Homeschooling during the summer?

[Biz-e-mom]

How many days a week and for how many hours a day are you doing this?

Edited June 5, 2016 by Biz-e-mom

[freesia]

My Ds will be doing math for 1 1/2-2 hours until mid July. I want to help him build confidence and solidify his skill.

 

If he was working on a credit, is have him work more like 3hours.

 

What are your reasons for summer school?

[marbel]

My Ds will be doing math for 1 1/2-2 hours until mid July. I want to help him build confidence and solidify his skill.

 

If he was working on a credit, is have him work more like 3hours.

 

What are your reasons for summer school?

 

And what age children are you talking about?

 

Summer school never really worked well for us.  I'd try, but there were camps and friends and too much other stuff going on. 

 

This year my high school junior has a research paper to finish and Spanish to keep current on.  So that will be summer school but there won't be a set number of days/hours.

 

ETA: whoops, came here originally from the front page and didn't realize it was on the high school board!  So never mind about the age of the kids! 

 

 

Edited June 5, 2016 by marbel

[KarenNC]

When my daughter was younger, we schooled year-round and took off at various times for travel and activities. For the summer, that meant a lot of regular school days, but with a week off here and there for camp or days off for activities with friends and a bit lighter schedule. That translated into usually 4 days a week, 4-5 hours a day.

 

As we've outsourced more classes, we have less flexibility in scheduling during the year, but with the side benefit of not needing to go as much during the summer. Last year (after 9th), we did no school during the summer.

 

This year, she is working on math an hour or two a day (other than the two weeks she'll be in a day-long theatre camp) leading up to the PSAT in the fall, as math is her weakest area and the PSAT is going to be a very high-stakes test for her this year. For the next couple of weeks, she will also be doing some review in anticipation of a CLEP test based on one of her spring classes. 

 

Next year, if she doesn't get accepted into Governor's School (6 weeks), I anticipate she will take an 8 week dual enrollment class through the community college (she's starting with them this fall), so it will be on that schedule but no school otherwise from mid-May to mid-August.

Edited June 5, 2016 by KarenNC

[Biz-e-mom]

Hi fressia,

This summer we are going to be doing Art History. 

[freesia]

A full credit or a half credit ? A set curriculum or a set number of hours?

 

I would make sure he has a week or two at the beginning and end and then divide the work btwn the remaining days. It would be hard to get more than three hours a day done around here during the summer.

[Biz-e-mom]

Great suggestion! :thumbup:

[Loesje22000]

10 minutes a day French reading

a Summer Math Worktext (review)  

Latin as DH is more available now.

 

I am in doubt for German.

Maybe also a 10 min. reading per day 

 

 

 

[Corraleno]

We "school" year round, except when we're traveling (generally 8-10 wks/yr). The kids do at least some schoolwork almost every day, but we don't really have a set schedule (like "schoolwork M-F from 9-3" or whatever). Both kids are doing math right now (Sunday), sitting across from me at the table, and when DS is done with math, he's going to finish the essay he's been working on this week. We prefer to spread out the "school work," doing some every day, year round, with plenty of travel and time off throughout the year. With the exception of math, we don't use text books or standard curriculum, so we don't have "courses" that are prescheduled for X# of days times Y# of weeks. Different subjects and courses start and end at different times throughout the year, and we just move on to the next thing.

Edited June 5, 2016 by Corraleno

[Chrysalis Academy]

We "school" year round, except when we're traveling (generally 8-10 wks/yr). The kids do at least some schoolwork almost every day, but we don't really have a set schedule (like "schoolwork M-F from 9-3" or whatever). Both kids are doing math right now (Sunday), sitting across from me at the table, and when DS is done with math, he's going to finish the essay he's been working on this week. We prefer to spread out the "school work," doing some every day, year round, with plenty of travel and time off throughout the year. With the exception of math, we don't use text books or standard curriculum, so we don't have "courses" that are prescheduled for X# of days times Y# of weeks. Different subjects and courses start and end at different times throughout the year, and we just move on to the next thing.

