May will be over before we know it and my kids + everyone I chat with about school asks the big question. When is summer break?!!
The short answer is, we are doing part time school for the summer. The long answer is the longer I homeschool, the more our schedule goes with the demands of life. We are less and less following a calendar. Not to be mistaken with not doing school. We are still very much educating our children. I firmly believe that education is important. Knowledge unlocks opportunity and brings opportunity. Being educated provides so much value to our life.
This is the first year I have let go of the calendar. Scheduled out when every lesson needs to be done. And had a hard start/stop to the school year. It’s a wild concept. Especially for a type A person who THRIVES on a schedule. However, when it came to my children’s education sometimes that schedule was causing unnecessary anxiety. It brought that looming feeling of being “behind.” Which is a concept I don’t even believe to be a healthy narrative when it comes to our children’s education.
So…back to the question. If we don’t really have a hard start and stop date this year. A time that we will be “finished” with school, what is our summer going to look like?
We’ve done it all in the years past. Schooled full-time, taken the summer off. Started in July (the year I had Nella). And there’s a few things that I’ve learned work for us and a few things that don’t.
What doesn’t work: Schooling full time during summer break. The majority of our kid’s friends are in public school. In our area, the schools break typically at the end of May and start mid August. During this time there’s endless play dates, invites to outdoor outings, as well as activities in the community like the summer reading program, swimming lesson, town festivities, plus gardening and yard work to tend to, etc. In the name of socializing my children (hint of sarcasm there), I won’t say no to fun with friends and family to be at home doing school work. That’s a surefire way to grow resentment to learn! Plus there is plenty of learning to be had out and about.
When I have tried homeschooling full time over the summer, it breeds a cycle of me feeling like we are behind in our learning goals, the kids feeling rushed to get school work done to go play, skipping lesson plans altogether…it just doesn’t work for us.
In the years passed when we have taken the whole summer off, we’ve had our challenges too. Occasionally the “B” word is thrown around. BORED. My kids don’t say this often, but having zero learning goals or time spent in the curriculum seems like it leads them to feel a little lost with their time.
Then there is the dreaded summer slide. Where they forget concepts….and seemingly forget how to function on a school day. (A little laugh out loud there.) Doing nothing school related makes starting up in the fall seem really really hard.
How do we get out of bed at a decent hour? What do we do on a school day again? It just feels hard for a few weeks. What learning goals should I have? Do we really have to do math?
So this year we are trying something new!!! And I’ll report in the fall if it will be the plan that sticks. Here’s is what I have already told the kids they are doing. Here’s the plan.
- Tie up loose ends: the big kids are sooo close to finishing their language arts book. I’m a big believer in finishing what you start. Unless it is a sewing project. Then I probably won’t finish that. So I’ve learned to not really start those. But language arts, YES. We will finish. We will continue 4 days a week until they are done with their text book. Projected finish date is June 10th.
- Have 1 full school day. Which for us is a morning. I’m thinking it will be Monday mornings for us. There are less outside “things” scheduled and planned on Monday mornings (it seems like). We will have one morning where they continue with their math curriculum, complete a hand writing page, do a language arts lesson, reading booster games/cards, practice their instrument, their foreign language (older two), spelling assignment and read to me. I know we will have a couple weeks for trips and summer camps where we wont be able to do this. But for the most part it’ll work for our schedule.
- 3 additional days where the kids read to me. Likely Tues., Wed., Thurs. While they all read at different levels, they all need improvement and practice. I’ll admit this has been a struggle for us over the summers. Maybe typing it out and publishing my intention will make it stick!
- 1-2 days where I read aloud to them- or more! I really love reading to my kids still. And I’m glad they enjoy it too.
There’s my final answer to the big looming question of what we are doing for school this summer. I feel like it will be an achievable schedule and goal for us. I’m hopeful! I anticipate we will start up regular school days again after a labor day in September. And we will continue our full schedule until Memorial day this month (May).
The most wonderful aspect of homeschooling is that you can do what works for you & your family. It may look different from year to year. It certainly has for us.
I hope you are enjoying your homeschool year! Whether it is coming to and end as you break for summer, you school year round or your kids do a hybrid program.
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