Electives FAQs

General Elective FAQs

How much parent involvement is required for the electives courses?

Although all our current and upcoming electives are designed to be used independently by the student, the course is flexible and can also be used family-style, with all students learning together. For independent work a student only has to open the student book, watch the lesson video on a phone or computer, and complete the activities!

What ages are the electives courses for?

Our current electives courses are Music Appreciation 1, for grades 3–8, and Drawing 1, for 5th grade and up.

We recommend your child begin our Typing 1 course around age 7. See the FAQ regarding age recommendations under Typing below for more details.

With our upcoming electives releases, we will have options for everyone from Pre-K and up! Stay tuned and stay connected to see what we will release next!

Drawing 1 FAQs

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What supplies do I need to complete Drawing 1?

Each lesson begins with a "Supplies Needed" section detailing all the tools needed for that particular lesson. All tools required for the completion of the course include: drawing pencil, drawing paper or sketchbook, tracing paper, ruler, blue colored pencil, pencil sharpener, eraser, clipboard (opt.), timer, specific objects requested for observation, and tape (either clear, masking, or painter's).

What drawing concepts are covered in Drawing 1?

There are 14 lessons in Drawing 1.

The chapter titles are
  1. Introduction and Tools
  2. Drawing technique and strategies
  3. Drawing from a Reference
  4. 2D Shapes: Part 1
  5. 2D Shapes: Part 2
  6. Overlapping Shapes and X-ray Vision
  7. The Fundamentals of 3D Shapes
  8. Perspective Basics
  9. More Practice with One-Point Perspective
  10. Two-Point Perspective
  11. 3D Shapes and Perspective in Creative Drawing
  12. Expression with Line
  13. Observing, Sketching, and Layering
  14. Creating Compositions

Will more Drawing books be released in the future?

Yes. We expect to release more Drawing books in the future. However, we have no specific release dates at this time.

Music Appreciation 1 FAQs

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What do I need to complete this course?

You only need the Music Appreciation 1 book and basic school supplies such as pencils, crayons, or colored pencils. You will also need a mobile device or computer to watch the videos that are an integral part of the course. Please note: The course cannot be completed without the lesson videos, as they are the main source of instruction for every lesson in the course.

What topics are covered in Music Appreciation 1?

See the Table of Contents here. Music Appreciation 1 covers music principles such as instrumentation, voice, dynamics, mood; composers such as Schumann, Mozart, Haydn, and Brahms; hymns such as “I Need Thee Every Hour” and “Nearer My God to Thee”; and much more!

Will more Music Appreciation courses be released in the future?

We plan to release two more courses in the future. Stay tuned for Music Appreciation 2 to be released in 2026!

How is this music course different from others?

The Good and the Beautiful is known for bringing goodness and beauty to your student’s school day, and our Music Appreciation 1 course is no different! Music Appreciation 1 combines art history, composer biographies, living books, breathtaking hymn videos, and on-location videos showing talented people and places from all over the world into one unique and engaging course. There truly is nothing like this out there!

Is this course designed to take a full school year to complete?

Music Appreciation 1 is 22 lessons. We recommend students do one to two lessons a week, or more, depending on your student’s interest. Choose from other forthcoming Good and Beautiful electives or add some notebooks or activity books to add more enjoyable elective options to your school year.

Videos

The videos for each lesson in the Music Appreciation Unit Book can be found on the Good and Beautiful Homeschool app or by clicking the button below.

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Typing FAQs

Why can I no longer purchase separate stickers for the typing course?

We recently improved the printing process for our typing courses, and the sticker sheets now come inside of the book rather than separately. We have found stickers available at Dollar Tree which are very similar in size and may be an easy and cost-effective replacement. If you have purchased the PDF download to print, the sticker sheet is available in that document and can be printed on sticker paper.

At what level should I start my child with typing?

Typing 1 is designed for children ages 7–12 with little or no typing experience. We suggest children start the course between ages 7–9, depending on the child and their interest in typing. However, if your older children have not learned typing yet, they will also do well using these books.

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Electives