The thought of homeschooling in the summer can send some parents and students into a tailspin. Isn't schooling meant for just the school year? Just because you're not reading a textbook doesn't mean you're not learning.
If you look at the principle that we never stop learning, you can implement these simple principles into your summer and find that learning can take place with very little extra effort:
1. Routine - Make sure you keep up with a daily routine of getting up and getting ready and getting some things done around the house. Don't let your children stay up really late and sleep all day or just sit and watch TV. If children have something to look forward to in their day, they can get their routine done very quickly.
2. Reading - Encourage your child to keep up reading for pleasure. Buy them a special series of books they have been wanting or go to the library and find books with them in something they really enjoy. Librarians can help your child find good books that will hold their interest. My sister told her children one summer that they had to read 2 chapter books before they could watch television each week. Some children read their books right away and others took longer and played outside instead.
3. Projects - Summer is a great time for projects like cleaning out the garage and closets, planting and maintaining a garden, planning for the next school year, etc. If you don't want to involve your child in your projects, then help them develop their own project list. Do they want to press flowers, take apart a lawn mower engine, make a doll, build a fort or a wood project? There are countless projects that you and your child can dive into in the summer. Although it may not be homeschooling in the summer, they can learn a tremendous amount about many subject areas. They may even learn more than what they would learn from a home school curriculum.
4. Look for productive ideas - What are some productive things your children can do that they don't get to do in the winter? They can swim, ride bikes, go for walks, play with pets, visit grandparents, take pictures outdoors, grow plants, go to the zoo and other interesting places, plus many other activities that can work into a homeschooling in the summer plan. Our library has a book called "Tricky Pics" that shows you all kinds of ways to take pictures of yourself and others that are basically optical illusions. We did this several years ago but the film never advanced in the camera that came with the set, so all the pictures were lost. Now with the age of digital cameras I think my daughter will enjoy this project even more because she will be able to see the pictures right way and they won't be lost either.
Homeschooling in the summer could be renamed as "learning in the summer". Sometimes learning can take place in the summer to a greater degree than even in the winter because you have more time and resources available to you. Even though you might put your home school curriculum or teachers manuals on the shelves, I encourage you to explore the world around you and look for opportunities to learn and do all kinds of fun things with your children.
Author Info:
For more tips on homeschooling, grab your free report "How to Home school using the Best Resources" at http://www.homeschool-how-to.com Heidi Johnson specializes in helping families find resources to simplify and improve their lives.
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