When to Expand the Academics?

[elmerRex]

What are some good guidelines for knowing when to add to/expand academics?

 

We do not know if we should expand it in the Winter session or wait until summer. What do the experienced people think?

 

[Ellie]

I think you do it when you think your child is ready.

 

Readiness doesn't have a session. :-)

[Jackie]

I don't really consider myself experienced, but what we did was add one thing at a time as both DD and I felt comfortable and driven. She wanted to learn reading, so we started with that. When that was part of the routine, we added in some math. When that was part of the routine, we added in science. Then spelling. Then Spanish. Then history. And so on. Until we were finally "full" and neither of us had a desire to add any more.

[desertflower]

When the child is ready. Also, during extreme weather. Such as January, February, July, and August.

 

The weather is too nice this time of year. We've been doing more outside stuff.

[Farrar]

I was also about to add the extreme weather thing. There's nothing better for getting lots of academics done, even in first grade terms, than a snow day. I still sort of pine for the two and a half weeks we were snowed in and all our activities were canceled years ago. We got every bit of school done and then some.

 

But there's not a right moment in terms of readiness. You just have to go by your kid and see if it's time or not. In many families, you start strong in the fall, relax a bit in the winter and by the time spring rolls around, you're basically unschooling. Then you do it all over again. ;) In my house we tend to go in waves. That's the beauty of homeschooling - no one right way.

[Coco_Clark]

When things are going really smoothly and you (or even better, ALL of you) are excited to add another thing.

 

And I love Farrar's rhythm but last year (our first real year) we started slow and halting, built up over winter adding rabbit trail extra subjects, and then eased off in late Spring/early summer as we finished things "early".  And it looks like its repeating itself.  We slowly have been building back up all Fall and are now adding a few subjects.  Just goes to show how every family is different. 

[Soror]

We have waves here as well, we start slow at the height of summer (when it is too hot to do anything else) and add and add until we feel full and then we settle a bit. Then everything else starts in and we pull back a bit. Next comes the new year with cold weather and renewed enthusiasm for the possibilities and we build again. By the time spring hits we're ready to pull back and get outside and enjoy the weather, so we wrap up our goals for the year and take our big break in May.

 

Within the context of these waves it seems that generally I can see when they're ready for more. When you go through what you've got planned and they take it all in and are chomping for more, when you see that they're sailing through it with such ease it takes little time or attention, when there is a hunger for more in a particular area, these are the signs.  This is when I look at how can I expand what we are already doing or if we need to level up where we are at- adding depth, increasing speed or look more new material.

[Dmmetler]

NOT between The end of October and the end of December! Seriously, I've realized that this late fall/Early winter is when we need to pull back on academics. Too much extra stuff starts creeping in (extra practices, performances, church activities, field trip opportunities) and weather is often still nice (sometimes cold, but usually clear and pretty) with the occasional very light, pretty snow.

 

January is a great time to start new stuff. It's just dreary.