We have often kept up some sort of study throughout summer.  We are a family who embraces learning as a way of life v.s. something more institutional and dry.  Not to mention we live in Canada, so studying botany or entomology in the dead of winter (and -35 Celsius) just isn’t practical or rewarding.  Until this year however, our summer homeschooling has been quite unstructured.

This year I made the decision to truly embrace a year round homeschool schedule. We still make time for fun and lazy days, but we are not tossing every subject overboard for two and half months.

Year Round Homeschooling

Why Now?

Seeing as we have a child entering high school (yes, I blinked!), one finishing up middle school and the other in elementary we have hit a stage where I am needed in many different ways.  While they are all quite independent and good students, it doesn’t change the fact that I need to be there to guide, encourage and motivate them.  I can see that we will all benefit from a bit more structure, more acquired skills and even more fun.

My eldest is discerning possible career paths and has the foresight to know he will need advanced Science, Math, English and Social Studies (History/Geography) to achieve his goals for his high school diploma.

With this realization, I knew we would need to change up our homeschool routine and some of our curriculum.  At our spring homeschool convention I was able to purchase a new science curriculum from Apologia and shortly thereafter I found a great high school level geography curriculum from Bright Ideas Press called “North Star Geography”.

North Star Geography

Looking at Our Year

As my kids get older, their interests in sports and music lessons take up more time, not to mention some volunteer commitments and part time jobs.  With this in mind, I can see that following a typical school year of  September to June is crammed full with very little white space. 

We need white space!

I will admit this past year there were days where no one wanted to do anything.  No chores, no school work, not even fun read alouds, which is always my “go to” when things are upside down and we need a break.  When I witnessed this I knew I needed to make some changes.

Not only are we continuing to homeschool through the summer, but everyone is taking a good look at their extra-curricular activities.  We are committing to only participating in the activities which bring the most joy and the most beneficial.

By spreading the academics out, we can make more room for down time to replenish, book appointments, go to sporting events and competitions as well as our musical recitals.

The beauty of homeschooling is the flexibility it affords each family to embrace their calling and vocation and give them the time to address any needs which may arise.

This summer my family is having fun exploring Geography, History and Science mixed with a good dose of lazy summer days and great books.

The Math and Writing will be sprinkled in a pinch at a time, but don’t tell my kids; it’s a secret!

Besides, if summers are completely unstructured it can take a toll on mom.  Keeping some kind of routine is always beneficial.

More Ideas About Summer Homeschooling

• Summer Circle Time by Kendra Fletcher over at Preschoolers and Peace.  

• Summer Road Trip blog posts over at Bright Ideas Press.

What kind of planner are you?

I am a list maker, the “old fashioned” pencil and paper kind of list maker.

There is something about a pencil or pen in my hand which helps me to own my to-do list.

When we physically write something out, it helps our minds to own those tasks a little more than if we write it via a keyboard, in a virtual way.

 Although, having smartphones and apps certainly are useful too.

Organizing Your Day

In fact, at our house we have a virtual calendar for our family where each member is colour coded, to go along with my paper list.

My husband and I enter our appointments, business travel as well as our children’s sports and other out of the home activities into our virtual calendar.  As our kids become more involved with activities outside the home, this has helped my husband stay in the loop.  When he is out working or if he has been out of town, all he has to do is check our calendar to know what the rest of us are up to.

 It also helps me!

At the beginning of each week I enter all the activities or appointments we have planned as a family and as individuals.

Once all of that is entered I can let it go and allow myself to focus on all our other “to-do” lists.  As homeschoolers, we all have a lot on the go from planning each child’s subjects and projects to the regular household stuff like laundry.

(That never ending pile of laundry, or is this just my house?  Lol.)

What Goes on the Master List?

Making a master list is great, but you have to be picky.

Discern what is on your list and what can or should be on your children’s lists.

Then break it all down, into your daily  Action List.

1. Have – To’s

2. Should – Do’s

3. Want – To’s

I keep my “Have to’s” as focused and clear cut as I can, and try to attack at least 1 “Should Do”.

Once my “Have to” and “Should do” lists  are done I get to pick something from my “Want to” List.  I can work away at one of my hobbies, read a book, or just sit.

At our house the goal of our action lists is to provide our family with:

• organization

• direction

• strategy

• peace of mind

• a sense of accomplishment

This may sound all neat and tidy, but let me tell you, we definitely live a real life around here which also means it can all just be a whirlwind of organized chaos!

