Have you ever considered how to introduce Montessori art lessons in your classroom? Perhaps you tried an art project before, only to face chaos and a mess. Maybe you felt overwhelmed by the amount of work you thought was required. Or it’s possible you avoided teaching art altogether due to uncertainty on where to begin.
Firstly, kudos if you tried to teach an art lesson. This step is significant, and with some good direction you can tackle an art lesson with better results. With three decades of experience in visual arts, I’ve crafted a unique approach to teaching children art lessons.
While I go much deeper into the development and functionality of my art teaching method, more blogs, books and my curriculum, today I want to just, highlight the key element you need to know—regardless of your prior knowledge. These are important ideas to being successful in teaching Montessori children in the classroom.
Naturally, adding some structure or purpose to art projects is important. Also it’s beneficial to find ways to link the Montessori art lessons to the Great Lessons.
I know getting your students to work independently and creativity is key, but most important is knowing where to start and whats truly important in a quality art literacy program.
Art Education
When starting out teaching art in the Montessori Classroom, having a clear roadmap is essential. There are key areas to familiarize yourself with initially. Firstly, grasp the concepts taught in art literacy, such as the Elements of Art. Secondly, understanding the areas of visual arts to tach, like painting and drawing. Thirdly, learn about the art materials to and stage. Fourthly, creating an art-friendly environment is necessary. Lastly, identifying the primary Montessori art key lessons to introduce first is crucial.
Getting familiar with these foundations will get started on the right path for teaching art lessons. I’ve dedicated countless hours to developing art teaching resources for you through books, blogs, curricula, video tutorials, and even art certification programs if you’re interested in professional development.
Fostering Independence Through Art Creation
One common belief among Montessori educators is the value of fostering children’s independence. Therefore, it’s crucial to start off on the right foot when incorporating art lessons into your school. Once you grasp art literacy, you can move into other important concepts. Like learning how to set up for art demonstrations. Or how to stage art material presentations. And art teaching tactics that allow students the freedom to explore creativity. And lastly, you can get good at integrating all art lessons with The Great Lessons with ease.
Art Teaching First Steps
Get acquainted with art standards by exploring a user-friendly book that outlines visual arts for Montessori education. This resource will help you grasp the significance of teaching visual arts and what specific areas to concentrate on. Consider ordering these three Montessori books to access all the necessary knowledge to kickstart your journey into art education.
Montessori Art Guide – Early Childhood
Montessori art Guide – Elementary
Montessori Art Resources
1. 5 Ways to Integrate Art Activities into Montessori Great Lessons
When you combine the concepts of art and the Great Lessons, you can seamlessly support your students learning without any disconnection!
2. Building a Montessori Art Lesson Calendar to Keep Students Busy Every Month
If you take some time to plan out your calendar, presenting art lessons will be so much easier for you during the school year. The best part of all this? There’s a simple, stress-free way to break it down, this blog shares how.
3. 5 NEW Ways to Tackle Montessori Art Projects
This article is a little inspiration for tackling art lessons, activities, and projects. Because, sometimes, you need a different way of looking at things to come up with fun, creative art lessons for your students.
4. Montessori Art Lesson Planning How-To
Without the proper art training, it’s difficult to know what a great art lesson should actually cover and include. This post sets the foundation to help you choose lessons, set up for activities, and create a schedule for the year.
5. Montessori Art Activities | Big Bang Art Lessons
There are so many different art activities you can present to your students that incorporate the lessons about the Big Bang. Combining art activities with science is the perfect way for students to explore their imaginations and support traditional learning methods.
6. Montessori Art Lesson Planning: My Beautiful (Disastrous) Trip to Bali
Teaching art in Bali was, hands down, the most beautiful art trip I’ve taken this year, but that doesn’t mean everything went exactly as planned. Hopefully you will read about my experience and understand a few ways to work through difficult lessons—and maybe even learn from my mistakes!
7. Montessori Art Lesson Plan Cheat Sheet
One of the most important factors when it comes to lesson planning is staying organized. Download this FREE, handy, three-step cheat sheet and refer to it when you start planning your next art lesson.