 

This is my fantasy, and what we work towards, but I find we always need a break of some extent in the summer time.  And summer is when there are some opportunities available that aren't available at other times - camps in their areas of passion, for example.  We don't have "courses" either, we're tracking time spent on subjects of interest, and I definitely see that we'll be starting and stopping at different times of the year, too.  For example, we are just wrapping up a month plus of "9th grade" now, because we're taking a long trip in August and didn't want to be starting the school year "late" in September and feeling behind all year.  That has allowed us to clock hours for various subjects, which I hope we'll continue to do to some extent over the summer, until our trip. But I think we need a few weeks totally off to decompress, it's been an intense spring.

[rdj2027]

My son just started a class with AOPS which will be finished in September.  He will also start a 0.5 credit Digital Arts class in July with the Virtual school through our state.  In addition we will both continue our Japanese studies, partly through a class through the local high school, partly by just going out there and participating in life in Japan.  We will continue Japanese in the coming semester and in the end I will award one credit for Japanese 1.

My older son is spending the summer in Germany to improve his spoken German.  In addition he will do some travel and study history and culture all for a credit in German Language and Culture.

[RootAnn]

Dd is still finishing up this school year's stuff. The original plan was AoPS C&P and an Italian MOOC class.

 

Neither will probably happen, time-wise, now. Will try to get her some Skype time for Spanish once her schedule gets clearer.

 

She works 3-4 hours per day now, but won't make much progress this week because of Driver's Ed and swimming.

[LisaKinVA]

We school year round, so it pretty much looks the same as it would the rest of the school year.

 

Next year will be different, in that we have a long vacation back to the states (June-August).

 

Coming with us on the trip will be:

Math

Audio Books/Documentaries

Pre-reading for coming year's AP Science (just for high schoolers)

Any other summer assignments for AP courses.

 

I expect the older kids (14+) will average 3 hours of audio book/reading/school a day (including weekends). While my younger two (8 & 11) will average 2.  This also doesn't include time that might be spent on learning games, museums, camps, etc.

 

Also, for my high schoolers, as they get into AP/college level work, the coursework might change (for example, AP Science ends 30 April, they get May off completely for science, but may take a DE or couple elective credits June-August.  This helps spread credits out during our competition season.

 

 

[Pegasus]

We school year-round and take month-long breaks in December, April,and August.  The summer term tends to be slightly lighter and does have a week-long break or two for workshops/camps.

[Faithr]

We have until July 22 to finish up stuff the teens were dilatory about this year.  So they just have to do what needs to be done to finish up!  I guess I better sit down with them and figure out just how we are going to accomplish this!  I haven't gotten any further than that in my thinking.  We usually finish by some point in June.  This year, alas, has been different.  I think I am getting old and burned out and just didn't keep on top of things this year.  Anyway, I am not answering your question, but thank you for asking it because it alerted me to the fact that I need to follow up and get more specific about things this summer.

[DebbS]

We kept math and spanish going year round, but during the summer more like 2 or 3 sessions per week for each. They spent about an hour per session on math and about 1/2 hour on spanish.

[regentrude]

Typically we have continued math through the summer, except for a 2-4 week break for travel (on longer trips, we brought math along). Aimed for an hour/day, but did not enforce. We tried to get in some audio lectures for history on our long drives, to front load the following school year, plus lots of reading. We knocked out PE over the summer, because we saved their sports as extracurriculars.

 

This year, DS is finishing up a few subjects that did not get done in the school year - he has an intense training schedule and works and preferred to do  a bit less during the school year, with the understanding that this meant finishing over the summer. He also has more work hours in the summer and a few competitions, so we will have to wing it. How's that for vague?

[Luckymama]

Dd used to do math during the summers with Art of Problem Solving classes (first the competition-math classes, and then the shorter Number Theory and Counting & Probability plus a Geometry than ran March-Sept).

 

Last summer she spent four weeks at a language-immersion camp. This summer she is studying language intensively (four hours of class time each day, plus homework, study group, and required office hours) at a university far away from home.

 

Next summer will be her last before college. There's a chance she'll be studying abroad then, so more language aquisition.

