Summer Homeschool Curriculum Ideas to Fit Your Family

When parents begin pulling out their hair because summer has arrived and their kids are going bonkers, it is most likely because no structure has been put into place. Some families are more structured than others. While some may have walls and walls of charts and checkoff lists to keep everyone in line, other families may have a system in place that does not allow media or cell phone use until specific chores are completed. Some implement a summer homeschool curriculum, while others choose nothing at all.

When it comes to summertime, it is easy to forget about the importance of structure. Consider creating a loose (or tight) schedule over the summer including plenty of exciting activities such as park hopping, swimming, or zoo visits. In addition to a variety of outdoor activities, do not forget about the down time. Use this time as an opportunity to sneak in some extra learning. Schedule it in while you are making dinner or in the mornings before any activities are planned. You can even use some of them while on the road. 

These 3 summer homeschool curriculum ideas will fit your family needs and keep learning fun all summer.

1. Unit Studies

Summer is the perfect time to explore: to explore your area, your region, your neighborhood and to explore your child’s interests. Does your child dream of becoming a firefighter one day? Find or create a unit study on firefighters and reward him with a trip to the fire station when he completes his study. Just be sure to call ahead and schedule a tour. Or have your child bake the local firefighters a few dozen cookies and surprise them with a delicious treat. Are you homeschooling several children of varying ages? Customize a unit study for each child. This is a perfect chance for you to explore interest-based learning. One child can be working on studying trains while another one is studying the parts of a flower. Your higher schooler can be studying the mechanics of a dirt bike while your preschooler can be doing a study on various forms of transportation. The possibilities are endless.

2. Book Lists with Extension Activities

Looking at the summer months ahead, choose a few favorite books that you think you will be able to get through. If you have older children, require that they read a certain number of books in addition to any reading on your own that you may require. For younger ones, choose several books to read aloud to them over the summer. You can even choose to read to the younger and older ones together to encourage family time each day. To spice things up a bit, plan a field trip based on each of the books. Add a few hands-on extension activities such as recipes, crafts, games, or singing that go along with the book that you are reading. Here are several additional activities you can do after reading the book to keep their minds active:

• Write a Letter
  Write to a friend about this book. Draw a picture of your favorite scene and share some of the highlights without giving away the ending!
• Mapmaking
  Draw a map of the book’s setting.
• Moviemaker
  Using dolls, Lego bricks, or other toys, create a movie trailer using a movie-making app.
• Collage
  Create a collage using cut-outs from magazines or images from the Internet around themes or characters in the book.
• Haiku
  Create one about a character.
• Dear Author
  After reading a book, write the author via the publisher about what you enjoyed in the book.
• Dig Deeper
  Research the subject of the book online, and write three to four paragraphs about what you find. Share with a parent or sibling.
  
  

3. SchoolhouseTeachers.com

Take a break from traditional school while still getting school in throughout the summer using SchoolhouseTeachers.com’s complete curriculum. One low price gives the entire family access to over 400 courses. Courses are available for all grades, PreK-12. Online learning is excellent for summer flexibility. Download courses to your tablet so your child can work on classes while on the road. Sneak some work in on the days your child has a camp or class by giving them quick and easy assignments to work on while waiting to leave for their anticipated activity. This educational platform provides a wide variety of courses for all interest levels and needs. Search by grade level or course subject. Hundreds of streaming videos and World Book online is also available to use throughout the summer months!