When I make the above statement my kids scurry around the house to find their library cards, backpacks and rolling suitcases; then place them by the front door.

They will grab a snack…usually apples and bottles of water, quickly dress and remind me to make sure I have change for the parking meter!

They are on it…no dilly dally!

They LOVE going to the library!

We have been so busy lately that I put  our trips to the library on the back burner.  We went from going every 2 or 3 weeks to going every 2 or 3 months!

We lost our Homeschool Groove!

Library Day Keeps Us in Our Home School Groove!

I didn’t even realize I had fallen out of our routine!

Which means I was far too distracted by our busyness than by what our true schedule should be…Ooops!

Have you ever been so distracted and caught up in life that you put off important things?

How To Stay in Your Groove:

• Make a list of special things each of your kids like to do. (lego, art, games, outdoor play, etc.)

• Make a list of special things you like to do.

• Find some common ground between all of your lists.

• Where do you like to go? Sometimes you just need to get out of the house. (We love our Library time as well as going on Nature Hikes)

• Try to stay on track with the little things. i.e.  chores,

• Music can help motivate us, find some tunes and let the music move you.

• Plan a family adventure.

• Keep creativity at the forefront of what you do each day. (Don’t forget we can be creative in many different ways; it isn’t just art or music.)

• Check in with your kids and your spouse as much as you can. Maybe a weekly meeting is a good idea. Even young children can contribute…they know what made them smile and what fun things they learned.  Older kids can also start to take responsibility for how their days go and contribute their thoughts.

• Always keep your WHY a part of your daily check and balance, and don’t be worried if your Why changes.

• Have a schedule of some sort.  I find as my kids get older the more detailed my schedule needs to be.  This also offers them a bit of security and independence, since they know what is expected, they can learn to carry on to the next task as you do your chores or help your other kids.

I knew we were losing our groove when none of us were all that excited to do anything.  Asking the kids to do Math was echoed with moans and groans.  My kids like Math…they are really good at Math!

Time for ACTION 

When you start to hear the moans and groans, when our kids (or even ourselves) start to “self-block” with negative talk it isn’t time to drill the Math harder; it’s time to close the books and take action!

Pull out your list of what you all enjoy doing and get after it!

We got back to the Library this week!  I set aside the whole day just for that and 1 chore each.  When we got home the only thing they had to do was just enjoy looking through their books.

Today I had a small schedule of Math, French, and Spelling; 1 chore each and time with me,  where I promised them I would look through library books with them.

You know what? 

They did it!    All of it!

No fighting

No tears

No negative self-talk.

We all lose our groove every once in a while, I don’t think it is something we can avoid…but we can decide on the action we will take to get back into our groove again.

It’s your turn…I would really enjoy hearing how you get back your groove!

I used to be both a night owl and a morning person, it was great!  It also baffled everyone around me how I could be just as chipper in the early mornings as I could be later in the evenings.

For a long time I took my ability to be an “any kind of day person”  for granted!  I haven’t been embracing my mornings like I used to, I haven’t been mindful of what works for me.

I’m not sure when this happened? (nor will I dwell on when or why)

Life has a way of throwing so much at our feet from time to time which can easily distract us from the core and essence of who we are.  This isn’t to say that what is thrown our way is all bad either, some of it is good.

In fact, I can become more distracted by the beauty in my life sometimes more than the bad things.  Either way, it is a distraction.

This morning, however I woke up earlier than I have in a long time (very early) without having to set my alarm.

I was tired and could’ve gone right back to sleep had it not been for the nagging shooting pain going down my leg.  (Yes, I awoke to a pinched sciatic nerve.)  So, I got up and on with my day; thinking either way I will be tired so I may as well be up and at ’em.

It’s Your Day!

I stumbled to the kitchen in the dark of the morning, kids and dogs still deep in slumber, and make myself a cup of coffee.  I opened the curtains, it is still dark outside, so I turn on a small light in the corner and just sit.

  Just me

my hot coffee

my family all still snug as bugs

the quiet

the dimly lit room

the stillness and gift of a new day

Suddenly I was overcome with a realization >> I forgot how much I LOVE early mornings!

Why did I let it slip away from me?

The stillness and quietness has a way of helping me sort through all those stirring thoughts we can all have.  I gain so much clarity in the quiet of the morning!

I am so thankful for waking up early today, it reminded me not only of how important it is for me to be up to enjoy the early mornings, but it also reminded me that I can choose my outlook of the coming day.

