Electives FAQs

General Elective FAQs

Are the Electives books consumable?

Check the product description for details on whether a book is consumable or non-consumable. In general, courses for younger students (preschool–2nd grade) tend to be non-consumable and one per family may be purchased, while courses for older students (grades 3 and up) tend to have quizzes, self-checks, or written activities for students to fill out. Therefore, we recommend each student have their own book.
Keep in mind that there is only one sticker in the back of the book, so if you are only purchasing one per family, you may want to have an alternative way for additional students to note their accomplishment in their My Electives Badge Book. One option to consider is making a copy of the sticker page before removing.

How much parent involvement is required for the electives courses?

Parent involvement will vary based on the age of the student. For grades 5 and up, the electives courses are meant to be student led. Electives for our younger learners will guide the parent through teaching the child, similar to our lower level Language Arts and Math courses. Courses are all flexible and can be used family-style, with all students learning together.

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!

Will more electives courses be released in the future?

Yes! Our team is hard at work on many incredible electives that we can't wait to share with you! Some electives courses that are anticipated to release in 2026 include the following:

—Music Appreciation 2

—Music Appreciation 3

—Drawing 2

—Cooking

—Oil Painting

—Other fun electives for the younger grades!

We are hoping to create and release many more electives courses in the coming years! For the latest updates, see our Coming Soon page.

Cooking 1 FAQs

Flip Through

What supplies do I need for Cooking 1?

The ingredients and kitchen tools needed for each lesson are listed at the beginning of each lesson and in the front matter of the book on pages iii-v. You can also see the supplies for the entire course here.

What if my child has no experience in the kitchen?

Cooking 1 is perfect for beginners to children with more experience in the kitchen. The variety of skills and recipes taught are valuable additions to any student's culinary resumé. Step-by-step photographs and select videos are provided to guide students through particular tasks. Additionally, although this course is student led, parents can be as involved as they need to be in any individual lesson.

How many lessons should my student do each week? How long will the lessons take?

There are 20 lessons in the course. Many families choose to complete one or two lessons per week.

The average time to complete a lesson is 45–60 minutes. This includes cooking times.

Will more Cooking books be released in the future?

Cooking 2 will be released at a future date.

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. Drawing 2 will be released later this year, and we expect to release additional Drawing books in the future. For the latest updates, see our Coming Soon page.

Finger Painting FAQs

What supplies do we need for Finger Painting?

All supplies needed are listed at the beginning of each lesson and in the front matter on pages v-vi. You can also see a supplies list here.

Kitchen Science FAQs

What supplies do we need for Kitchen Science?

The supplies needed for each lesson are included on the first page of each of the 12 lessons. Additionally, you can find all the supplies needed for the course divided by lesson in the front matter on pages 2–3. You can also view them here.

What science concepts are covered in Kitchen Science?

In Kitchen Science, students in grades Pre-K–2nd are introduced to important basic science principles including states of matter, physical and chemical changes of matter, density, gravity, various kinds of chemical reactions, and surface tension.

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?

Two more Music Appreciation courses are currently being created. Stay tuned for Music Appreciation 2 which will release in Summer 2026, and Music Appreciation 3 which will follow later this year! For the latest updates, see our Coming Soon page.

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.

Access Videos

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.

Free Downloads

  • Certificates of Completion
Electives