[rocassie]

We school year round as well, but summer is lighter.  Usually we take a week off about every 6 weeks, but in the summer it is more like every 3 or 4 weeks.  Also, I cut us down to the essentials, math, language arts, latin, and read alouds.  I make really strong efforts to do field trips to the area nature centers, parks, and museums.  Otherwise we spend a lot of time outside playing, gardening, hiking, biking, and observing nature.

[Pat in MI]

This year just math (maybe an hour a day)  and working on physical fitness for P.E. credit.  

[Rebel Yell]

We don't do any regular subjects over the summer, but I do "count" many of their activities, particularly for PE credit and other electives, all summer long. Possibly some reading so they can start the year ahead. Anything more has never worked for us.

[madteaparty]

Math and both foreign languages and some lit seminar is all we are doing here. He is also doing one week of supposedly academic sleep away camp. The rest is fun times, traditional camp and sports camp etc

[Haiku]

We usually do around two hours a day, five days a week, in the summer. The kids work on math and language arts. This summer that will be programming (a Python class that specifically uses algebra) and the beginning of geometry as well as Latin for dd and pre-algebra, spelling, writing, and word study for ds.

[Kassia]

My daughter is taking Spanish this summer for DE and finishing up science since we got delayed when we switched curriculum in November because what we were using wasn't working.

 

Erica

[JoJosMom]

We try to keep at least some math going during the summer, but it tends to be review or lighter stuff.  This year, DD (rising 9th grader) will take AoPS Intro to Number Theory.  She's also taking Intro to Python, but it's an easier version than mentioned upthread; it only requires pre-algebra as a pre-requisite.

[lllll]

nm

Edited November 30, 2016 by cathey

[theelfqueen]

My goal is to get 1.5 hours of Russian a week. And I've given a couple of Summer Reading assignments. That's it.

 

 

[Angie in VA]

We're year-rounders here, so we keep going, taking time off when we need to or want to. During all stars (as in baseball) math and music are musts. Some reading gets done en route to the ball field.

[Liza Q]

We are taking next week and the week after completely off. Then I am planning about 6 weeks work through the end of July. All his friends take the summer off - they either are in school or using online classes that don't go over the summer - and I wanted to give him several hours daily to go to the park/mall/beach.

 

Math - He will have 2 weeks left of Geometry at about an hour a day - he dragged his heels this year. Then he is doing a summer Algebra Bootcamp to prepare for an online Algebra 2 class. Looks like the lessons are very short so probably 2-3 hours per week.

Biology - he is finishing DIVE bio this week but still has some labs left. So maybe 2 hours per week for 4 weeks?

History/Literature - He will be reading ahead for next year. Probably about 3-4 hours per week.

Spanish - I am making up some review sheets, so 15m a day for one.

 

He would be fine with this amount - about 2 hours a day so far. BUT!

 

Writing - This will be a lot, as I am making him take a Summer Bravewriter class. I am at my wits end - the email from BW compared it to Waterloo, lol - and I just do not care if he has to write instead of swim. I have no idea how long it will take him. Hopefully the pressure of knowing that as soon as he is done he can go do something fun will motivate him to write more and moan less.

 

Then he will have 2 more weeks off in August. His Physics class begins mid-August and I am planning to have him start one more class at the same time - probably Spanish. So the last few weeks of the summer will have 1-2 hours per day.

 

The way I see it, he will have 2 full week off in June and another 2 in August. And the rest of the summer he should only be doing 3-4 hours a day at most. That is not too bad.

 

 

 

Edited June 7, 2016 by Liza Q

[...................]

Nope.  My ds worked extremely hard all year, doing AOPS, Math COunts, Math Olympiads, and 7 subjects.  He will be instructing swimming, relaxing at home, or at the Water Park.  

 

My dd will have her most serious school year yet and needs exercise and sunshine to to thrive, and it sadly lacks when we are too busy during the school year.  She will be at Swim Camp, Pottery camp and the Water Park.

 

No need to hit the books now. They need sunshine.

[madteaparty]

Nope. My ds worked extremely hard all year, doing AOPS, Math COunts, Math Olympiads, and 7 subjects. He will be instructing swimming, relaxing at home, or at the Water Park.

