Is trying homeschooling over the summer a fair trial?

[Farrar]

We've always homeschooled, so I don't have a dog in this fight, so to speak. However, it always seems strange to me when people say they're going to homeschool during their kids' summer break to see if it works. I always think it doesn't seem like a fair trial. Kids aren't sure they're really going to be homeschooled, social activity is different in he summer, kids' expectation of summer (especially if they were just in school) are different... But maybe I'm wrong. What says the hive?

 

Poll coming...

[amo_mea_filiis.]

I always afterschooled and summer schooled to some extent. This year has shown me that summer school did absolutely nothing to prepare us.

[Ellie]

Well, no, not really. I think it's better than nothing, IYKWIM, but it really won't be a good indicator of whether or not homeschooling will "work."

I usually tell people to commit to one year. Just one year. :-)

[Whereneverever]

No. Kids are used to the summer off and might fight school. Or it might be novel enough for them to cooperate.

 

It's a finite situation and that makes the dynamics wonky.

[Tap]

Not fair, because the draw to be off playing with friends will distort the kids view.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I just think that it is too short a time. It takes awhile to hit your stride, to decompress from public school and to find the right curriculum. I voted that it could be ok in some cases.

[ssavings]

My mom pulled us from school as rising 6th, 3rd, and 1st graders. It took us a good 6+ months to find our stride.

[Shellers]

I did some light homeschooling with my DS12 last summer. It was a test for us. He has severe dyslexia, and at the end of 4th grade he was reading at a 1st grade level. We worked on reading all summer. When he went back to school for 5th, he was reaccessed, and his reading level had come up a full grade level. He had made more progress over that one summer than six years of being in special ed with an IEP. This improvement was what I needed to hear so I yanked him from public school. His reading continues to improve at home. :)

[nmoira]

No. There's no time to deschool, and what child (assuming no truly traumatic experience in school) would want to give up their summer for more school? Three parents I know who've tried have all given up within a month.

[Desert Rat]

I voted maybe. I don't know. If you did 2 weeks to de-school, 8 weeks to try a unit study, then access, I think it could be a good idea. I'm the kinda girl who jumped in both feet first.

[JennyD]

I think it depends on what one means by "whether it works." If the concern is "Will we all like this?" than no, summer is probably not the best test. But if the concern is "Can I effectively teach my child long division?" (or, as a PP said, help a child improve his or her reading) then yes, I could see how some sustained work over the summer could help you get a sense about that.

[PrairieSong]

It probably won't be a long enough time for you to really see if it works...plus, as some others mentioned, summer is just different and your kids may feel the pull to be off doing summertime things. They may feel it's unfair to fill up their summer with "school stuff".

[sewingmama]

I voted maybe -if you have co-operative kids :glare:

 

On second thought though I don't think it is a fair trial. It takes quite awhile for a child to adjust to accepting mum as the teacher -especially if a "teacher" to them has always been someone outside of the family home.

 

I knew I was going to HS before my kids were born. I've always done purposeful activites with them since they were babies with this in mind. I did send my DD to Pre-K for 3 half days a week for 1 year always intending for her to HS from K. Even though she had had much experience with me teaching her at home and Pre-K was only a little time each week when it was done and she graduated it still took a full 6 months before she accepted me properly as her teacher and that I wasn't just "playing around" KWIM. We basically schooled very lightly for six months till she adjusted and de-schooled (which means we didn't do much at all) :lol: and then we started full swing in Jan this year (we school Jan-Dec).

 

So even with all that exposure to me teaching her and knowing we would HS - being in public school set us back a full 6 months once it came to "doing it for real".

 

Plus the mother might always have in the back of her mind that she can slack because it's summer and then be discouraged at the end and send them back to school because she didn't get as much done as she thought she would.

[Mommyfaithe]

No. There's no time to deschool, and what child (assuming no truly traumatic experience in school) would want to give up their summer for more school? Three parents I know who've tried have all given up within a month.

 

:iagree:

 

My kids still get miffed when I insist on summer school. My kids who did go to school took a while to hit their homeschooling stride, and I needed to get my feel for teaching day in and day out, as a career, not just as a mom with a preschooler or after school homework. The dynamic was very different, even though I was very involved with my girls' education.

 

I don't think a summer stint at hs'ing is really a fair assessment. I think you need an entire year....if not two.

[desertmum]

I just think that it is too short a time. It takes awhile to hit your stride, to decompress from public school and to find the right curriculum. I voted that it could be ok in some cases.

