Summer….To School or Not to School…That is the Question!
Well we are in full summer weather here and we are all so ready for all the fun that comes with the sun and heat! However, I am torn between keeping up with some school work or between letting it all go. Part of me wants to keep the girls learning. They are doing so well and they are wanting to know so much. I also want Bunny to keep practicing her reading and some math facts. However, they just want to play in the sun and frankly, I’m tired and so are they. We need a break I think. I can feel burnout starting to happen (this maybe due to the emotional meltdown I had yesterday) and I don’t want to loose my cool. So what to do? That is the million dollar question. There is a lot of debate about why the world doesn’t school through the year. Some people think that we should have kids in school all year with long breaks in between, and others think that Sumner is a time to be free and have fun! But I think what is really the issue here is that kids and teachers need a break to relax, recharge, and to get pumped up for the new year. We all love the feel of the first day of school! New crayons and pencils, clean desk, heart full of hope and a teacher with a smile! Yet by May we are all ready for a change. We are ready for summer fun, water slides and Popsicles, late nights and long days! So I guess my thoughts lead me to ask, is there a way to keep the year fresh and learning exciting all year long? I must admit to having a bit of ADD when it comes to our routine. I love to have routine, and I love to not have too much change at one time! However, I LOVE little changes in the normal day to day fun! I love the themes and how they allow me to to be creative with school work. I love to make little changes that make life better and more enjoyable. Right now we are in need of a bit of that change. I LOVE the waseca biome study, but I think we are done with it for now. 🙁 We are going to study animals this week and I would like to do the overview of the different types of biomes, but after that we are going back to the basics. Does that mean that we have wasted time, NO! I can see us pulling from this information as we go through the summer. I am sure that we are going to be learning about every animal under the sun this summer and we will be able to pull from this really firm base of nature study as we learn! I know without a doubt that we will be doing a lot of animal study this summer (purely child led. Bunny told me today that she wants to learn about seahorses). I really think that reading is a must and some math. So I guess I as I type out my scattered thoughts, I have a plan for the summer! 🙂 Some Math work, Reading practice, and lots of child led projects! I want to strip out the school room of everything except the basics. That way there is plenty to work with if they choose, but I dont need to worry about them on a regular basis. I guess I have a plan. So What are your plans for summer and school? How do you avoid burnout and find a way to pull excitement for learning into the day to day? I would love to hear what you do! Happy Schooling!
May 28, 2012 @ 3:41 am
We school through the year. Having been a PS teacher, I saw too much summer slide from my students in August after two months off. So my kids will never be without math and language arts in the summer. Science = nature studies and is completely child-led, and history being whatever library books Mommy brings home. We try to do more art, too. Basically, we wake up, go to swim team, come home have free time for a bit, then do “the basics”, then head back to the pool or to a park or playground or just play at home. And read alouds (where I slip in history and science books:-P) through the day and at bedtime.
May 28, 2012 @ 6:46 am
Well we try to as much time outside as we can..I think children can learn math, language,science from a simple walk or a hike, We try to expose C as much as outdoors as posible (also winters in Alaska are very long..this is one of our main reason to enjoy summer 1005 outside)BUT we also work on our activities and regular work but we dont dedicate as much time as we do during the rest of the year.
We also spent lots of time in our yard making arts and crafts and playing with water.
I am not really worried about being so extricted about work routine because she will catch up sooner or later..Now she needs to have fun with this wonderful weather and get close to nature.
Your girls are getting so big and beautiful 🙂
Patty
May 28, 2012 @ 3:05 pm
We go year-round; but I don’t like to turn the a/c on in the summer time until someone is physically sick from the heat. So on those hottest days when we just can’t be outside – I do turn on the a/c and we do school. We’ll also have light lessons every day – on something (could be playing games to review math skills, art, music, just something to stay in something of a routine). This way, we can take advantage of any weather or life-event opportunity.
We also re-set every 3 months or so, evaluate learning, look to our goals, and set new ones for the next season.
The thing with year-round school with scheduled longer breaks, is that things CAN stay fresh. Instead of one long school year that by May you’re ready to be done (many people are ready to be done in February!), you have several shorter school years, and hit the re-set mode whenever you need to. Have some goals that go all-year, and some goals that are mid-range, and some goals that are daily or weekly, that help reach those medium and long-range goals.
You’ll find your own groove 🙂
May 28, 2012 @ 3:14 pm
Wheels is not yet three, so “school” is a flexible term for us. However, we will do lots of reading and some I Spy everyday (or at least most days). He will do practical life in real time (help with dinner, practice dressing himself, etc.), but I won’t make trays. We’ll try to do some sensorial works and art a couple times a week. We will spend lots of time practicing swimming, biking, swinging, sliding, running, jumping 🙂
June 1, 2012 @ 4:55 am
Well, as you may remember last year I picked five “subjects”: biking, swimming, violin, gardening, and reading.
http://whatdidwedoallday.blogspot.com/2011/09/school-day.html
This summer will be similar except that they are “proficient” at more than one of those subjects now, so while our work will continue it won’t be as intense (biking, swimming, violin). This leaves a little room for some other things. The summer gardening season provides the perfect opportunity to polish off the primary botany presentations. Both boys have requested a lot of “zoology.” We will continue to do math and language arts most days.