Plucky Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 As we start finishing things like grammar books or other curriculum pieces I start ramping up the other subjects to get them done and absorbed. Then if we are done by May/June we can spend the summer months doing light school and concentrating on weak areas and always continue with math. I'm curious what others do. Do you just shorten your day? Move on to the next level in the curriculum? I probably won't change the way we do things here, but I like to learn what others do. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Well, after I drink my celebratory glass (or two) of wine (or bottle of Mike's :D), we simply shorten our school day and keep going until either it's all done or we hit the middle of June and I'm desperate for a stop. Usually we finish. ;) I don't start the next level of materials until we start the new grade level in the fall. The kids seem to enjoy the shortened day as a reminder of their success in finishing their books off and it gives them motivation to keep ploughing through what's left so we can be done with everything for the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patchfire Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 It depends on the subject. For skill subjects, we either move on to the next level (math, spelling) or substitute lighter review work (grammar, vocabulary). For content subjects (history, science, art appreciation, music appreciation), we celebrate the end of the year's study and don't pick it back up until we start the new school year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2boys030507 Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 We just move on to the next level. However, we school year round and our books are ending throughout the year. For example, this year we started our new Grammar book in Jan and my oldest started his new math level one week ago. In spring, we focus more on nature study and outdoor adventures. I try to take advandtage of nice weather when we get it in MN :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 It depends on the subject. For skill subjects, we either move on to the next level (math, spelling) or substitute lighter review work (grammar, vocabulary). For content subjects (history, science, art appreciation, music appreciation), we celebrate the end of the year's study and don't pick it back up until we start the new school year. that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallory Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I add stuff in. Although they tend to be more fun things. The first thing we always add in is math facts practice. I always save this until spring and we try to beat last years times for all four operations (or just + and - for youngers) on a 100 problem times test. This year I think the next thing I will add is copywork and reading in Spanish. Another thing they always like more of is Logic games or puzzles. Sometimes I also hit art or music, especially if we have slacked off through the year (usually the case ;)). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Once we've made a certain amount of progress in our books (I try to get well beyond the halfway point by the beginning January), we lighten our days by only doing those subjects 2 - 3 times a week. I'm not interested in finishing things like math, grammar & spelling too early in the year because I don't like to take long breaks from these subjects, and I don't see the point in having my kids working too far ahead. We school year round so I kind of stretch their books out through the year so we have a number of months that are very light even though we're still working. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I drop content-area subjects once they are finished and don't pick them back up again until we start our new schoolyear. Math keeps going all through the summer. When one level is finished, the next level is started (although I do give a one-week break from the subject). I keep going with spelling for my 7th grader. That doesn't stop. Since we use Spelling Power, she has no idea when she has finished one level and started another. I just keep going. I have to require reading year-round for my 7th grader or she won't read anything but the Warriors boards. I let her choose whatever she wants to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollyhock Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 In general I just shorten our day. This works out well because toward spring my boys just want to spend more time outside anyways. If the subject is core, like math, and we still have a couple months left in the school year, then I would start the next level. But usually it's the fun extra subjects that run out soonest so then our day just gets shorter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 We move on after completing a level. Our grade level school year runs September - May with light work in the summer. When my big girl completes something, we move on no matter where we are in the year. We are about to start Noeo Chemistry on Tuesday, for example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewel7123 Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 We school year round, so my plan is to just move up after completing a level, at least with the skill subjects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 We school year round as well so we just move on to the next level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 We generally just keep rolling in most subjects. If it's something like grammar or math I usually let them take a week off as a reward before jumping into the new one. Science and history just roll to the next period when we wrap up the last one. We do school year round spreading smaller breaks throughout the year, rather than taking a larger summer break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mims Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Add in typing and other extra skills like that. I find typing works best in short units. I like 6-8 weeks, every day so this is a perfect skill to work on in the spring. We do start shortening days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinD Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Wait - you mean people actually finish stuff before getting distracted by the new curriculum waiting in its pristine box?! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 We school year round as well so we just move on to the next level. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoyinIndo Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Wait - you mean people actually finish stuff before getting distracted by the new curriculum waiting in its pristine box?! :D My thoughts exactly! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiseOwlKnits Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 We just move on. We finished our math book 2 weeks ago. We finished history last week. We finished reading and language arts this this week. So we just keep trucking on with whatever is next, regardless of where we "should" be. We also school year round, but we take weeks off in the fall and spring during the short time when the weather is nice and almost a month off in December. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Wait - you mean people actually finish stuff before getting distracted by the new curriculum waiting in its pristine box?! :D Curriculum junkies never finish ANYTHING :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 We school year-round, so we just keep going. This is happening right now. We've finished a lot of stuff. We're starting Sonlight Core 3 this week. Woohoo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloggermom Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 We don't shorten our days, we just move to the next level as soon as one is finished. We also homeschool year round so there is never a set beginning or end of a school year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBear Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 We keep plugging away until all subjects are finished which is usually late June. Each year is a little different. In the past we did not do Math during the summer but I have learned that is not a good idea. So we will do Math and just take it a little easier - 3 days a week maybe. We look forward to a break during the summer but I was considering having dd do typing and a foreign language as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 It depends on the subject. For skill subjects, we either move on to the next level (math, spelling) or substitute lighter review work (grammar, vocabulary). For content subjects (history, science, art appreciation, music appreciation), we celebrate the end of the year's study and don't pick it back up until we start the new school year. This is what we do, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChandlerMom Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 We just move on to the next level. However, we school year round and our books are ending throughout the year. For example, this year we started our new Grammar book in Jan and my oldest started his new math level one week ago. In spring, we focus more on nature study and outdoor adventures. I try to take advandtage of nice weather when we get it in MN :) :iagree: We also school year round and 7 days a week (some days very light; take a day here and there as needed, guilt free!). When we're close to finishing, I'll tell dc she has X days to complete it -- if she finishes early, she gets the rest of the days off f that subject. That usually motivates her and gives ehr a good sense of accomplishment. Of course, I've worked in a few extra days so she's guaranteed some time off (and me too!). :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Wait - you mean people actually finish stuff before getting distracted by the new curriculum waiting in its pristine box?! :D Exactly. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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