After a crazy and unplanned year of schooling, many families are taking summer to regroup and assess. How much did your child learn? Can you keep it up? What is best for you and your child? While we set aside formal learning and books, we do yet teach. While pondering those thoughts, here are a few ways to make a homeschooling summer more relaxed and fun for you and your children [1].
Read Aloud
Reading aloud has many benefits: your child increases his vocabulary, his imaginations grows, and quality time is spent together. The age of the child doesn’t matter. The length doesn’t matter. Try mixing up a short childhood favorite with a classic. Audiobooks are a great addition to summer reading. The local library is a great resource for books without the pressure of purchasing.
Outdoor Activities
Summer is here and this isn’t a time to stay indoors. An afternoon enjoyment can be as simple as taking a hike. Perhaps walking the neighborhood and waving to your neighbors will put a smile on your face. Alongside this is going on a field trip. Taking your children to the zoo, museum, or state happening is fun and educational. While I personally try to make all of our family trips educational, even a trip to the park takes time for teaching moments.
Bake
Smells can make or break our day. Why not enlist your child’s help and bake something? In early elementary, each of my children learned fractions and multiplication while making chocolate chip cookies. Unfortunately, the math book was renewed and the cookie experience was omitted. Baking bread wafting through the air leaves a calming effect. Homeschooling and homemade go hand in hand.
Music
Music calms the savage beast..or child. Upbeat positive music in the morning sets the pace for a happy family. Slower meditative music in the evening helps all to wind down. Music is also known to help thought processes.
Further ideas are posted here. As parents, you are your child’s first teacher. No need to stop or pass them away when they are getting fun. Enjoy yourself and your children during this time of life.
Notes:
- ^https://www.theepochtimes.com/joyful-homeschooling-10-practices-that-add-joy-to-your-learning-environment_3856352.html (go back ↩)
