Summer Break From CC

 

Whether the core of my home school year was 24 weeks or 30 weeks long, by the time end of year celebrations roll around I’m exhausted.  My brain has absorbed as much new data as it can store and the time has come to reflect, relax, and reboot.  My kiddos feel little different.  They too are drained and strained to their limits.  They may be sad to say goodbye to the weekly promise of friends but inwardly they’re done with the push.  One tiny problem…  in most states 24 to 30 weeks does not a school year make.   Add to that the tension and worry of summer time’s sieve effect on school aged kidlets and calling things OVER, for the year, doesn’t feel like a viable option.

This summer I’m also struck with the needs of not one but two Challenge students.  (Check out  https://www.classicalconversations.com/ if you’re unfamiliar with the program) Basically our household has graduated from Elementary school and we are now ankle deep in Middle and High School.  With Challenge comes a lot of new information and new ways of processing said information.  This mom can’t imagine not prepping her students for the year to come.  Perhaps because she, herself, needs a bit of prepping.

Here’s how we roll:

Math:    Since a CC Community year only lasts 24-30 weeks and math textbooks usually last a few weeks longer, there’s never a shortage of math to conquer.  This is especially helpful when one has been stuck on a chapter earlier that year. So, when mom can’t wrap her coffee soaked brain around solving equations by graphing, we have a few extra weeks to catch up or just practice our most daunting math dilemmas.  Sometimes we do this using our year’s math curriculum. But also, I love to use things like Khan Academy and math games during these more mellow weeks to further cement learning.

Language:     Brushing up on spelling and grammar, during in between times, can be accomplished simply and quickly.  A sentence a day can keep the brain suckers at bay.  I like to dictate, parse, and diagram a sentence as a group. nearly every day. This shows me where all my students are, in their learning, and reacquaints us all with old tools we might have misplaced.  The whole subject takes less than 10 minutes to complete and usually ends in giggling conversation.

Reading:  This is never an option in my home.  We read as much as we can handle, every day.  Given the different learning styles and abilities in my home this looks different for every body and can vary from day to day.  Sometimes, we all take turns reading aloud. At other times, I assign a designated time for quiet reading.  (this usually happens after swimming and sun and sometimes results in naps) For the first few weeks of this break I’m having my kids practice their reading skills using Reading Horizons online.

Prep for the next level:   To introduce my kids to the upcoming learning adventure, we go through as many of their reading texts as possible.  This is always done in a very professional and rigorous manner.  We look up every unknown word and discuss these terms at length.   NOT!!! This is usually done by playing them on audio for all of us to enjoy.  Listening happens at the poolside, lounging on the couch, and more often than not while we’re playing Minecraft, together.  I don’t stress about their comprehension at this point.  They’ll get into that during the next community term.  I just want them to be familiar with the books.  I also get to refresh my memory  and prepare myself for up coming conversations and discipleship moments.

I try to make end of term learning as relaxed and reflective as possible. The major pressure of the year is over and, for my family, now is the time to let the learning settle not shove in more subjects.

Are there any school subjects you’re scared to let slide during summer?  How do you end your school year?

 

 

Interested in Classical Conversations?  Attend an information meeting to learn more.

https://members.classicalconversations.com/events-near-you?field_event_zip_value=92860

 

 

 

 

https://www.readinghorizons.com/reading-intervention-program/interactive-reading-software

 

 

photo credit: helloandyhihi <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/49481994@N00/27592479188″>Baby’s first swim</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/”>(license)</a>

photo credit: Casey Hugelfink <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/93212986@N03/27489293998″>Meine Filterblase</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/”>(license)</a>