ArtAchieve Homeschool Curriculum Review

Homeschool.com’s Product Reviews

ArtAchieve
K-8th Grade

ArtAchieve‘s online art lessons for students K-8 are a great way to teach art in your homeschool, to let kids gain confidence in their abilities, and to let them know that really, anyone can draw.

I’d like to start by saying (writing)—I LOVED the lessons—they’re positive, easy (I’m not an artist), encouraging, and straight forwards. Again—I LOVED them.

The courses are aligned to content standards. I know a lot of homeschoolers don’t like the CC—but I think you can put those concerns aside when it comes to ArtAchieve. For me, since I know nothing about art—I appreciated it. And as we all know…it’s easier to go beyond the standards…if you at least know what they are!

The ArtAchieveclasses

• Insure success with guided drawings
• Encourage creative expression
• Link art to science, language arts, socials studies, and math (I especially like this!)
• Are so complete—anyone can take them (or teach them)

In addition, the site offers helpful hints to make the most out of the experience, including:

• If you have never taught art lessons before, you can go to the FAQ’s and the subpage, “Tips for Teachers” for information to help you get started.  Teaching art lesson requires a different approach to teaching than subjects like math.
• In the Supplies tab, the website has included a complete list of supplies—all that are mentioned in the lessons.  Beside each item they list a number taken from the Dick Blick art supply website, so that (a) you can check to see a picture of the suggested product, and (b) you can order it if your local supplier doesn’t have it.
• Music is important to these lessons.  The website suggests you play quiet, calming music while your student works.  It helps if students work in silence (as in not too much talking)–it promotes the visual thinking that drawing requires. ArtAchieve even includes a source for music that is written just for art lessons—it’s http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/arthuratsma2,

The following classes are available FREE from the website. You can try out the lessons, to see if you like them too:

• Art Lesson I-1: Simple Lines
  • Using patterns from the walls of a Polish church, the lesson teaches students to draw the lines that are the foundation of all ArtAchieve drawings.
  • This lesson is an excellent place to start if you are a beginner.

  Art Lesson I-1B: Shading With Pencil–Skill #1: Shading Objects That Have Corners

  • The lesson begins with a warm-up to teach students to use three kinds of drawing pencils: HB, 3B, and 5B.
  • Students learn and practice the principles of shading rectilinear objects by shading a box.
  • The lesson provides foundational skills for other lessons that use pencil shading such as The African Face and The L’viv Monastery.
• Art Lesson I-2: The Czech Cat
• With this easy-to-draw cat, beginners from kindergarteners through adults discover they CAN draw more than stick figures!
  
• If you have never drawn anything before, try this lesson
• .

I LOVED the The Czech Cat lesson—it was so easy, and I had so much such fun with it at the end. This will turn into a coloring page at our house.

I took a variety of other lessons as well—and they all seemed easy. I didn’t question my abilities once! I used to think I couldn’t draw….now I realize that anyone can draw.

I’d like to end this review on a personal note. The above statement, I used to think I couldn’t draw….now I realize anyone can draw is a biggee for me. My mom was a gifted artist—she taught at the college level, and her water colors were breath-taking. I, on the other hand, was good at drawing stick people. I never felt that I was artistic. A course like this, would have made all the difference for me as a child. And now? My confidence is growing!

How will your kids respond? Similarly?