 

:iagree:

[lisamarie]

I did this. I was anti homeschool at the time, but after a year of Young 5s (for kids who are legally eligible to start kindergarten, but should wait an extra year for various reasons, usually late fall birthday), I could see that my DS was already very ahead of his class. I used the summer to see if I could HS without losing my mind. It went great and both my older 2 kids loved it. We did have DS start PS kindy, but pulled him after 2 months. Summer HSing gave me the confidence I needed to feel that HSing was an option for us.

 

So I think for some people, it can be a a good indication if HSing will work for them.

[NanceXToo]

Well, here's the thing. If you've ALWAYS known you were going to homeschool, it's different for you.

 

But if you're one of those people considering pulling your kid out of public school, it's more intimidating. It's a big change. One of the ways you can reassure yourself about it is by going, well, I'll "try it" over the summer and see what it would be like. This is often really just a babystep way of easing yourself into being comfortable with it, or getting your feet wet so to speak, or giving yourself a confidence boost, or showing a semi-reluctant or hesitant spouse that you CAN do it, etc.

 

Then by the time the school year comes around you can feel like you've had a little bit of experience and confidence, and if that helps a parent not feel as intimidated or nervous about NOT putting their kids back in school that year, more power to them! In that regard, sure, it's a great trial!

 

When my daughter was in 3rd grade, in Feb. of that year, I decided I wanted to homeschool. I had to talk my husband into it. He wasn't sure I'd REALLY want to do it, if I'd really like doing it, what it would be like, etc. I told him I could do it over the summer and do the things I'd do as if I were doing it over the school year to give us an idea of what it would be like as a "trial." That made him feel a bit better about it, knowing that if by the time the fall rolled around if we hated "homeschooling" we'd already know and could put her back in school. (As it turned out we didn't wait til summer, I yanked her out of school in March of that year, but, still, this is all to say that I can understand the sentiment)!

 

ETA: So I am curious how many of the "Not Really" votes come from people who have "always homeschooled" and never had kids in public school to begin with!

[athena1277]

I voted "probably". I was nervous about starting to hs dd for K, so I started about a month before the local ps started. I figured if it didn't work, I could enroll her in ps at the last minute and she would not be behind. Thankfully those first weeks went very well and we've never looked back.

[Carrie12345]

My kids know the basic ps schedule. They're dragging their butts this week b/c they know most kids are on spring break (never mind the million little breaks we've taken this year.)

 

I would not grade success on how kids handled summer learning.

 

I do think it's a decent time to attempt to find some sort of groove with different ideas, but not a good overall measuring stick.

[Carrie12345]

 

ETA: So I am curious how many of the "Not Really" votes come from people who have "always homeschooled" and never had kids in public school to begin with!

 

Not me. ;)

Ds was in ps from K-4.

[momma aimee]

i think it can be helpful -- but i do not think, given the distraction of summer, it is a true "test" of homeschooling for making a choice about keeloing kids home or not

[Annie G]

Maybe. My daughter is trying it out mostly to see how SHE handles it. Granddaughter is almost five and is ready to learn to read. Dd is trying to see if she can stay on a schedule and be committed not only through everyday life like laundry and cooking, but when friends call and want to meet for lunch at Chick-Fil-A.

Since granddaughter is so young, she's not aware of school schedules or summer breaks. So it's really to see if my daughter can handle the adjustment- she quit her job teaching chemistry labs at a university so this is an adjustment.

 

I know some moms need to try it out to see if THEY can homeschool. It's hard for some to give up the freedom they have- around here moms meet for coffee or go work out and take spin classes or do Zumba. Being committed to homeschooling is tough and if they can't do it for 10 weeks in the summer, is it really for them? I think that kind of trial works best with really young kids- once they get into about 4th grade, they really want a summer break. Younger than that? A couple of hours in the morning or during the hottest part of the afternoon isn't a hardship for kids. And might be an eye opener for the mom.

[Blueridge]

I agree with you that it isn't really fair to the student. if the parent isn't going into it with any sort of commitment then why should the student feel it is a valuable venture? I know a mom who did this. She told her child that 'they would just try it for a month or two and see if they liked it'. :001_huh: At the first complaint of the child, the mom put her back in school and washed her hands of homeschooling because it had 'failed them'. :glare:

[SailorMom]

My lord, no!

My kids would have revolted!

First - everyone else they know is on summer break.

And second - it takes a good 6 months to really get into the swing of things...

[regentrude]

Yes.

I was not sure how my DS would respond to homeschooling, so we had a trial run for one Saturday. It surpassed my wildest expectations and gave a good indication how things would work in the long run- and it gave me the courage to pull him out.

A summer trial would have been even better.

