Let me preface by saying this is our first summer doing school. I am not seasoned in this opinion. Yet.
I decided mid-year that I wanted to do year-round schooling. Yes, it’s lighter in summer, but we don’t take it off completely.
Let me tell you why I love it.
Routine
I love having a routine and predictability to our mornings.
I am constantly fighting against the itch to get out in the morning, but the start of our day is the foundation that the rest of our time is based on. If I don’t take charge and make it solid, our day falls apart and end with all of us crying and eating an emergency-beige dinner instead of having the energy and time allotted to cook well and have a relaxed meal to end the day.
So I cling to this wisdom: “You can’t home school if you are not at home.”
And while I love traditional roles, I don’t actually love the traditional school calendar. Because I’m not a farmer.
Brain-Gain
The term “summer brain-drain” is so very real. Even in short times away from school my kids forget their lessons and have to start back a bit when we get back into the swing of school.
I want so badly for my kids to be good readers. To love books and learning on their own. (“So that one day they don’t need me to teach them every lesson!” she thought selfishly!) It’s really hard to grow in learning when the year is broken up by months on end of no learning expectations.
So I’m having expectations.
Summer Rewards
It hit me this summer: school kids get rewards and prizes for good work.
I had never done that with my kids before, but I’m doing it and it’s working. Kind of. I’m still new and in my own learning curve.
But no amount of promise to go sledding after school will compare to going to the splash park or the pool! So summer rewards are so sweet to motivate good attendance and behavior that winter just can’t hold!