Discovery Studies: The Arts in Homeschooling
Educating the WholeHearted Child: Chapter 13
There are many different parts to what the Clarksons call “Discovery Studies,” and I enjoy helping expose my children to all of them, but my favorite is probably the arts, just because music, dance, visual arts, and theater have all been important parts of my own life.
Ian took a couple years of Yamaha music lessons, but for the last year I’ve been teaching both boys piano on my own, which is rather isolating. I want them to know the joy of making music with others, however, so I’m so thankful that this week my boys have a chance to spend their mornings at music camp. Both camp and their Friday music classes this fall that will give them a chance to sing in a choir and play hand chimes as well. I hope they will love being a part of creating something beautiful with their friends.
In the last year, Ian has also starting enjoying artistic expression. He loves to draw, and we’ve gotten several books that show him step by step how to draw specific things. This afternoon he created a game board, and all three older kids had a great time rolling a die and moving their game pieces around the board, landing on monsters that sent them back to the beginning. Then he told me he want to make his own book, “Because lots of other people have made their own books.” I cut some paper and stapled them into a book, which he then spent the next hour or so filling in with pictures on every page.
I want to make sure I make it a priority to allow him the time for things like this. He may never be a professional artist of musician, but I hope the arts will always be a part of his life.
Each Mentoring Monday I share my reflections on what I’ve been learning from my “paper mentors.” I am currently joining in a book discussion of Educating the WholeHearted Child by Clay Clarkson (with Sally Clarkson), so my Monday posts are all being sparked by things I’m reading in this fabulous book!