A Simple Summer School Plan

We’re schooling year round now.  (GASP!!!!)

But schooling year round does not mean we’re sitting at our desks working diligently from textbooks for 365 days straight.  We take trips and vacations throughout the year (taking advantage of off-season prices, off-season crowds, and off-season lines), and we adjust our schedule as needed (like when we want to invite friends over for the day, or when we want to go on spontaneous field trips, or when the boys have a creative day of Lego- or K’nex-building, or when Daddy returns from Africa – soon to be Brazil.)

Schooling year round gives us freedom and flexibility the entire year.  And it keeps me from wigging out when we haven’t finished such-and-such thing by such-and-such date.

My rules for summer school:

1. There is no set schedule (aside from a weekly goal of practicing math facts a few times per week).
2. Almost everything has to be something the boys like to do (or would be doing anyway).
3. I cannot nag them to start (or finish) something.
4. I have to like it and not get stressed out over it.

The main goal of our summer school is for the boys to want to do more.  The secondary goal is that our brains are still functioning when we start “regular” school back up in the fall.

But these activities will not be something we do every day (or every week), since we will be juggling field trips, playdates, Vacation Bible Schools, summer camps, and even a family trip to my home state of Oklahoma.  We don’t want to burn out before our next school year gets started!

Bible: Seeds Family Worship Songs and Activities
Goal:  To continue memorizing scripture and making worship a part of our normal, everyday life.

• Listen on-line
• Verse Memorization Checklist and Memory Cards
• Chord Charts (for those gifted in music)
• Bible Verse Printables, Visuals, Copywork, Coloring Pages, and Mini-Books to go with Seeds Family Worship
• More printables to go with Seeds Family Worship
• S.O.A.P. Printable for studying the scriptures we memorize
• Use Seeds Family Worship along with We Choose Virtues

Math
Goal:  Improve speed and accuracy on basic arithmetic and keep our mathematical wheels turning just a little bit.

• Flashcards (using some of the File Folder Flaschard Games from FileFolderFun.com)
• Xtramath.org and BigBrainz Games
• Card Games like War
• Board games like Monopoly
• Life of Fred

Geography
Goal:  To memorize the location of the countries in the Americas, Africa, and Asia (Specifically for one of my children who loves geography.)

• Highlights Which Way USA (My oldest son sneaks off to do these in his free time.)
• Sheppard Software (On-line Tutorials & Quizzes)

Sheppard Software

• Seterra Software (free download) (Tracks scores so students can compete against parents!)

Seterra Software

History:
Goal:  To enjoy study of history through the summer in an unschooling sort of way.

• Chester Comix Series
• Leftovers from List of Cycle 3 Links (maybe??)

Science
Goal:  To enjoy learning about God’s creation.  AND to eat healthier and exercise more.
Nature Study Focus:  Tree Identification

• Make a Botany Book (5-10 trees per month).  Instructions for creating a tree leaf identification book can be found here:  http://texastreeid.tamu.edu/content/leafCollectingSafety/
• JASON Project:  There are five of these available:  Monster Storms, Tectonic Fury, Terminal Velocity, Infinite Potential, Resilient Planet.  We completed Resilient Planet and Terminal Velocity (or was it Infinite Potential?) during Cycle 2, but I have a feeling the boys will want to do all five again this summer.  Due to federal budget cuts, this program will no longer be available for free starting July 1, 2012.  Because it will cost over $100 for a yearly membership, I think we’ll just try to do them all before July 1.  (You have to set up a username and password to use this site, but it contains so much great stuff – videos of the argonauts solving real-life problems, animations, lesson plans.  It’s great!)
• Nutrition & Exercise 101:  Enlisting the boys’ help with establishing better habits by using things like The Food Guide Pyramid File Folder Game.

Reading & Writing

• Write letters to family and friends
• Read books from The Boxcar Children Series
• Listen to more of The Sugar Creek Gang Series Audiobooks

Other

• Starfall and other on-line learning sites listed on our Freebie page.
• 1000s of Free Mazes
• Visit the state parks that are within a 1-hour driving distance. Enroll in one of the Jr. Ranger Program camps (if openings are still available – I just found out about this! Though we knew about the national parks Jr. Ranger Program, we had no idea about the state parks programs! Do your state parks have a Jr. Ranger Program?).