0 comments / Posted Oct 09, 2019 by Gina Glenn

How to Use Art to Get Your Homeschool Groove Back // Geography Matters // Trail Guide to Learning

Let's face it. We don't always get to all.the.things in our homeschooling. We tend to focus on the "most important" topics, or the topics we can teach well. This usually means that we focus on history, math, science, and language arts. After all, those are the things we're told will serve our children best throughout their life.

But, what if…

You have a child who learns best by doing?
Your kiddos need a holistic approach to tackling subjects and topics?
You don't love any of those core topics yourself and find you do the minimum in order to get it done?

What can you do to get your homeschool groove (back)?

Beyond the Homeschool Basics

There's a lot of debate around learning styles, right brain vs. left brain learning, and the trivium as the ideal form of education. While those discussions can certainly add to our understanding of education, as homeschooling moms what if it's as simple as the idea of consent?

“A teacher who loves learning earns the right and the ability to help others learn.”

― Ruth Beechick

If you've had a wonderful education experience growing up, then you're likely to still have a love of learning solidly intact. But, for most of us that love of learning was stifled or stomped out. To get back to the love of the basics, it might be helpful to start your homeschooling journey by getting your groove back, developing your own love of learning first.

Art as a Love Language

I'm not suggesting the other topics not be taught. I'm suggesting that while the other topics are covered you discover the topics that make your own mom heart go pitter patter.

One such area might be art. It can truly be your love language.

Art can also be a wonderful springboard to all other topics; geography, reading, history, music, and even math.

Art also has the potential to relieve the stress associated with the intensity of lesson planning. It can truly be as simple as a blank piece of paper and a box of colored pencils. It can invoke rules, or not. That can be totally up to you.

Art in Your Homeschool

So, if you're with me this far you have likely decided which art camp you fall in.

The homeschool mom who loves all things artsy
The homeschool mom who can't draw a stick figure
The homeschool mom who will try anything at this point to breathe new life into her homeschool

Let's look at some ideas for each of those moms.

The homeschool mom who loves all things artsy

This might be you if:

You buy the big pack of crayons every single year.
Your refrigerator is covered with every art masterpiece created by your kids in the last year.
You're a doodler, sketcher… name the art medium, you enjoy something about all of them.

Tip:

Your keen eye for art and your ability to lead with your own love of learning can inspire your kids to try new things, get messy, and make their own creations.

Use this love to pull in those other topics you might avoid, such as geography and history.

The homeschool mom who can't draw a stick figure

This might be you if:

You can't draw a stick figure for real. :)
You see art as messy and a waste of time.
You had a bad experience with art in school.
Someone told you you weren't any good at art.

Tip:

You're at the beginning of your own art journey, so why not bring the kids along and learn together! You don't have to love art as much as love learning new things. Your kids will catch your enthusiasm and be willing to support you as you embrace art.

Use this support to add art to the topics that come naturally to you and you might discover that someone in your family likes art more than you think. And it might be you!

The homeschool mom who will try anything at this point to breathe new life into her homeschool

This is you if:

You'd rather weed the garden than teach another day in your homeschool.
Art? At this point you don't even like books!
There aren't enough hours of sleep to recoup from the day before.
You have no more hair to pull out.

Tip:

Art can be the guide to breathe new life into your homeschool, but ONLY if you don't view it as "one more thing to do." Let art be your outlet and set your children on a journey of delight-directed learning. They can be self-taught through art while you catch your breath.

Resources for Art in Your Homeschool

There are an array of ways you can pull art into your homeschool or even make it the centerpiece of learning. Let me know which you choose and how art inspires you in your homeschooling journey!

If you'd like to make art the springboard, I recommend Geography Through Art.

From the Introduction of Geography Through Art, "Why art? What is it about art that makes it a valuable learning tool? Why waste your time learning drawing the Eiffel Tower when you can just read about it in a book? The answer is simple: Hands-on activities reinforce knowledge in a concrete way. An art project can turn an otherwise uninspiring subject into something exciting and challenging! Combining art with geography adds deeper understanding of the peoples of the world and how they life."

If you'd like to supplement with art, I recommend a variety of art resources to allow you capture delight directed learning. These resources include:

All recommended resources as a special offer bundle found HERE.