Smart Scheduling
Your schedule will be a guide you will follow in your efforts to meet your goals when things go as smooth as a well-oiled engine...and when the train runs off the track! Creating a workable schedule takes planning, perseverance and flexibility; but it doesn't have to be complicated.
Even those of us who homeschool year round take a break at some point in the summer. Whether you are enjoying a brief summer reprieve or a full blown summer vacation you’ll enjoy these ideas for making the most of those hot summer days.
Take a break! Use the summer to enjoy your family! Forget about homeschooling for a while and just be mom. After a few weeks, you'll be rested and ready to gear back up again.
Try a nature study. If you haven't spent time outdoors during the year, you can easily make up for it in the summer. You can spend time in the national parks, the local park or your own back yard. Start a garden, chase bugs (lots of THOSE in the summer...), sketch, or grow herbs. Here are a few more nature study ideas:
- For the Love of Bugs
Jill Novak offers great ideas for studying, journaling, drawing, and writing about...bugs! - In an English Garden
See if these ideas from Catherine Levison don't get you motivated to spend time with your children enjoying nature! - Start a Nature Notebook
"In summer, the screen door bangs shut as they enter the kitchen with bright red scratches, bee stings, their clothes covered with grass stains and stick-tight seeds, to show you their treasures. I can remember, when we lived in the hot south, chasing a Blue-tailed Western Skink around our living room floor with a battered butterfly net. The children had such fun, laughing in the excitement, but I wasn't laughing. To my great relief, this foot-long lizard was finally contained in a mop bucket and drawn into our Nature Notebooks. It proved to be a colorful and impressive entry." Ideas on making a nature notebook from Karen Andreola.
Work through a mini unit study. The summertime is a great time to pursue your interests as a family. There are many mini-unit studies available (many are free online), one of which is sure to spark an interest. Or better yet, use your current family interest to build your own unit.
Look for new homeschooling ideas. Did you have problems motivating a child this past year? Could you use some suggestions for simplifying? Would you like to add some innovative ideas to your educational mix? Take a tip from the Teaching Toolbox!
Work on a new approach. Was something missing from your studies this past year? Was the spark gone? Spend time reading about the various methods. If something excites you and looks like it might work - give it a short test drive this summer.
Further Reading
- 101 Great Things to Do This Summer: Ideas 1-10
101 Great Things to Do This Summer: Ideas 11-20
101 Great Things to Do This Summer: Ideas 21-30
101 Great Things to Do This Summer: Ideas 31-40
101 Great Things to Do This Summer: Ideas 41-50
101 Great Things to Do This Summer: Ideas 51-60
101 Great Things to Do This Summer: Ideas 61-70
101 Great Things to Do This Summer: Ideas 71-80
The Teaching Home Magazine's E-Mail Newsletter summer series. - An Eternal Summer
"Keep your eyes and ears open to God’s voice and His divine appointments this summer, and as you do, you will make an eternal difference in someone’s life – it may be yours!" Deborah Wuehler has some ideas for making your summer An Eternal Summer. -
Mini Unit Study – Sunny Summer Fun
Melon Seed Necklaces
More Summer Fun
Summer Fun – Dried Banana Chips
Summer Fun – Homemade Fruit Sherbet
Grow Your Own Sunflower Seeds
Even More Fun, Summer Activities
Continuing series from Easy Fun School. - Sensational Summer Studies
"A break from the routine of textbooks and school doesn't mean that summer isn't a time for learning. In fact, many unique opportunities for outdoor learning abound in summer. Here are a few fun ideas to keep young and old minds sharp and thinking through the lazy days of summer." More light summer study ideas from Deborah Tukua at Home School Enrichment. - Stress-Free Summer Plans: (Or How to Homeschool Year Round without Noticing!)
"Frankly, by the time most summers roll around, we’re all ready for a break from our normal studies and routine, including me. So I’ve learned to slip in summer studies in a simple, enjoyable way without anyone stressing out –no grades, no tests, no tight schedules, no record keeping!" Tamara Eaton shares more Stress-Free Summer Plans. - Summer Activities
More great ideas from The Teaching Home. - Summer Homeschooling Ideas
Summer-day-filling ideas from Beverly S. Krueger at Eclectic Homeschool Online.