Thinking back to those days when my co-workers and friends were amazed by my ability to be both a morning person just as much as I could be a night owl I realize it was my decision to be that way.

We can choose to be joyful, and to take on our day with a smile; whether it be in the morning, the evening, or anywhere in between.

Life can be hard enough without us getting in our own way and forgetting what works for us.

I am taking back my mornings!

What are doing to get back on track today?

Things roll along smoothly for a while and then the dips come…then the loooong climb back up to the top only to find you dive down once again; but this time with more momentum and speed.  There are many reasons for this, and one might argue “that’s life”, which can be true; another reason is, you could just be stuck in a rut.  You know what you are doing isn’t working but still plug along making the same old “mistakes”.

Remember, there is no one size fits all when it comes to homeschooling, and my mistakes might be what actually works for you.  These are just some ideas to help you keep an open mind and to not be afraid to change things up if need be.

10 Things You Can Quit:

1. Quit mimicking what doesn’t even work in the first place!   Schools are an outdated institution that were basically developed to form perfect soldiers and then later adapted to develop obedient workers for the industrial revolution where freedom to think and explore are squelched.  Don’t add more barriers to learning than you have to; please quit thinking you must fit your home school into that old outdated mold!

2. Quit expecting you need to home school from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday.  You have the freedom to do and incorporate what works for your family. By working more one on one with your children you can accomplish quite a lot in 15 minutes. Allocate 15 to 20 minutes for each subject, anymore than that you will start to overload them. (High school could be an exception to this.)  Take a look at how they learn, the material they are trying to learn and their tolerance for a given topic.  (Recently I had one child only do 2 math questions per day, and expected perfection. This worked wonderfully! He quit his “self-blocking” about this particular math operation and realized on his own he could understand it and execute it with confidence.)  Be flexible when it comes to this as well, you don’t want to stop something that is going great just because the 15 minutes is up.  As well, your older children may require more time to work through high school level material, take the time to understand what works best for your child. 

3. Quit requiring that they do page after page in workbooks.  I know quite a few homeschoolers who do not use workbooks at all, or some who just use Math workbooks.  Don’t be afraid to set you and your children free from boring workbooks. If they don’t work for you, quit using them.  Be creative, technology is here waiting for you, so jump in and use it!

4. Quit boring Spelling lists.  I’m not telling you to throw spelling out the window, but there are so many fun creative ways to do spelling! Everything from using computer apps to getting out the letter tiles.  I use a workbook from time to time to get suitable words and other times we use words from whatever we may be reading.  A favourite for my kids is to have a list on hand and use letter tiles to make their own crossword puzzle! Words are wonderful, quit making it boring!

5.  Quit Reading Comprehension Questions.  The written out, long drawn out questions…..Boring!  Talk about sucking the life out of a great novel!  Have a great discussion instead.  Give your children an opportunity to form their own thoughts about what they read.  You can guide them, but be careful as to not to lead them to what you think it is about.  This is such a great way to get them to think about thinking.  Forming an opinion and owning it is a skill that will carry them through life.  If you feel the need to have them write something, why not get them to write one awesome paragraph to summarize a chapter. If you have teens, they can then collect and put together those paragraphs and work on forming an essay!  Don’t over complicate it.  Let them fall in love with books!  Loving books and novels will carry them further than the 15 written out questions for each chapter.

6. Quit boxing your children into grade levels.    Let go of grade levels and instead grab onto passion.  Kids are very passionate, get in and get your hands dirty with them.  My husband has explained higher levels of Physics to the kids because they were eating it up.  Never stop explaining because they are only in grade 3 and that is all that is required.  When the door of opportunity is wide open don’t be foolish and close it.

7. Quit thinking that for kids to be learning they must be sitting.  We have two big work tables put together so projects can be spread out and puzzles can be on the go.  I allow the kids to spread out, and move around.  We also will often have music playing in the background.  Music enhances your brain power; it’s a proven “Brain Fact”.  Embrace the fact that everyone learns differently and experiment to see what works best for each of your children.

8. Quit lecturing.  You can go on and on hoping that what you are “teaching” is sinking in, or you can choose to be a mediator and facilitator of information.  When you mediate with your children you are doing them more favours.  They are learning to think about thinking, are becoming more independent and owning what they learn. This, in turn, will enhance their retention for what they are learning.  Bridging new information to something real and tangible for them will increase reciprocity.  I dare you to do this!

