Summer School?

[Shelly in VA]

So, if we have met maybe 1/3 of my goals for the year, and if I'm really frustrated about it, should I do summer school? We have never done summer school, and I don't want it to seem like a punishment to the kids, because the things we have not gotten done are my fault, not theirs, due to a whole host of circumstances beyond our control. :D

 

We've done the basics, lots of 3Rs, plenty of all the "required" subjects to meet our state requirements, but none of the interesting science projects or transparency mapwork or fun art projects like clay/beading/etc. that I had hoped to do.

 

Am I crazy to think we could do just the fun stuff, 2-3 mornings per week, without it seeming like detention?!

 

Thanks!

[nmoira]

Don't call it Summer School. :)

[Nestof3]

Well, I've treated "school" differently than the traditional concept from the beginning. We don't follow a specific schedule based on the school system. For example, we school on Saturdays sometimes. Honestly, the only reason why I break in the summer is because I need time to plan. So, the concept of summer being a time off from learning has not been introduced to the young ones. Our oldest just learned that we do what needs to be done when we have time. We've never had any problems with this.

 

Plus, if it's enjoyable, the boys don't care if it classifies as school. They just want to spend time with me at this point.

[Sue G in PA]

By all means...do the fun stuff but don't call it "school"! :) My kids will spend hours doing crafts anyway, so that type of stuff isn't school to them. Science wouldn't be school to my ds9...he loves science. Do the fun stuff. Keep it light. Focus on interests. Ask them what they want to learn about for science, history. Ask them to choose art projects or craft projects from a book. Have fun!

[kimmyandgracie]

Plus, if it's enjoyable, the boys don't care if it classifies as school. They just want to spend time with me at this point.

:iagree: My dd4 is up for just about anything if it means she gets to spend one-on-one time with me.

[kimmyandgracie]

I also want to add that we homeschool year round, too, and as I work 3 nights a week, we do school on the four days that I'm off, whatever days they end up being. We do 45 four-day weeks instead of 36 five-day weeks and just take off a few days here and there when we need to. I do take off about 3 weeks in the summer.

[PeterPan]

You mean everybody doesn't school year-round? ;)

 

No, I wouldn't feel bad about making them do school work in the summer; I always have. It's all about how you approach it and what you communicate as normal in your house. That said, if you've never done it that way and this was just "one of those years," I wouldn't make a hard shift. You said you did all the basics (LA, math, etc.). If science was lacking and your usual approach is pretty academic or stiff (lots of writing or something), then I'd save that for next year and do a bit of fun stuff this summer. (trail guides, nature walks, star watching, bird counts, grow a garden, collect bugs, fun stuff that they'd enjoy doing anyway) Life happens, rough years happen, and the world won't fall apart if you push science off till fall. Don't push it off forever, but till your normal time in fall is ok. Obviously you can do the crafts and things anytime, so summer is fine. It may be that your kids are getting older and your schedule full enough that it's time to rearrange, say planning to get to crafts every summer if that's something you can no longer practically get to during the school year. That's just reality that there are seasons to things. We can't do everything at once! (or can we?) ;)

[Elisabeth in IL]

We school in the summer but try to keep it to the basics and fun stuff. The items that you listed sure sound like fun to me. I'd go for it!! My kids need something to keep them occupied for part of the day anyway or they would drive me crazy with their bickering.

[prairiegirl]

We have always schooled year round. In the summer, we do math and then lighter things like art and science experiments. It's just life for us. The kids do not know any different and are fine with this.

 

I agree with the other posters. Don't term it as 'school.' Refer to it as 'fun stuff' as that is what it is.

[WyoSylvia]

If I were your child, I would love stuff like that to do over the summer. Can I join your school?

[Wendy in ME]

We are also planning on summer school at our house. This will be the first year and they are less than enthusiastic but I have promised them that it will be just Latin and math in the morning for July then we will add history in August because we need to finish Romans so we can start VP MARR. We do plan to still be done by lunch until we start our full load in September. I just keep telling them that this is so we can be more relaxed during the rest of the school year and take a fun day off from time to time. I also am working 3 12hr shifts a week. They spend the 5th day of school each week just reading and finishing up unfinished work. They don't cover any new material on that day.

[Jenny in Atl]

Well, I've treated "school" differently than the traditional concept from the beginning. We don't follow a specific schedule based on the school system. For example, we school on Saturdays sometimes.

 

This is us... we school year-round but we take lots of time off and have a lighter schedule in the summer. I found this really helps to give the girls a vision of learning as a normal part of everyday life and not just a Monday-Friday 8-3 deal. I would say, focus on the subjects you are behind in and go slow.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

I would say go for it. Last year my kids were bored and wanting to know when we would start school again long before I was ready. This year we'll have a bit of history and science to do as a way to provide a small amount of structure to our days.