by Erica Johns | Aug 7, 2016 | Great Stuff for Homeschool Moms, Musical Monday
Teach Your Child Piano has sponsored this wonderful giveaway!
If you have ever wanted to teach your children how to play piano, but lack the traditional training to do so, you are going to LOVE this!
Teach Your Child Piano is the EASIEST & FASTEST way to teach your child piano, EVEN if you’ve never played an instrument in your life, using the Transformational Five Framework.
Karen Cadera’s Transformational Five Framework includes
• Ear Training
• Sight Reading
• Composition
• Music Theory
• Rhythm/Technique
in every single lesson.
The ultimate aim of her courses are to give the child a well rounded knowledge and appreciation of the universal language of music. Her course is designed to help Homeschooling parents with absolutely no musical training, to teach their kids to play piano from the first day.
She does this through a variety of teaching material which includes,
• Videos
• Lesson Plans
• Practice Plans
• Presentations
• One on One support
Each module is broken into bite sized pieces to help the parent quickly understand and present the information to their child.
Learning is supported through a variety of materials such as
• Worksheets
• Games
• Repertoire/Drills
• Flashcards
• Review,
which have all been designed to cater to all the different learning styles.
This course is ideal for children 4 years and older and can be used by parents to teach multiple kids ranging from 4 years to 13 years.
One winner will receive the Teach Your Child Piano Level 1 Course, valued at over $497. This course will take the parent and child from Absolute Beginner to being on par with students sitting for the Level 1 in the Conservatory Music Exam. This course can be used with multiple children of different ages and the winner will have lifetime access to the course.
The winner will be announced on September 15th. Enter the giveaway here.
ALL contestants who enter the giveaway will receive access to Teach Your Child Piano, Today! mini course. This mini course enables the parent and child to play piano in less than a day and will provide a basic understanding of rhythm, technique and music theory while laying the foundation for note reading in the future.
ALL contestants will also receive a 25% off coupon for the Teach Your Child Piano Level 1 Course (valued at $125).
To enter the drawing and enroll in the mini course, please click here to sign up by 11:59pm (EST) on September 14, 2016.
by Erica Johns | Jul 31, 2016 | Art
James Whistler was an artist during the Guilded Age in the late 1800s. Though born to American parents, he was primarily based in the UK. He is known for being a big believer in “art for art’s sake,” and he commonly drew parallels between music and his art, often calling his works “harmonies, “arrangements,” “symphonies,” or “nocturnes.”
We have a beautiful and interesting new collection of 10 printable pieces of his work available for you this month, FREE exclusively to our Subscribers. Click here to sign up and get your free art!
by Erica Johns | Jul 31, 2016 | Art
This post was written for us by a homeschool mom in Florida.
The Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida is a perfect place to take your whole family, and incorporate some educational time for homeschooling, while having a fun day and seeing something totally new.
We have visited more than one time as homeschoolers and every time seen some new things but also have loved to see some of the same things and enjoy the outdoor area again as well. The museum is for sure kid-friendly and does not give you the cold, snooty feel that some art museums tend to put off. They are welcoming for kids and the staff is very friendly.
To begin, I would say that paying attention to detail pays off in this place, from the entrance to the exit. The whole experience is unlike any other place you’ve been and knowing that going in may help you see more than you would’ve.
The first thing to see, once you pay and go through the entry, is the central staircase that leads all the way up to the top floor. It is shaped like DNA, double helix, and is awesome from the floor view, as well as the top view. Make sure when you get to the top floor that you go out to the window side and see out to the boats and marinas, and get a good look down on the back area of the museum and gardens. Viewing the glass panes on the back is really neat form this angle.
Before heading upstairs (or up the elevator if stairs aren’t your thing), get a headset for each person to use as your tour guide, unless you are doing a led tour though the museum. It shares a lot of great information that you would never get on your own just from looking at the paintings. Dali’s mind was a wild place to be and his talent as a painter was phenomenal. This museum is truly a treasure and we are blessed to have it to visit.