 

My dd will have her most serious school year yet and needs exercise and sunshine to to thrive, and it sadly lacks when we are too busy during the school year. She will be at Swim Camp, Pottery camp and the Water Park.

 

No need to hit the books now. They need sunshine.

Agree! If mine worked that hard during the school year, I'd take the same approach. My motto is, we don't work hard enough to afford the summer off ;) I do take the summer as an opportunity to do some more sports and physical things, which get neglected during the school year.

Next year it is crazy for him, some 7 online classes if I recall, so we are taking 3 weeks in August completely off.

[...................]

Agree! If mine worked that hard during the school year, I'd take the same approach. My motto is, we don't work hard enough to afford the summer off ;) I do take the summer as an opportunity to do some more sports and physical things, which get neglected during the school year.

Next year it is crazy for him, some 7 online classes if I recall, so we are taking 3 weeks in August completely off.

 

 

:)

 

Yes, when we lived in South FLorida we schooled year-round and took off the entire month of December for Christmas.  It made sense because the weather there in summer is hideous and it gave us more time...

 

OTOH I think we really missed out, not having that strong "reset" button pushed every summer.....  :o)

[Hilltopmom]

Math- just started Algebra 2

And Govt (lite) for the summer as far as "classes".

 

Two college engineering programs for high school students, his underwater robotics group, lots of biking & kayaking, homeschool family camp one week. May also check out the new teen rowing group in the next village over:). Whew.

 

His sister is taking the summer off from dance & just going to 4 H camp most of the summer:)- no extra driving for me!

 

It'll be fall & DE classes will be starting before we know it!

 

Actually, his clover creek physics starts mid August, which is before we even go to summer camp (schools here don't start till Sept, so mid August seems so early for us)

[Arcadia]

My oldest is doing on weekdays

30 mins German revision daily

Chinese class online twice weekly

Aops Intermediate python class online once weekly

Music composition class (beginners, summer intensive, non-credit)

1hr Math revising precalculus daily

 

He is done in a few hours daily on weekdays. It is too hot to do anything fun outdoors until at least after 5pm.

 

Next year it is crazy for him, some 7 online classes if I recall, so we are taking 3 weeks in August completely off.

You are brave :) I am worried about my kids eyesight because they are affected by screen time just like hubby so we max at two to three online class at any one week.

[madteaparty]

My oldest is doing on weekdays

30 mins German revision daily

Chinese class online twice weekly

Aops Intermediate python class online once weekly

Music composition class (beginners, summer intensive, non-credit)

1hr Math revising precalculus daily

 

He is done in a few hours daily on weekdays. It is too hot to do anything fun outdoors until at least after 5pm.

 

 

You are brave :) I am worried about my kids eyesight because they are affected by screen time just like hubby so we max at two to three online class at any one week.

No worries, my kid is usually zoning off looking into the horizon anyway. He is excellent at preserving resources ;) eta some are skype looking at his instructor's face Edited June 10, 2016 by madteaparty

[madteaparty]

Actually, his clover creek physics starts mid August, which is before we even go to summer camp (schools here don't start till Sept, so mid August seems so early for us)

Oh! There go my plans to take 3 weeks in August off! Ds is also taking this one. Mid August is really early for us as we go through end of June, and schools in NY don't start until after Labor Day. But, i do like the ramp up period before we look around in September and wonder what happened ;)

Edited June 11, 2016 by madteaparty

[Chrysalis Academy]

Ok, I think I have a summer plan for my 9th grader: I'm asking for roughly 1.5 hours per day 4 days per week during the summer, on the days she is home with no other activities (no camps, no outings with friends, etc.)  This will be a little math & a little spanish, some science reading and one lab that involves field data collection, and one piece of literature (the Odyssey).  She'll no doubt do creative writing on top of that, and free reading goes without saying, but that's what I'm going to ask for.  

 

I think she isn't going to like it, but I think it's a good idea to not let the summer go entirely - she has cut back on formal activities, by her own choice, and while I think free time is healthy, I think it's better to have something to get up and do every morning, too - it can keep you from spending your whole day watching dr. who videos and posting on FB, Instagram, & Snapchat, without even realizing you are doing it . . .  :001_rolleyes:   Plus, this way we won't lose ground in math & spanish.

