Do you have a budding Rembrandt or Georgia O’Keeffe on your hands? Or maybe you’re anartist and looking forward to sharing your favorite hobby with your child. Or maybe not! Perhaps you don’t know the difference between “value” and “texture,” and you’re wondering how you’re expected to teach art properly. Either way, you’ve come to the right place to figure out what art curricula will be best for your child as they begin their middle school art journey.
Below, we’ll take you through the differences between elementary and middle school art curricula and the subjects typically taught in grades 6-8. We’ll also give you the lowdown on types of homeschool art curricula available for kids this age and important factors to consider when choosing the best fit for your child.
What Is a Middle School Art Curriculum?
A high-quality middle school art curriculum makes the leap from the “playful exploration” of art during the elementary years, like color mixing and an introduction to different media, into a deeper study of artistic concepts and technical methods. It’s built around four core capacities: creating, presenting, responding, and connecting.
Learning art in middle school vs. elementary school
Fascinating changes take place in the way kids create art once they reach the middle school level. The biggest transitions involve how students think about their work, the skills they practice, and the expectations placed on the final projects.
Developmental shift
Art for young kids is all about enjoying the colors and the act of creating, and the process is far more important than the product. But once kids reach the 6th-grade, the focus moves to learning specific techniques, like shading or dry brushing, as they further hone their artistic skills.
In middle school, kids often start learning about perspective to create depth (Lowenfeld and Brittain 40). Middle school art students have most likely found which subset of art they find most interesting, whether it’s sketching, portraiture, or still-life painting. They become confident in their skills, color choices, and ability to push their artwork to the next level with a little guidance from a parent or teacher along the way.
Curriculum focus
In the early grades, instruction usually focuses on the elements of art, like line, color, and shape, but in middle school, kids learn about more complex principles of design, like balance, emphasis, and contrast. They’ll also dive deeper into art history and study the artwork of both famous and local artists.
Personal expression
As middle schoolers approach their teenage years, art can become a way to explore their feelings and identity. Middle school art students may opt to write artist statements to explain their art the way artists often do when their w–ork is showcased on museum walls and art galleries.
Studio behavior
Older art students are able to better understand critiques from an art instructor and use those critiques to make changes to their art pieces. They also enjoy caring for and using more high quality art supplies, branching away from the Crayola tools of their elementary days and diving deeper into the world of Posca pens or higher quality oil pastels.
Subjects Typically Taught in Middle School Homeschool Art Curricula
Studying art at any age can be rewarding, but it can be downright transformative during the middle school years.
At this age, kids like to explore different perspectives and express more complex, abstract ideas. Art is an ideal vehicle to help them do this, and the homeschool setting provides the kind of flexibility that allows your child to follow their interests.
In 6th grade
In 6th grade, kids start to learn that art isn’t just about talent. It’s based on a series of repeatable techniques in each medium.
- Drawing: Although kids are introduced to the elements of art in elementary school, they engage with them on a higher level now that they’re older. They learn about line and pattern, which requires fine motor control, and instead of just coloring 2D shapes, they learn to create gradients to make shapes appear three-dimensional. They focus on complementary colors and are introduced to one-point perspective by using a vanishing point to make a 3D drawing. They learn grid drawing and upside-down drawing to focus on what they actually see, not what they think an object should look like.
- Painting: Kids usually move from using washable tempera paints in elementary school to watercolors or acrylics in middle school, and they learn “dry brush” and “wet-on-wet” techniques.
- Sculpture: The focus is usually on ceramics involving three hand-building methods: pinch, coil, and slab.
In 7th grade
The 7th grade art curriculum usually focuses on expression and precision, and kids learn why artists use different tools to achieve different effects.
- Drawing: The focus moves from one-point to two-point perspective, which allows kids to draw more realistic buildings and interior spaces. Kids learn about the mathematical proportions of the human face and the rule of thirds.
- Painting: Their understanding of color deepens as they learn how colors can be combined to affect the viewer’s mood. Kids learn the difference between warm and cool tones, and they learn how to mix colors to produce more sophisticated effects.
- Sculpture: Kids learn to use gesture lines to create 3D drawings in space, and they work with additive methods, which build up the clay, and subtractive methods, which take it away. They also learn about Sgraffito, which involves scratching designs on a surface.
- Graphic design and digital media: Seventh grade is usually when the art of communication is introduced. Kids learn about typography, meaning that fonts have their own personalities, and they learn to create digital logos or flyers. They often apply the rule of thirds to photography, for those students who wish to expand their artistic horizons to learning that craft, too.