 

I think it depends on the reasons for homeschooling. If the kid wants it and the parents want to give him an idea how it is going to work, I do not see why summer should be a bad idea - this way the kid can decide whether he really wants it or prefers to return to school in the fall. And for us, it was to see whether DS would respond to my instruction and lose his minimalist attitude.

We knew after a week of homeschooling that we had made the right choice.

Edited April 10, 2012 by regentrude

[Trish]

I found it useful, but not a fair test, either.

[Chris in VA]

I don't think it's long enough for most people, but maybe for some. I voted the second option. I think it takes a few years for some of us to really get it all together (and even then...LOL). Not everyone is so slow, but I think a lot of parents leave homeschooling when it doesn't meet the unrealistic expectations that seem to be put forth when the trial time is too short. Hit the rough waters and give up, seems to be the way it happens for many--"The (summer/first week/first few months) went so WELL. Now my kid hates it! What is wrong? Oh well, I give up!"

[pitterpatter]

You have to truly believe what you're doing is the real deal, not for play...not "pretend" school. Does home-schooling really work on a trial basis? I guess I started out with DD that way, but she was four and I was committed from day one.

[Zebra]

I think it depends on WHY exactly you are just "trying" it. If it's because you're the type of person that needs to dip their toe in the water first, then maybe it would be helpful. Some people just need to slowly build confidence.

 

Also, we school during July and August and take most of September off. All the kids in our neighborhood go to rec camp, and weirdly enough most of our homeschool friends are in all kinds of summer camps and are hard to connect with during the summer. July and August are our most productive "school work" months.

 

At the same time, I'm not sure homeschooling would work without some sort of break after a year of public school. Maybe take June off and "try it" for July. That's also going to be a pretty burnt out kid come August if you decide you're not going to homeschool. So there is an element of setting yourself up to fail.

 

I really think people should try it for a whole year. If nothing else it will be a fun adventure you can always remember.

[Denisemomof4]

No. I think a good solid two years is a fair trial unless the first year is a miserable failure. Everyone I have ever talked to about this agrees that you need a good solid two years to work out all kinks, find your groove, and get comfortable with it all.

[jrn]

I've said this. I don't homeschool (yet) I'm still in the learning about it phase. These boards are fantastic! Anyway, I do plan to do a trial this summer. It's really more for me than the kids. Can I be wholely responsible for thier education, can I make that kind of commitment daily, will I want to rip my hair out? I figure the answer is yes to all of those questions but I still need a trial for me. I didn't pull my kids out of school mid year because of my insecurity. Hopefully with a little practice I can feel more prepared.

[merry gardens]

I voted yes. It's enough to see if the parent and the children enjoy learning together and to try a few homeschool materials. It's like a test run. If it works well, then it's likely that homeschooling during the school year will work out too. If it doesn't work well, it could be the materials or the approach or the mix of personalities or the timing, etc., just as would be the case with longer homeschool trials.

 

(But...I'll add that I believe that to really give it a fair trial, children should have some type of break for at least a few weeks. If they jump straight from public school ending June 9th into hard-core homeschooling on June 10th, the parent will only see what it's like to homeschool a kid who needs a break!:tongue_smilie:)

[Annie G]

A fair amount of people I know (including me!) tried homeschooling during the school year. We pulled middle daughter out of school at Christmas break and homeschooled the rest of the year. Several of my friends have pulled kids out for the last two months of school- some have continued homeschooling and others have put their kids back in school the following year.

Around here, trying homeschooling during second semester is risk free. If it doesn't work out, schools don't push back when you want your kid enrolled in the grade they are supposed to be in. However, I've seen families try homeschooling and put a kid in mid-year and have to deal with hassles about placement. Doesn't make sense, but that's how it is here.

 

Sometimes you know right away whether homeschooling is or isn't for you. Sometimes you need to get into a groove before you know.

[Farrar]

Well, here's the thing. If you've ALWAYS known you were going to homeschool, it's different for you.

 

But if you're one of those people considering pulling your kid out of public school, it's more intimidating. It's a big change. One of the ways you can reassure yourself about it is by going, well, I'll "try it" over the summer and see what it would be like. This is often really just a babystep way of easing yourself into being comfortable with it, or getting your feet wet so to speak, or giving yourself a confidence boost, or showing a semi-reluctant or hesitant spouse that you CAN do it, etc.

 

Then by the time the school year comes around you can feel like you've had a little bit of experience and confidence, and if that helps a parent not feel as intimidated or nervous about NOT putting their kids back in school that year, more power to them! In that regard, sure, it's a great trial!

