No, I’m not talking about schooling year-round. I realize that some families find schooling year-round to be a viable option for many reasons, but my purpose here is not to discuss the merits of either a traditional school calendar or schooling year-round. Our family has chosen to school according to a more traditional school calendar, although we do make it work for us and not the other way around. However, I don’t want my children to forget everything during their summer break.

A few times a week, I have them work on some of their weaker skills for a short period (say, half an hour to an hour). We do math speed drills, typing games, and reading comprehension exercises. Of course, you can choose whatever skills your children need to work on. I let the kids do more of their drilling on the computer and try to incorporate more fun learning games as well.

Early in the summer, I make summer reading lists. I base the lists on my kids’ current reading levels, books that go along with the past or coming year’s history, and recommended books from a variety of sources. My favorite lists this year came from Veritas Press. Every time we make a trip to the library, the kids must choose several books off my list (and read them first) and then they are free to choose several fun books. I generally don’t require formal book reports of the books off the reading list (it is, after all, summertime); however, I do ask a few general questions to check their comprehension level.

Field trips are cleverly disguised as vacations. Last summer, we went to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and spent most of our time playing in the ocean and sunning ourselves on the beach. Doesn’t sound very educational, does it? But, do you know the composition of sand? Do you know why there are tides? Neither did we, until we visited the Cape Hatteras National Park and attended one of their free ranger talks right on the beach. What a great summer science lesson! Everyone has heard of the famous pirate named Blackbeard, but did you know that there were also some women who were pirates? Again, neither did we, until we sat through an interesting ranger talk. Oh, there’s a history lesson! My youngest daughter earned a Junior Park Ranger badge by completing an educational packet.

Overseas mission trips provide a plethora of geography, cultural, and historical lessons, as well as character development. Other post-vacation activity possibilities include writing short essays (disguised as letters to the grandparents or entries for a local newsletter), making photo scrapbooks with journaling, drawing pictures with captions, or making lap books to show what we learned. Of course, I don’t breathe a word about “school” while we’re on vacation, but that doesn’t mean that learning didn’t happen or that it can’t be recorded. And that is the beauty of homeschooling.

Summer school also includes library programs, crafts, and learning other life skills that we somehow don’t have time for during the school year. It’s a great time to pull out the sewing machine and teach your daughter how to sew by making her first apron. It’s also a great time to work on the family (or individual) scrapbooks. Science lessons can include fireflies and fireworks. Homeschooling isn’t just about workbooks—it’s about a lifestyle of learning.

See, that’s not so bad! I don’t label what we do summer school, but just call it sharpening our skills. You can call it whatever you want, but the purpose is the same: to keep kids in the learning mindset while still enjoying a rejuvenating break from the routine of the school year.

Check out my article on page 12 of the funky flipbook edition of Heart of the Matter Magazine.

Bethany S. LeBedz has been married for over fifteen years and is the homeschooling mother to two delightful girls, ages thirteen and eleven. She lives in North Carolina. In addition to homeschooling, she is also a freelance editor and writer. She posts homeschool organization tips and educational reviews to her blog momishome2. In her (very limited) free time, she enjoys reading, participating in Daughters of the American Revolution and Children of the American Revolution, and performing in musical events.