In 8th grade
When kids reach the 8th grade, they prepare for high school art by learning to create pieces that have a personal message or meaning.
- Drawing: The human face was a focal point in 7th grade, but 7th graders move to the entire body. They learn to capture the weight of the human form and use Chiaroscuro, which involves extreme light and dark, to create art with drama and depth. Kids learn about surrealism, in which they combine realistic drawings with impossible elements.
- Painting: At this age, kids move beyond copying an object with paint to interpreting that object by choosing colors to convey an idea. They also learn about glazing and underpainting.
- Sculpture: Simple work with clay moves to building skeletons out of cardboard or wire to support papier-mache or plaster. Kids also learn to think about how sculptures interact with the rooms in which they are installed and explore the use of public art to make statements about social justice.
- Digital media: The focus moves to career-based instruction to help kids learn about digital storytelling, brand identity, and advanced photography, which have a wide variety of professional uses.
- Portfolio: By this time, kidsmay be asked to create a portfolio containing their best pieces from the year and write a formal artist statement for each one, depending on your state requirements for art curriculum in your homeschool. They also learn to defend their artistic choices and engage in peer review.
Common Types of Homeschool Art Curricula for Middle Schoolers
Do the words Chiaroscuro and Sgraffito make you nervous? Don’t let those terms scare you!
There’s no need to be anxious because there are four types of curricula widely available to help you teach middle school art, even if you aren’t sure about the difference between a landscape and a still life.
- Open-and-go video curriculum: This includes pre-recorded video demonstrations of techniques performed by professional artists or educators. The child pauses the video to complete the step themselves. Visual learners enjoy this mode of instruction for step-by-step projects in watercolors, acrylics, or charcoal.
- Classical: This is the “Living Books” approach that integrates art into the study of history. Kids learn about art history by reading about an artist and the style of the age, and then complete their own artwork using the same techniques (Barclay 5-9).
- Studio style: This curriculum uses a structured skills-based approach like a formal art academy. It’s usually organized around the elements of art and can be ideal for serious art students.
- Self-directed: This approach is less about teaching art than facilitating your child’s daily creativity. Kids are given a daily prompt or “challenge,” and the curriculum provides the technical “tip” for the day. This can work well for kids who are creative and don’t like rigid step-by-step instructions (Duffy, “Art Curricula Reviews”).
- Online, instructor-led classes: This centers on real-time instruction with a live teacher, often in small groups. Students receive direct feedback, demonstrations, and encouragement as they work, much like an in-person studio class. For middle schoolers who are deeply invested in art, live online classes can provide accountability, mentorship, and opportunities to build skills beyond what a parent-led or text-based curriculum can offer. This format works especially well for students who thrive on interaction, critique, and learning alongside peers who share their interests.
Elements to Consider When Choosing a Homeschool Art Curriculum for a Middle School Learner
When deciding on a homeschool art curriculum, you’ll want to find a balance between your child’s desire to create art, your desire to create and mandate artistic guidelines and their need for independence. At this age, kids can be very self-conscious, so you want to find a sweet spot between art education and criticism of their art.
Delivery method and learning style
Think about how your child best absorbs new material. A video-based program works well for visual learners who need to see an artist’s hand movements. On the other hand, a text-based program will appeal to kids who love reading and history. Live online classes can be great for students to receive real-time feedback from a teacher, and they also connect students with trained professional artists working in a range of mediums and styles. For many middle schoolers, learning directly from artists in real time adds context, motivation, and real-world relevance.
Creative expression vs. technical focus
Some approaches, like a skills-based curriculum, focus on “how” to implement various techniques related to the elements of art. Process-based programs focus instead on the “why.” They usually allow kids to choose their medium and emphasize personal voice.
Media and materials
During middle school, kids move from using craft supplies to using fine art materials. Different kinds of curricula will have different requirements, so make sure they fit your workspace and budget. Basic art will require pencils, watercolors, and paper. More advanced forms may require canvases, acrylics, clay, printmaking linoleum, or digital tablets.
Supplementing with other subjects
Many homeschool parents prefer that other subjects are integrated into art rather than taught in isolation. You may want to connect art instruction to your child’s history or science learning by asking them to illustrate, sculpt, or digitally create concepts or scenes they’ve learned about in science or history versus opting to give them a test or have them write a paper.
Parent involvement
Parents differ in how much they want to be involved in their child’s art education, so curriculum options reflect these differences. Some curricula use a co-learning model where the parent and child learn new techniques together, while others are designed for kids to follow a syllabus or video course outline independently.
