We're pleased to welcome a Guest T.I.P.ster this week! Jenna from Delighting in Today will be sharing her Summer Learning Plans, along with the regular T.I.P.ster hosts, Allyson, Christy, and me. Please click over to her blog to read about her summer plans...and tell her we sent you.
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We do not consider ourselves year-round homeschoolers. We enjoy our month-long break in the winter and our two-month break in the summer. We don't find that there is too much chaos in our house during the time off or that the kids forget everything they've learned and have to do weeks of review when we start back up. That being said, we never, ever really stop learning. Even when the pencils and math books take a rest, some kind of learning goes on every day, most often through the pleasurable perusal of books. We learn all summer without even trying.
Last year, I decided to sneak in a subject that we have trouble getting to during the regular school year-- health. Our focus was first aid. I checked out Kids to the Rescue: First Aid Techniques for Kids
from the library and each Sunday, I read two sections to my kids and my youngest sister. (Last year, the kids ranged in age from 4 to 10.) We covered first aid for everything from burns to dog bites and at the end of the summer, the kids took a simple multiple choice quiz (included in the back of the book) and passed with flying colors.
Last year, I decided to sneak in a subject that we have trouble getting to during the regular school year-- health. Our focus was first aid. I checked out Kids to the Rescue: First Aid Techniques for Kids
from the library and each Sunday, I read two sections to my kids and my youngest sister. (Last year, the kids ranged in age from 4 to 10.) We covered first aid for everything from burns to dog bites and at the end of the summer, the kids took a simple multiple choice quiz (included in the back of the book) and passed with flying colors. 
This year, I plan to work on health through the summer again, focusing on the human body. I've thumbed through David Macauley's The Way We Work
every time we've been to the library lately and I'm so excited to start reading it. I'm fascinated by books on the human body. I'm waiting to check it out at the end of May so can I utilize all nine weeks (one 3-week checkout, plus two renewals). I'm thinking that if we we read 2-4 pages at least 4-5 days a week, we will have learned more than enough to fulfill our health requirements for the entire year. 
My only other official summer learning plan is to begin a typing program for Gavin. I am content to wait until he starts fifth grade in August, but he has been begging to get started early. I've read great reviews of Typing Instructor For Kids Platinum and Amazon has it for a decent price so I think I'll indulge him.
Do you school year-round or take time off in the summer? What are your summer learning plans?
June 19: Television Viewing (What to Watch and How Often)
July 3: Quick and Easy Summer Meals
July 3: Quick and Easy Summer Meals
July 17: Taking Family Photos
August 7: Schooling Kids of Different Ages
August 21: Teaching Kids to Read
Want to write a guest post on one of these topics?
Leave a comment or e-mail me and I'll tell you how to get started.
Want to write a guest post on one of these topics?
Leave a comment or e-mail me and I'll tell you how to get started.
I love the idea of completing an entire year of health during the summer. I think we'll start with the first aid next year.
ReplyDeleteAlso, have you ever tried the free online BBC Dance Mat Typing? I think you've said that your Internet is limited so maybe that wouldn't work for you. I used that program with a few of my 5th graders when they would finish their work early. They really enjoyed it and got some good typing practice.
ReplyDeleteWe school year-round but summer tends to be more interest-based and definitely outdoors for longer.
ReplyDeleteThe Way We Wrok looks pretty interesting - I may have to see if the library can get it for us on interlibrary loan. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for including me, Kristin! I like the idea of doing "health" during the summer - for whatever reason it just "fits" in my mind. :)
ReplyDelete