To homeschool through summer or not to homeschool – a very personal choice. For us, we lived by cousins and neighbors who enjoyed public school’s sweet release for three straight months. Corralling my kids to keep hitting the books would have likely in-sighted rebellion and made public school seem much more appealing! Aside from external draws, however, was the need to break from routine – just as much for teacher mom as for her students! Still, I didn’t want to lose retention on important skills we worked so hard on through the year.
Skill retention loss over long summer breaks is very real no matter the method of education. For the time when my kids did attend public school, we always at least continued reading through the summer months. Once we began our homeschool journey, summer’s focus took an even more deliberate turn, combining all the best of homeschooling while still affording them ample time with neighbors and cousins for play.
First….
As mentioned, I needed the break. I LOVED homeschooling, setting up lessons, teaching, planning, and the routine each day carried. However, it was nice to not stress about whether we were meeting deadlines or if tests were prepared and studied for (yes, we had tests in our homeschool). It was nice not having to juggle the schedule and routine I loved so much. Breaks helped all of us to appreciate the regular rhythm more. Granted, three months can be a looooooong time to go without deliberate textbook learning. As mentioned, there is that pesky ‘retention’ issue. We have to admit, however, the long break is a treat, another world of living for a little while. So, to start, I gave myself permission to LET GO for a bit! (You can too!!)
So then….
I found it is possible to have both learning AND no school at the same time! It helped that we ran our homeschool with a core philosophy of inspiring life-long learners. I recently saw a quote to the effect of, “You don’t graduate from life”, suggesting how learning never stops and there truly is not a culmination point (until death!). If that is the case, then why do we foster an idea of schooling which says ‘once you have completed XYZ, you are done’? Sure, the need to strive towards grade completions, book report deadlines, and test score results is unavoidable. It is easy to miss the drive to simply grow a love of learning in the midst of all the ‘necessary’ school things. Summer, however, is the prime-time to peal away deadlines and milestones, instead choosing to strive more for simply living the learning life.
How?
We participated! As summer approached I planned for having no big plans!! My “no plans” was, in fact, I plan of adventuring and enjoying all our region had to offer and recognizing the subtle educational elements each experience had the potential to carry if I just blew on the embers and ideas. I monitored the local events calendar, keeping track of interesting activities on a printed calendar I had posted on the fridge. With this, every Wednesday we attended music concerts in the park, on occasion there were community festivals and parades, some weekends saw free museum days, and quite regularly there were craft shows, car shows, powwows, and farmer’s markets. Living by a large lake, we frequented the beach where the kids met up with friends and challenged each other to swimming and diving contests. Some days, we took drives and hikes to local parks and interesting features; reading signs, maps, geological features, and practicing our ‘tracking’ skills along the way (I kept a tri-fold waterproof wildlife tracker for our region, a bird watching book, a biology of trees printout for identification, and a reference on roadside geology in our hiking backpack which we consulted quite regularly). All of these things exposed the kids to culture, science, history, entrepreneurship, physical activity, wide-ranging information, and the spark of ideas.
Going to the farmer’s market influenced new dishes we might cook together.
Craft shows sparked their imagination to create and the idea they could make things others may want to buy!
Live music grew appreciation.
ALL of these things also offered socialization outside their usual circles!!
At the same time we even included the other kids my children were playing with. One summer we dubbed “The Summer Of Science” where we determined to be “explores” of common things. I made magnifying glasses and inexpensive handheld microscopes available which we used to observe treasures we brought home from nature hikes. No homework required, just sheer, unadulterated exploration. The neighbor kids were fascinated and wanted to see, too, often begging to be part of every off-shoot activity which seemed to follow! We even had open invites for them to join us at museums and powwows, all the while learning while they had fun! We’d even buy post cards the kids could write on (secretly extending some language arts activities!) and mail to their grandparents who do not live close.
We had down-days, too. Ample opportunities to hop outside and ride bikes or play in the backyard. We enjoyed some rainy-day movies or simply playing with toys or games inside. We worked our small deck garden together, took care of our rabbits and guinea pigs, did chores, and talked about the application of things learned in the past year. I encouraged arts and crafts, set expectations, and even inspired outdoor games with their friends like a car wash for bikes and scavenger hunts. I balanced, for all of us, plenty of time to be properly bored (which inspires creativity) AND the events of a given day or week.
With expectation….
We actually still had routine and daily expectations, in as much as we aimed to be free-wheeling. No morning alarms were set and they did enjoy extended bedtimes (until teen years = no bedtimes!) but there was still a flow to the day. Daily chores had to be done, daily reading was required – bonus points if they worked in some math activities like flashcards or some journaling. Being part of the summer reading program helped with these ambitions; each was determined to be first to the goal! They were not allowed screen time (TV or computer…. Nowadays it would be devices in general!) until after dinner and, even then, their time was restricted. It also hinged on them completing their reading goals for the day, which were relatively low (30 minutes a day for older kids, 1-2 books for younger ones). I knew, once screens were allowed, the drive to go outside, get creative, or just simply be an observer and participator of life around them, would go away. I wanted to see them engaged and that would not happen without proper motivation.
The results….
Some nights they did not opt for their earned screen time, instead gravitating towards finishing a ‘game’ started earlier in the day or more reading. Most days, they far exceeded their reading requirements and, on occasion, with a particularly good book, wanted to create a diorama or skit on their own to share with everyone! Eventually, I even saw them searching out knowledge and information whether by encyclopedias and books on the shelf or during our various excursions during the week. They craved information and experience and, more often than not, I was simply following their lead!! When they wanted to build their own “mini” museums out of egg cartons with things found on a trek through town, I provided the tools and enjoyed the resulting “tour”. When they asked for lemonade and cups to set up their own Lemonade stand, I happily obliged teaching them how to make it themselves and discussing good pricing practices. When they requested we find a craft show they could have a table at and set to work on their particular projects, I made reservations they didn’t mind having to wait a few months for (bringing home some serious cash when the show finally arrived!!). When they (ALL of them, son and daughters!) desperately wanted sock monkeys (which had made a resurgence in popularity for a while) and we couldn’t afford them, we found a free pattern and they set to work learning how to sew their own… along with accompanying outfits from scrap material and old clothes we were tossing anyway!!
They learned how to think outside of the box. They embraced boredom not as a curse to endure but rather a tool of inspiration. They didn’t require entertainment and realized how to be content in the ‘wait’. They developed a love of the outdoors and adventure which persists to this day (ages 22-31 as I write this). And now that my youngest has her own sweet daughter, I see her implementing the same zeal to learn in the every-day because she has recognized how we don’t, indeed, graduate from life and she wants her daughter to love living a learning and adventured life as well!
Remember
While textbooks may rest for a season, remember to open the book of life wide for your children. Let them drink in its lessons and fill their senses. No homework, no pop-quizzes. Rather, light a fire for learning that will carry all of you into a new school year on the other side of a fulfilling, planned, unplanned rest (with even greater retention then before!!)!!
Praying you have a most blessed summer break!
Blessings,
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