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what "school" do you do in the summer?
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We generally take the summers off, but the kids have two weeks of swimming and we usually take a week to 10 days of holidays. We also fit in park days and things like that that get us out and about.
This year I also got a couple experiment books and a critical thinking game, just for those moments when they say they are bored!
Math, bible, learn new morning prayers, a more family study health chapter.
I also like to do those silly things you see you would like to do but never would spend a year or even an entire semester doing them. Like a series of videos, or an audio book you couldn’t fit in. Plus some imprompt to writing asignments.
Simple, not scheduled, and if my kids start with issues it’s more work!
“if my kids start with issues it’s more work!” – YES, this. My kids know that the fastest way to get more work in the summer is to whine, complain, or pester one another. I will assign physical and academic work.
This is our first summer not ‘schooling’…but will keep math, a writing class, and reading (mostly for fun, but still reading), scriptures.
In past summers we planned on every day UNLESS a friend invited us to do something which didn’t happen too often. We also planned 1 or 2 field trips a month. We would school from 11 to 3 or 4, the hottest parts of the day. The mornings were a little more laid back with outside time, chores, work in the garden, etc. Once it got blistering hot we came in and ‘did school’. Once it started cooling off a bit we’d head to the pool or back outside to play. Or stay inside and play games, watch educational shows, etc. if nobody could handle the heat.
I’m a former classroom teacher so I like my summers! I need a relaxed “schedule” in June and July for beach days and canning days (my husband grows a large garden).
That being said, we continue with Picture Study, composer study, Nature Study, arts/crafts. We also read a lot. Summer books are more randomly chosen than books assigned for school. My youngest is still learning to read, so I informed him that we will still have reading practice each day even when our “school year” is complete. We will still read and discuss the Bible. This year I am also going to require “work in the garden” each morning. I don’t usually mind my children getting “bored” ( though that term is not allowed) because it usually leads to creativity. When whining and bickering begins, I give them some work to do- sweeping, dusting, cleaning out under their beds, etc.
I like the idea of doing the wonderful “extras” – like artist, composer, etc.. in the summer.We currently squeeze them into the regular year. I had thought of doing it all in the summer instead of trying to fit it in with the rest of our studies during the year. Maybe one per day along with readings, math, and of course family bible time. The older two will have Spanish as well. We could easily do 2 composers and 2 artists over the summer. We could do folk songs, hymns, and Shakespeare as well. Still thinking about that. It would help lighten the load the rest of the year, but would I miss studying those topics from Sept. to May?Anyone ever do this?
I’ve also thought summer could be a time for all of those fun projects- artsy stuff, learning a new handicraft, fun extension ideas that go with the time period we studied this year but never had time to do- like building a castle out of empty boxes, creating their own heraldry/banners, making costumes, having a medevial feast, etc…
Oh, and besides our ‘summer lite’ of reading/lite music practice/critical thinking I generally try to focus on one or two life skills. This summer it’s laundry and cooking:)
Ah, life skills. Yes.
Jennifer, I too am a former teacher and really was used to having the summer to recover so that is why we bagan that way. I just feel like the break, in the form I have been doing it, is not working. Still praying about what to change and how to procede.
Also….I feel like summer is the only time for us just to be! I need that unstructured time for myself to accomplish other things and refresh myself but also what fascinates me the kids are still learning although it’s not structured during the summer. We like to do a reading club in the summer to earn rewards and sign up for more outside activities. My son will take some art classes this summer that we just couldn’t fit in during the school year due to me working and keeping up with homeschooling!
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