body movements to make dances that we feel.
Theatre- where stories and songs are put together to make plays that we act out.
Visual Art- where images are used to make pictures that we see.
Art is one of those subjects that can be put on the back burner for a homeschooler. If you are not already gifted in this area or have a passion in one of these arts, you will need to find a way to incorporate these into your child's learning. Brenda Ellis of Artistic Pursuits is a homeschooling mom who knows just how important this is.
Artistic Pursuits is written with the homeschoolers in mind. The curriculum is easy, fun and student friendly. It is broken down into levels from K-12th grade. We are working on the K-3 Book One which introduces what Visual Arts are. It has 32 lessons with a project to do at the end of each. It doesn't take up a lot of time to read because the lessons are short. This is a plus since it won't bore your kids out.
Brenda teaches each art lesson in a conversational tone. Things your child will learn about are:
*What Artists Do
*What Artists See
*Where we Find Art
In the beginning of the book you will find a list of things you will need to complete the projects. They are broken down into 4 color coded groups (drawing, painting, paper art, clay) that you will notice being displayed at the top right hand corner on the page of the project. Many of the supplies you may already have in your home, and the others are inexpensive items to buy. The price for the book is $42.95. There is also a Book Two about Stories of Artist and their Art, and Book Three about Modern Painting and Sculpture in the K-3 levels. You can choose the level you think your kids should start at.
My son is just loving this curriculum. Each week his eyes light up when I tell him it's time for Art. He is learning there is more to Art than just drawing and coloring. He likes looking at the comics in the newspaper on Sundays. He even tries to make up his own comics each week. His was more of stick people being goofy. He wasn't putting much creativity in them until now. The way Brenda invites the children to understand the artist and their work of art is helping him to see pictures and paintings in a new way. | 
