Find out how to develop your child’s artistic skills at home, to create well-rounded homeschool students.
With approximately 1,770,000 students homeschooled in the United States, it’s clear that many agree children can get a quality education right from home.
That being said, reading, writing, and arithmetic is pretty standard for each homeschooler, but what about art class? Luckily, in addition to crafts, there are many ways your child can express their artistic skills right at home – and make it part of their education, too.
Taking time for the arts
Perhaps one of the best things you can do to encourage and develop your child’s artistic skills is to make time for it – and for good reason.
While some may believe that the arts get in the way of the child’s academic learning, a 10 year study by Shirley Brice Heath of Stanford University shows that students who were involved in the arts were likely to score higher on college admission exams.
This proves that even taking just a short amount of time each day for art can be beneficial.
Developing a natural skill
Whether it be painting, drawing, or simply sculpting clay, there are many ways your child can express their artistic skills – and perhaps they already enjoy doing so. However, if you aren’t an art teacher yourself, you may wonder exactly how you can help develop your child’s natural talent.
Depending on where you live, there may be the opportunity to enroll your child in a community art class – though if you prefer to do things completely at home, there are many step-by-step tutorials available online that can teach your child drawing techniques or how to paint.
Other options, such as purchasing step by step guides in book form or following along to a YouTube video, are also great ideas.
Creating the perfect environment
If your child doesn’t seem particularly interested in painting, drawing, or anything artsy, creating the perfect artistic environment can help encourage him or her. If you have the space, a desk filled with art supplies like paint, brushes, pencils, and a sketchbook can entice any child to sit down and experiment.
Framing your child’s work, or even simply hanging it on the fridge can let them know that you’re proud of their artwork – and encourage them to do more. In any case, maintaining a positive attitude surrounding art in general can be a stepping stone to your child’s development and encouragement in terms of being a budding Picasso.
Art class is oftentimes a favorite time of day for any child in public school, however, for homeschoolers, time for art is frequently overlooked. By designating time for your child to be freely creative, making the perfect artistic environment, and more, you’re sure to encourage and develop your child’s artistic skills to the fullest.
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