Steps for Planning a Homeschool Art Curriculum for a Middle School Learner
Don’t let the thought of planning art instruction for your middle schooler intimidate you. Even if you aren’t completely clear on the difference between color and value, by following these steps, you’ll have your child enjoying creative expression through art in no time.
Step 1: Define the learning targets
Instead of thinking in terms of projects, make your decisions based on the big four artistic processes: creating, presenting, responding, and connecting.
Step 2: Create a scope and sequence
It’s best to follow a sound progression of skill development. Start with observational drawing using contour lines and an X-Grid to help build confidence. Then, dedicate time to the most basic elements of art: value, color theory, and perspective. After that, kids will be ready for the more advanced principles of design: balance, contrast, and emphasis.
Step 3: Choose artist-grade materials
For drawing, select graphite pencils (HB, 2B, 4B, 6B), charcoal, and ink. For painting, leave the tempera paints in elementary school and switch to acrylics or watercolors. For sculpture, prepare to air-dry or Kiln-fire clay to teach slab, coil, and pinch techniques.
Step 4: Supplement with art history
Integrate history as your child learns new techniques. For instance, while studying the Renaissance in history, have your child practice dramatic shading like Da Vinci used. Also, think beyond Western classics and explore global art, like African masks or Japanese printmaking.
Step 5: Plan for assessment
Kids at this age are often very critical of their work. Help them focus on their growth by having them build a physical or digital portfolio. Also, ask them to write artist statements for each major work, and teach them to point out strengths and growth areas for each finished project.
What a Middle School Homeschool Art Curriculum Can Look Like in Practice
Scheduling art instruction and project work will probably feel different from the planning you do for other subject areas. Many homeschool parents find that two studio days with 90-minute sessions for each work better than 30-minute sessions for five days in a row (Hetland et al. 21-24).
During the first studio day, have your child watch a video or read about a new technique and practice skills in a sketchbook. Then, on the second studio day, have the student apply the new skill to their current art project currently in process. Don’t forget to make connections to art on their other days of the week when learning about history, science, or geometry.
Best Homeschool Art Curricula for Middle Schoolers
You don’t need the self-portrait mastery of a Frida Kahlo or the impressionistic skill of a Claude Monet to teach your child to develop as an artist. There are several types of curricula available today that will turn what might feel as daunting as painting the Sistine Chapel into a simple paint-by-numbers project.
Outschool’s online curricula and classes
Outschool offers a wide variety of online art classes for kids of all ages and ability levels, all taught by highly skilled instructors. You can find everything from full-length courses to short-term skill-development sessions to one-on-one tutoring. Parents appreciate the flexibility provided by many choices, and kids love its engaging topics.
Who wouldn’t love classes like Fashion Design Drawing, Animation Academy, the Watercolor Explorers Club, and even KPop Demon Hunters Fan Art? While pre-recorded options are available, the live classes are popular because they help kids develop social skills while learning about art.
Students who utilize Outschool for their art courses also have the unique ability afforded to them to learn from professional artists, which is such an invaluable gift and perk of homeschooling. Who better to learn from than artists whose works have seen the inside of museums and art galleries?
Pre-recorded video-based instruction
This curriculum provides videos that your child watches to learn new techniques and then pauses them to reproduce the same skill in their own work. This can be a useful approach for students who are visual learners and parents who don’t feel comfortable providing their own direct instruction.
Classical curriculum
This “Living Books” approach treats art as a branch of the humanities. Kids read biographies of famous artists and attempt to replicate their signature techniques. The focus is on learning art history, appreciating creative expression, and exploring other cultures.
Studio-style, skills-based curriculum
This approach provides kids with a prompt or design challenge, and the child chooses what to create to meet that challenge. This self-directed method focuses on innovation, freedom of choice, and problem-solving skills.
Frequently Asked Questions: Middle School Homeschool Art Curricula
Are you concerned you might be one pastel short of a complete color wheel when it comes to teaching art at home? Don’t be! Many parents before you had the same questions you probably do. From them, we’ve learned some important strategies that will help you find success.
Can middle school art be adapted for beginners or reluctant artists?
Absolutely! In fact, the middle school years are known as the “second window of opportunity” for art. Many kids stop drawing around age 10 because they recognize their work doesn’t look realistic and become discouraged. But an adapted curriculum teaches “shortcuts” that limit frustration and help to rebuild confidence (Lowenfeld and Brittain 236). There are a few keys to open this second window and encourage beginners with little to no art experience from elementary school.