One other thing you will want to ask for, if they do not offer it, is the scavenger hunt that they have for the kids to do. It’s really well done, but not overly difficult, either. It educates them on the more interesting facts about Dali and his paintings but on a level they will appreciate. It is good to know, in case of whining, that they will get a choice from several different prizes at the end when they show the completed hunt to the staff, and they are nice items!
The museum, most times has not just the main Dali exhibit, but a second one where they feature another artist also. I have seen this four different times and each time come away so impressed. It is a perfect way to do an artist biography in your schooling, especially if you know ahead of time who is being featured when you go. You’re getting two artists in one day.
Be sure that you take your time viewing his extra-large paintings and listening in on the details and hidden things in them. They are unbelievable in person, and to be honest, his very small ones are the same way, as far as the talent. You can’t believe how tiny he could paint some of these things and with photo- realism.
As far as what else you can do while there, in addition to the exhibits, there is a café and a gift shop to see before heading out to the awesome garden area.
The gift shop has many collectible items, all sorts of books, and some great educational things. They have a children’s section in the shop, too.
If you haven’t already heard the history and details about the back side of the building, be sure to have someone on the staff fill you in. Then, go out and check it out. The shapes are so neat and not one is the same size. We always tend to linger awhile out in the garden. There is just something relaxing and still entertaining about it, and it tends to not be crowded either.
There is a maze can all go through together, it is very fun, but also not too lengthy, so if you are there in the heat, don’t worry that it will take too terribly long.
There are also some fun tiles in the grass that represent mathematical things and is a neat feature for the kids to play on.
One of the best parts out there is a banyan tree in the center of the garden area where people take off their entry bracelets, make a wish, and tie them to the tree. Seeing the different colors if really neat and how many of them there are.
There are some other really neat details all over this area, like a giant mustache sculpture, “melting” bench, and a metal bird that has a Dali mustache. Make sure you explore it well.
If your kids need to burn a little energy before you head out, this is the perfect spot to do that.
Overall, between the pure artistic talent you will have been a witness to, the genius of knowing even a little of Dali’s mind and his math fascination and other insights, I think you will find the museum to be a place you will glean a lot from and want to visit again.
by Erica Johns | Jul 29, 2016 | Art
I know that so many of you are looking for great ideas for painting with your children, so I was very excited to find out about the 2016 Paint-a-Thon project! This effort brings together over 50 bloggers that share about making art with your kids, so you are not going to run out of inspiration here!
This project will be adding more links throughout August, so be sure to check back with them regularly to see what’s on the list. What a great way to find some fresh ideas! (especially for those of us that get a little overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin with doing actual art projects)
I’m excited to have two of my own projects included in the effort (Red Poppies and Handprint Peacock) as well.
by Erica Johns | Jul 28, 2016 | Art
Doing handprint art with your kids is a great way to preserve those prints for yourself or other family members while still letting your kids have fun, get creative, and try out some new ways of doing and thinking about art.
There are two main ways to do the prints:
One is to just use fingertips, and let the kids make scenes, where they can turn it into whatever they choose. These can be really fun and offer limitless outlets for creativity.
The other method is to use the entire hand print as a base form, and then turn that into something cool.
Either way, plan to do these projects in stages. Stage one includes making the prints and then having ample time to let them dry. Stage two includes adding details to your prints. Be sure to leave plenty of time for both. Doing a morning and afternoon session can work, or you could do the projects on two consecutive days. (Affiliate links have been used for supplies. Thank you for helping support this site!)
Supplies you will need:
- Colored paper and paper with patterns if you choose to do the matted look and mount them for impact. (See photos.)
- Glue sticks for mounting
- Small paint brushes: I recommend this brand of brushes. They do not fall apart like cheaper brushes do, they hold up to frequent use and proper cleaning as well.
- Foam flat brushes
- Colored acrylic paints: This is the same set I have in my own home. You get a nice variety of colors at a good price. Plus, the box this set comes in is sturdy, so you can continue to use it for storage.
- Black sharpie or nice thin pens for detailing
The projects:
