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Curriculum Choice Review: Art with a Purpose

I love art and even considered making it my career.  Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on which child I’m talking to), I never seem to get around to teaching art as a hands-on, let’s-get-creative-and-make-a-mess activity.  I don’t know why; it’s just one of those things.

So what do my children do for art?  Well, we do Charlotte Mason style picture study every few weeks, and each of my children works through the entire Art with A Purpose curriculum, doing about one lesson a week for eight years….

You can read the rest of my review at the Curriculum Choice.

6 Comments

  1. Jenn4him says:

    Oh this looks good! No, I did not take the book back. I will, on your suggestion, keep at it. Maybe it is just the intro? Anyway, you are right. I will keep reading. 🙂 Have a lovely day, my friend. We are off to get food to take camping. We leave tomorrow afternoon!

  2. This looks like an art cirriculum that we would love. Is that your artwork up at the top of the post? It’ beautiful!

    1. Annie Kate says:

      No, the one at the top is by Miss 8! I agree that it is beautiful. The tree’s outline was on the sheet, and she painted trunk with a paintbrush, after mixing some paint. Then she mixed the other colors and sponged them onto the tree.

      The next examples are by Miss13, and Mr 16 did the seashells.

      I’m very pleased with this curriculum.

      Annie Kate

  3. I appreciate the recommendation–my skills do not lie in this area and I feel helpless when it comes to teaching art to my children. I can buy all the supplies in the world but don’t know how to give them guidance. I’m definitely looking into this!

    Love the photos you have for examples.

  4. Michelle says:

    I am considering this curriculum for my 1st and 5th graders because art just doesn’t get done around my house. We have gone through most of Artistic Pursuits K-3 in a half-hearted fashion but I don’t feel like we know what we are doing. Where would you suggest placing the kids in the Art With a Purpose curriculum? Start with G1 and move through? Or place them each at their grade levels?

    Thanks!

    1. Annie Kate says:

      This is completely different from Artistic Pursuits, at least the older grades I’ve looked at. It has very little theory but teaches by doing, and no art history is involved at all.
      A grade 1 child would do well in grade 1 of Art with a Purpose, depending on motor skills of course.
      For a grade 5 child, you could do level 4 or 5. As far as I recall, color mixing really gets serious in grade 5. All my children worked through the program about a year behind the recommended level, so they were able to really do the work well and enjoy their results.
      I’m sure you’ll enjoy the program!

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