At our house, we have a long-standing joke that “school is always in session.” While that’s not exactly true, you will find us doing schoolwork almost every month of the year. We don’t know many other families who have a homeschool summer schedule. For most (here in the Midwest), it seems summer schoolwork isn’t even on their radar. We’ve made some changes over the years, but our summer schoolwork continues to be time well-spent.
For those considering a (very relaxed!) summer homeschool schedule, I’m sharing some of our “how” and “why.”
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How to Fit Homeschooling Into Your Summer Plans
Commit to Scheduled Time for Schoolwork
There were many summers when we didn’t have a set time for schoolwork. Some days we studied all morning – other days it was only an hour in the afternoon. We had a lot of flexibility, with few commitments and lots of free time. But eventually I realized that was counterproductive. I often found myself procrastinating. And anytime we weren’t doing schoolwork, I felt like we should be. It also wasn’t fair to my kids. They were left wondering: Is today a school day? Can we talk Mom out of it? Will we do anything fun today?
Since then, I’ve found that limiting our study to mornings works beautifully. We typically start at 9:00 a.m., but end by noon – regardless of our start time. That keeps me motivated to get things going in the morning. We don’t feel like school is all we do, and it’s not hanging over our heads all day.
Commit to Scheduled Time Off from Schoolwork
It’s important for both parents and kids to know when there will be (extended) time off from school. Then everyone can look forward to a breather. Our church always schedules Vacation Bible School for early June, so it’s the kickoff to our summer. Because our whole family is involved in that ministry, we don’t do any schoolwork that week. (My youngest once asked me how all the other kids get out of school so they can attend VBS!?) Our older kids also get a week off while they’re at camp. And we take time off in August. It’s often our vacation time, and we need the break before returning to full-time school.
Would four weeks of schoolwork reasonably fit into your summer plans? Six weeks? Eight weeks? Are you in a season of life that is unusually demanding? Maybe reviewing math flashcards and reading out load for thirty minutes a day is doable. Consider a time commitment that is reasonable for your family. Our summer school is generally six or seven weeks of study, spread out over the summer. There have been times when my best-laid plans have gone awry. But when life circumstances allow for it, we forge ahead.
Consider Your Summer School Goals
Do be intentional and consider your goals. If you simply decide “we’re going to do some schoolwork this summer,” you invite frustration. Vague intentions can lead to indecision. What would you like to accomplish? If you can’t get it all done, what are the priorities? Are there more difficult subjects for your student? (Math – anyone?) Are there more enjoyable subjects?
My kids really enjoy art appreciation. We love many of Mike Venezia’s books (which we find at our local libraries). But these often get bumped off our schedule when the school days gets long. Summertime is the perfect time to deep-dive into a favorite subject. Or, if there’s a reading list with your curriculum, consider working through some of those books. With a little planning, summer study can offer tremendous value.
With our more-relaxed schedule, I had time to order a “cup of caterpillars” for our butterfly study. My girls loved seeing them form their chrysalises. After many days of anticipation, butterflies emerged from three of the five chrysalises. We eagerly watched and waited for them to use their proboscises. Did you know the proboscis is two parts that don’t fuse or “zip” together until after the butterfly emerges? We also learned that the red fluid butterflies excrete is meconium. (Who knew!?) We figured out what to feed them, and after a few days we released them into our backyard. One made his way over to our neighbor’s colorful flowers. My girls still look for their butterflies fluttering around in search of nectar.
Some of our school mornings are spent on difficult math concepts. But with our extra time and (educational) opportunity, some mornings are spent creating memories.
Why Make Summer Schoolwork a Priority?
To Stay on Track
You’ve probably heard of the “summer slide.” There’s a lot of academic regression that occurs during the summer months. But I have seen the fruit that comes from summer study. The start of our school year feels pretty seamless. We don’t spend nearly as much time re-learning things or reviewing concepts. And the transition back to full-time school doesn’t feel like such a roller coaster.
To Catch Up
If you have a struggling student, summer school is probably a necessity. When one of my kids left public school, her math assessment placed her almost two years behind. There’s no skipping math concepts. You simply have to learn them, and that takes time. So our summer school priority was a math lesson a day.
Because we had a more relaxed schedule, it felt like the pressure was off. We didn’t have other schoolwork or extra-curricular commitments competing for our time. If a math assignment had a difficult concept, we could spend the whole morning tackling it. It didn’t put us behind in other subjects.
(If you’re working on schoolwork over the summer because homeschooling has gotten hard, check out this post: When Homeschooling Gets Hard – Ten Areas to Evaluate for Better Days.)
To Get Ahead
Even for children who master their schoolwork, there’s often a subject that could use more review. For my older kids, it was usually math or science. For my younger kids, reading books and memorizing math facts is always a priority.
We also work ahead in subjects like spelling and handwriting. Our school year is typicallyy filled to the brim, and working ahead gives us more flexibility. Then it’s easier to say “yes” to playdates, field trips, and extracurriculars that are offered during the school day.
Families Thrive on Healthy Routines
Summer school also gives structure to our day. We thrive on routine. And if my kids didn’t spend three hours a day on schoolwork, that time would probably be wasted. Screen time is such a temptation during the lazy days of summer – and it’s far less productive. The more I learn about screen time, the more angst I have about it. (Be informed and be equipped – ScreenStrong has some excellent free resources!) Schoolwork can be part of a healthier, more intentionally-focused summer schedule.
Embrace a Homeschool Summer Schedule
To create a plan that works, consider the following:
- Commit to a scheduled time.
- Commit to a scheduled time off.
- Define your goals.
- Remember your “why” (to stay on track, catch up, or get ahead).
- Remind yourself that families thrive on healthy routines.
While I’d love to take a full three months “off” from schoolwork – we just can’t justify it. I know some families truly need the break. Others might travel or have commitments that offer learning opportunities away from home. But summer schoolwork at the kitchen table works for us. We find that it’s time well-spent.
Are you following a homeschool summer schedule? What has worked for you (or what hasn’t)? What is your “why”? It would be so helpful for other families to hear your experience. Let us know below (please find the comments box at the bottom of this page)!