9. Quit being so busy.  Quit being so busy looking like you are doing school for the sake of the doubters that you in fact end up missing out on amazing wide open door opportunities and moments.  Those are the moments your children will remember. These moments will keep them moving forward, fanning the flame, and quenching their thirst for knowledge.

10. Quit thinking homeschooling involves necessary boring work.  Our English word “school” derived from the Latin word “schola” which means “leisure devoted to learning”.  I challenge you to think about that, have you embraced that meaning or have you allowed modern day institutional type of schooling creep in.

There is no one size fits all when it comes to learning, which is why I wrote this post.  I want to challenge you to be brave enough to step out of your comfort zone of what you think learning, teaching and homeschooling is.

Homeschooling “Mistakes”

We all make mistakes, and we can all learn from them as well as from one another. Don’t wallow in a wrong turn, but empower yourself to pick up and move on.

Take action and embrace what works for your family!

Share with with me 1 adjustment you will make in your homeschool.

Homeschoolers and maybe ‘Mom’ in particular all have times of  “Am I doing enough?” or “We need to do more”

We all have our own philosophies.  I like to balance the “3 R’s” with “delight directed”, some days are perfectly balanced and others can lean heavily one way or the other.  I try to just “roll with it”.

We are relatively new to home schooling as my eldest is 7; we took him out of grade one in March 2007.  What I’d like to share is my pure joy and delight in my children and family!

  We have fun together!

 I love to watch my children they are smart, funny, reflective, spontaneous, silly, thoughtful…the list can go on and on.  We also have our long days too, days of trial, but they NEVER out weigh the WONDERFUL days.

Recently we have moved, then we had Christmas, then more recently I had a week of not feeling well.  Yes the flu hit me right in the midst of the January deep freeze and in midst of me finding our new rhythm in our new home. Many families, actually all families have these times of disruptive schedules, that is life.  How we choose to handle it makes all the difference.

Am I Doing Enough?

 This is when we need to let go of the “Have To’s” and  let things be.

During my week with the flu this is what we accomplished:

• Discussed what Habitat is for both people and animals, and  how we can help

• Played games-counting, strategy, compassion, disappointment

• Independence-children helped prepare lunch, did Math on their own

• Geography-talked about the equator and Australia

• Weather-discussed wind chill and protecting ourselves

They also watched me knit and tried their hand at it.  They each expressed an interest in learning the craft.  As well they really had time to have compassion, not for me…but for those out working in the cold or for those without homes. They wanted to go and help out at the food bank again. (something they did before Christmas).

Look at how much we achieved with me eating my toast and tea!  

It was a week of what some would call “off time”, but it certainly wasn’t a waste. 

Nobody’s brain ceased to work!

 In fact, they came up with some wonderful questions, acts of kindness, and imaginative play!  A Math book as well as a few other texts opened without me!!

As hard as it is to face whatever challenge it is which takes us off the schedule, it is also a great time to slow down and notice the little people in our homes blossom in a different way. 

Being able to take time to talk and ask them of their 7 and 5 year old perspective (in our case).  Or, watching your toddler all of a sudden RUN around or climb into your pantry.  

So much learning can happen on those “off days”.  Take the time to listen, if you are too ill or otherwise occupied with family matters, jot down the make believe games they play.  Record the interesting questions they have about insects, pyramids, or life issues.  Then you can go back and address these things once you are well enough, or have more free time.  I’ve planned an entire week around their queries.  Yes that will be another week off the beaten path, but it will be a path filled with excitement, passion and life long learning.

Passion for learning is natural with our youngsters, embrace it!  It is a joyful journey, and often one that doesn’t always follow the straight and narrow. I’ve allowed our path to go up and down, or weave side to side, and you know what?  They are learning a great deal.

To this day my boys still play “bees” with the information the McDonald family graciously shared with us.  Much of what they learned was because of a day I allowed our schedule to flex.  They posed the questions themselves a year and a half ago, and still talk about bees and honey.  It is compelling to listen to them buzz around the yard collecting pollen, explaining the process with all the proper terminology.  It is like watching the Discovery Channel, in our own back yard and so much better.

The knowledge they gained that day is forever embedded because it was a natural curiosity, that at 4 and 6 years old, they filled themselves.  I now use this fun, embedded knowledge to help teach other perhaps more dry subject matters; it helps the subject come alive.

So take heart, we can have “off days or weeks”

We have the power to allow them to be some of the “best days”.  

Balance will again be restored, we will get there!

Allow it to be a joyous journey!