- Think “tools,” not “talent.” Reluctant artists believe that art is a special gift, but at this age, they can learn that it’s like any other mechanical skill. With repeated practice, everyone can improve. Using an X-Grid makes it easy for kids to break a complex image down into smaller parts, and tracing lets kids jump over incorrect proportions to get to the coloring and shading they enjoy (245).
- Introduce non-representational success: If your child is upset that their drawings don’t look real, introduce them to abstract expressionism. Art doesn’t have to be realistic to make a statement.
- Choose mediums carefully: Kids who don’t like mess or the physical act of drawing may find digital art, and the delete or “undo” buttons that come with it, very affirming. Also, kids who struggle with 2D art often excel at 3D art and vice versa (Douglas and Jaquith 110-114).
- Focus on visual communication: Instead of assigning final products that your child thinks must be museum-quality art, ask them to design a logo for a video game they like or to draw what their room looks like on a rainy day (47-51).
How do I assess or grade art in middle school?
Of course, judging artwork on subjective qualities like talent or beauty is a recipe for disaster. Instead, the National Art Education Association (NAEA) argues that judging technical growth and mastery of specific concepts is a much better way to provide feedback. Make these key elements part of your assessment strategy.
- Criteria-based rubrics: Identify four or five specific categories in which you will assess progress and encourage improvement rather than assigning a single letter grade. Categories might include technical skill, concept mastery, craftsmanship, and originality.
- Portfolio review: Having individual pieces graded can be discouraging, especially for beginners. Instead, review a collection of works over the semester. Look for growth over time, experimentation with new media, and insightful artist statements.
- Peer- and self-assessment: At this age, kids are naturally social, so ask your child to get feedback from other kids on the specific principles of design evident in a piece. Also, ask your child to identify “two stars and a wish” for each piece of art, meaning two things they did well and one thing they wish they had done differently. This helps them develop metacognitive skills (Gude 6-15).
A Change in Perspective
You don’t need to be a Vermeer or a Matisse to help your child grow as an artist, and neither do they! Your child’s developing interest in independence and creative expression makes the middle school years an ideal time for them to flex their artistic muscles. By implementing the guidance provided here in your home, you’ll be sure to make quite an impression.
Sources
The Art of Education University. “The 8th Grade Art Curriculum Map: Developing Voice and Vision.” AOEU FLEX Curriculum, 2024, theartofeducation.edu/flex/curriculum-maps/middle-school/.
Barclay, Savannah. Living Art Lessons: The 7 Elements. Master Books, 2019.
Douglas, Katherine M., and Diane B. Jaquith. Engaging Learners Through Artmaking: Choice-Based Art Education in the Classroom. 2nd ed., Teachers College Press, 2018.
Duffy, Cathy. 102 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum. Grove Publishing, 2015.
Gude, Olivia. “New School Art Styles: The Power of Progressive Art Education.” Art Education, vol. 66, no. 1, 2013.
---. “The Essential Middle School Curriculum Map.” AOEU FLEX Curriculum, 2024, theartofeducation.edu/flex/curriculum-maps/middle-school/.
Heyn, Lindsey. “The Best Advice for Switching From Elementary to Middle School.” The Art of Education University, 6 July 2016, theartofeducation.edu/2016/07/july-6-tips-transitioning-elementary-middle-school/.
Hetland, Lois, et al. Studio Thinking 3: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education. 3rd ed., Teachers College Press, 2022.
Lowenfeld, Viktor, and W. Lambert Brittain. Creative and Mental Growth. 7th ed., Macmillan, 1982.
Malchow, Alecia. “What Does Unpacking the National Core Arts Standards Look Like?” The Art of Education University, 18 Feb. 2022, theartofeducation.edu/2022/02/feb-what-does-unpacking-the-national-core-arts-standards-look-like/.
National Art Education Association. Purposes, Principles, and Standards for School Art Programs. NAEA, 2014, www.arteducators.org/advocacy-policy/articles/511-designing-quality-programs.
National Core Arts Standards: Visual Arts. National Coalition for Core Arts Standards, 2014, www.nationalcoreartsstandards.org/sites/default/files/Visual%20Arts%20at%20a%20Glance%20-%20new%20copyright%20info.pdf. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
The National Visual Arts Standards. National Art Education Association, lacoast.gov/new/Ed/Curriculum/National_Visual_Arts_Standards.pdf.
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