ArtAchieve Entire Level II REVIEW

Sam and his Korean Wedding Duck

We just love these reviews and the blessing they have been to our homeschool curriculum.  Today's review is on the Entire Level II from ArtAchieve.  We were blessed with the Entire Level II of this art curriculum.  The neat thing about this is that you can purchase individual lessons or entire bundles to suit your needs.  Also included are Cross-Curricular Connections that really enhance and add to the learning experience.  There are also links to additional resources.

Level II can be completed with very basic art supplies so no huge investment is necessary to achieve wonderful results.  The website for ArtAchieve offers free lessons for you to try to see how you like it. "ArtAchieve believes that anyone can learn to draw, and that learning to draw is an essential skill." There are 5 levels of lessons available and each lesson includes the following:

• A description of the lesson
• A list of supplies
• Suggested Cross-Curricular Connections
• Estimated time to complete the lesson

The Cross-Curricular Connections include:

• Geography
• Literature
• Science
• Writing
• Music
• Social studies
• Misc other topics

The Cross-Curricular Connections really enhance the lesson and allow you to easily stretch the subject to an entire week or more depending how in depth you wanted to go with the research.  I really like this aspect of the program. Again, a nice Charlotte Mason type approach.  There are direct links to the all of the subject matter he lists in this area.  I completed the Japanese Goldfish and here are some examples of the Connections:

• Social Studies - order a free DVD on Japanese American History, learn more about Japan
• Science - learn more about aquatic life and iron and steel
• Writing - study about Haiku poetry (no link here)
• Literature/Geography - links to books
• Art - link to a related art piece

The art lessons themselves are simple to complete with a video guide taking you step by step through the art piece.  The lessons are also available with a Power Point download version. There is an area for Tips for the Teachers that gives you some do's and don'ts for your student(s) and suggestions on evaluating the art pieces and dealing with mistakes. "The lessons can be used to fulfill some or all of the goals set by The National Standards for Art Education and National Standards for Visual Art."

Another neat feature of the program is that you are encouraged to upload your finished artwork to the website.  Kind of a cool feature that some kids might really enjoy, to see their artwork on the world wide web.

There are recommended ages for the different levels but of course each individual student may fall in a different category according to their skill level.  Generally Level I is recommended for ages 5 and up, Level II for ages 7 and up, Level III for ages 9 and up, Level IV for ages 10 and up, and Level V for those who have more extensive art skills. There are free lessons available to test where you might feel most comfortable.

The entire curriculum is available for a 1 year license at a 30% discount and an entire level can be purchased for a 25% discount.  Different bundles are available ($2-4 discount) or you can just purchase individual lessons.

I should have picked a different set for my son to complete because he was more about what he wanted to draw rather than the actual level (he likes to draw a lot and has a basic set of skills).  After completing my lesson I was pleasantly surprised as I am NOT an artist in ANY sense of the word.  I didn't think mine turned out too bad.

My Japanese Goldfish with motif embellishments

The beginning of the lesson had you complete a "practice sheet" to get your drawing flowing and mind set on the lines needed.  It was interesting.

My practice sheet

I would have to say that although the lessons are generally not very exciting per se, the skills acquired and the end result allow us to give this program a thumbs up and recommend it to those looking for an art program that gives you more than just art. You can really build a unit study on many, if not all, of the lessons due to the extra information provided in the Cross-Curricular Connections.

You can connect with ArtAchieve on FACEBOOK (@ArtAchieve), INSTAGRAM (@johnahofland), TWITTER (@ArtAchieve), PINTEREST (artachieve), and GOOGLE+ (ArtAchieve).

Please take some time to check out the other reviews on this level and three others at the link below.