School is almost over! I’m sure you and your child are ready for the summer months. Homeschooling has a lot of benefits, but it also requires a lot of preparation and research to make it a successful school year. As a homeschooling parent the summertime is the most ideal time to plan for the upcoming school year. In addition to planning for the school year, we must also plan for the summer days.
School takes up a lot of hours, so when school is over those hours must be filled with something. So how do you have a plan for the summer, without taking away from your child’s summer, and without creating a bunch of work for you? Start by making a realistic schedule that includes the things you already need or want to accomplish each day. Take some time to think about what you want to include in your schedule. What is important to you? Here are three things you might want to consider including in your summer schedule.
- Plan to exercise– Set time a side for you and your child to exercise together. Exercising gets your child away from the television and help to keep the two of you healthy. When thinking about an exercise plan ask yourself the following questions: How often do you want to exercise? (everyday, twice a week, etc), What is the best time to exercise? How long do you want to make your exercise time?
- Plan for time for them to use their brain– It is the summertime so you do not have to go overboard with the learning, but having them do something each day will not ruin their summer. Some tips for summer learning: worksheets(find age appropriate worksheets (2-3) from free websites), journal writing (give them topics to write on or allow them to write about whatever they want to talk about), board games that involve thinking (Scattergories, Chess, Taboo, Pictionary, etc), take a trip to a museum ( in person or take a virtual tour), or look into local science camps.
- Independent Time– This time is important for you and your child. This time can be used for planning for the school year for you. During this time your child can do silent reading or a non-electronic activity. This ensures that they have a designated time for being creative.
- Make them apart of the planning– Most people work better when they are able to have some input on how they are going to spend their time. If your child is aware that they must have some physical activity, brain activity, and independent creative time, then they may want to offer some suggestions for filling that time with activities. Listen to them and include some of their ideas, even if their ideas seem too simple. Having some non-challenges activities will not hurt them at least during that time they are not on some form of technology.
When planning a schedule for the summer you can either set aside a block of time or create a check list for them to complete. I typically like to set aside a block of time. I prefer a block of time because it doesn’t allow them to rush everything and it helps to make the time more valuable. Below is a sample schedule that I would use during the summer months.
ChristianHomeSchoolHQ.Com: Summer is a chance to decrease the amount of planned activity that you have for your child, but it doesn’t have to be a summer off for their brain. Plan to include some activity that encourages them to spend some time away from technology.