 

ETA: we started this plan today, and she's happy with it! Especially with doing The Odyssey over the summer, so we can go slow and savor it, without so many distractions.  Yay!  :hurray:

Edited June 13, 2016 by Chrysalis Academy

[sbgrace]

We school year round, so summer isn't different. However, I'm equally flexible all year.

 

For example, both will have time off next week because one of mine will be doing a STEM camp. We'll have a vacation this summer and we also had a vacation last fall. Both have other camps later in the summer. The kids have a national/big competition coming up this month, so I've adjusted work levels for this month to allow for extra preparation and practice time. I'm just doing math, composition, spelling and, because they want to continue them, science and history. However, I do that type of adjustment during the winter school year when needed as well.  That's part of why I like the year round schedule. We can adjust to life without losing ground academically.

 

It's not just the flexibility though. We have never lived in areas with kids their age. So there are no "off for the summer" neighborhood kids to play with here.  I might feel differently if we had a different environment. I find lots of free time leads to more boredom and/or desire for screens and less pleasant days after a while.

 

.

[OnMyOwn]

We've always schooled year-round for certain subjects, particularly math. My kids will be in 9th and 11th grade in the fall and they will get about 6 full weeks completely off school over the summer between camps, volunteer jobs and vacations. The rest of the time, we will put in 3 hours a day or less, so not bad at all imo. My main goals for summer school are to keep math fresh for my son and to knock out a good chunk of science and history for my dd so she has a more reasonable schedule during the school year.

[BlsdMama]

How many days a week and for how many hours a day are you doing this?

 

 

DS (17) does an hour of Khan SAT prep, reads a couple chapters from an assigned list, and is completing a credit for Government and US History - about 3 hours a day, everyday.  He is also doing a 90 hour internship this summer, a mock seminar this week, and working.  But "school" looks like about 15 hours a week.  He isn't a "natural" reader and wouldn't do it if it wasn't required and we need his reading skills to be fairly sharp for his ACTs this fall as it is his strongest score.

 

DD (14) is taking a Spanish class this fall and has just received the list of assigned vocabulary to memorize before class starts and another list of non-required but handy vocabulary. She spends about an hour between DuoLingo and Quizlet.  She spends another hour on assigned reading, then Barton and we are doing SWI B this summer.  So she does about 3-3.5 hours each day as well.  

[EmilyGF]

We usually do around two hours a day, five days a week, in the summer. The kids work on math and language arts. This summer that will be programming (a Python class that specifically uses algebra) and the beginning of geometry as well as Latin for dd and pre-algebra, spelling, writing, and word study for ds.

Oooh, what python class uses algebra?

 

Emily

[happycc]

We mostly school year round. But maybe take a break here and there when the kids are off at epilepsy or asthma camp or nature camp. 

 

There are a few weeks ie a week or two  when I take away the computers and electronics and say do not do any school week. During that week, I found my kids painting, drawing, jumping on trampoline, playing instruments, doing a latch hook. At first they moaned and groaned and said they were bored out of their mind. But they survived and learned new crafts as a result.

 

During the summer we catch up with all the dentist and doctors appointments.  

[katilac]

We are generally half-time or so in June to finish some stuff up, take July completely off, and start up again first Monday in August. Add us to the list of those who take off at other times because summer weather is less than awesome. 

 

Youngest dd, rising junior, is finishing up a bit of chemistry and doing some math review on ALEKS. 

 

Oldest dd is studying for the chemistry CLEP and doing some prep work for college in fall. 

 

We'd usually have a bit more reading and such that we would finish, but we're tired. Getting oldest through all the college visits and testing and applications was exhausting! I'm using that time to prep for next year, so something is getting accomplished. 

[Momling]

My homeschooled daughter is off to the public high school in the fall. She desperately wants to do well on the math placement test in August and has taken to studying like a fiend. She also will go to Concordia language village for French camp and wants to keep up with that. I would say for the first time her motivation is very much coming from her. It's amazing to see her focus like this.