 

When my daughter was in 3rd grade, in Feb. of that year, I decided I wanted to homeschool. I had to talk my husband into it. He wasn't sure I'd REALLY want to do it, if I'd really like doing it, what it would be like, etc. I told him I could do it over the summer and do the things I'd do as if I were doing it over the school year to give us an idea of what it would be like as a "trial." That made him feel a bit better about it, knowing that if by the time the fall rolled around if we hated "homeschooling" we'd already know and could put her back in school. (As it turned out we didn't wait til summer, I yanked her out of school in March of that year, but, still, this is all to say that I can understand the sentiment)!

 

ETA: So I am curious how many of the "Not Really" votes come from people who have "always homeschooled" and never had kids in public school to begin with!

 

Good points. Now I'm curious too.

 

It's one of those things where, when people say it, I just recoil thinking, good grief, don't do that! If it doesn't work, then you'll think homeschooling never could have worked, when in reality there wasn't enough time to deschool, find a groove, etc. etc. But it's never been *my* experience, so then I feel a bit... judgmental saying it.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I voted not really (and yes, I always homeschooled) because of the myriad of reasons listed here. The biggest issue is deschooling. A 5th grader would do well enjoying summer and easing into homeschooling in the fall (or later!) rather than jumping straight from public school to school at home with no break. Even school kids get a break and that doesn't have the pressure of something "strange." It is going to take time to find materials that work for you, for the kids to take mom seriously as the teacher, to hit their stride. Additionally, summer has so many other things going on that it may be difficult to start then. Mom and the kids may have ideas of what summer should be vs homeschooling it. It seems that the concern of the social objection would be much stronger in the summer also. When kids are at school, they aren't knocking on your door to go swimming or play ball; but during the summer, you may actually have to turn away social opportunities. The pressure of a short time period may also cause issue. It would be hard to have reasonable expectations of what can be accomplished. Additionally, as a recently linked article states, learning is done best over time, reinforced at intervals. You'd have fewer intervals for fewer new concepts in the summer. And the list goes on.

 

NOW, I do think that if a parent chose to focus on just one or two things, it could get their feet wet a bit. Additionally, the time commitment wouldn't be so huge as to keep kids from social and summer activities.

[Tammyla]

I voted no, but for some it may help them a little; it just isn't going to reflect anything near a day in and day out homeschooling experience.

[JessReplanted]

Personally, I think we need at least a month off before starting school again.

 

I want days when I can wake up and be thankful that it's not a school day.

I want to have days when we all just look at each other and say 'What should we do now?'

I want to enjoy the beach/lake and not give one thought to math or grammar.

I want to come in from day in the sun and curl up with the kids on the couch and watch a movie.

 

I'm ready for summer now!! :D

[Parrothead]

Maybe.

 

I could see homeschooling getting a fair shot if the parent is one of those determined, detail-oriented people who has easy kids. Other factors to consider would be climate and grade level of the kid(s). If one lives where it is very hot during afternoon hours, one could get 2-3 hours in and complete K-4th grade work in that time.

 

On the other hand if one is kind of a slacker or would rather be social with friends I can see it going badly. Come the end of the week the parent finds that the kid(s) have done one math lesson and the house is a disaster and the kids are bad-tempered.

[WIS0320]

I did it last summer just to make sure *I* could stay focused and happy trying to teach my child. We had a successful enough 6 week run that I felt more confident moving forward with attempting an entire year.

 

It certainly didn't give me "big picture" answers and I'm sure homeschooling ebbs and flows for both child(ten) and parents over the course of many years however, I think 6 weeks can give a parent a pretty good idea of the amount of work involved. So far we are pretty traditional homeschoolers and the learning is parent directed. So, figuring out if I was truly ready to commit by a trial run was good for me.

[bpskowski]

I voted maybe. My son did preschool and kindergarten at a Montessori school, which is what I thought would be the perfect education setting for him. It was horrible and he was going nowhere, both academically and socially. I told my dh I wanted to homeschool. He was iffy about it all. We did it through the summer and my dh was very pleased with the results. And more importantly, my ds absolutely thrived on it. He never wants to go back to "school."

[NanceXToo]

I can see that, but I was definitely intimated even though I homeschooled from the beginning. If I had judged the whole thing after a month or two in I might have given up at that point. Not that things went badly, but I was terrified of screwing things up. Not to mention it is at the beginning you get flack from the naysayers (at the point you are least confident). And my son was asking to go to school. It's not necessarily easy either way.

 

And for us it ended up going great right from the beginning and we just never looked back, so it all goes to show that the answer is a big fat "it depends!" :lol: