It started with my oldest daughter asking how she could learn to draw "really real". I tried checking out some "how to draw" books at the library, some were better than others, but overall both of my kids had problems following the instructions even in the most simple books where the new lines were a different color. I had to specifically point out each new line to them. This became tedious when helping one child, and impossible when both were wanting to draw.
Next I went to the internet to see what was recommended. I found numerous posts recommending Mark Kistler's site, especially among homeschoolers. There are plenty of free videos on the site, and they are perfect for kids. The marshmallow lessons are fun for all three of us, and are simple enough that my youngest daughter could do them when she was just three years old. My five year old was able to do the slightly harder Online Video academy videos, and both kids liked the School of Imagination, step by step animated lessons.
The lessons are perfect because they can pause the videos when they need to, and his dialog, pace, and drawings are great for people of all ages. It took us a few months but we went through all the free videos, had checked out all his videos of his PBS show from the library, but the kids wanted more. Unfortunately the subscription for his lessons are a bit pricey at $100 a year. But I finally decided the cost was worth it and was going to buy it as a birthday present, but lucked out even more when I found a discount coupon on the internet.
I highly recommend these videos and they are a great representation of when tech makes learning easier.
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| Drawings by Selena age 6 |
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| Drawing by Allie age 4 |
