It’s perfectly normal to get excited as summer approaches. In a traditional school setting, summer means a long break from school. But, if you homeschool your children, you get to choose your schedule, and it might not include such an extended recess. If you’re thinking about taking a shorter break, or no break at all, here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling through the summer.
Advantages of Homeschooling Through the Summer
If you’re thinking about continuing to homeschool through the summer, here are some of the advantages of this option:
1. Maintain Forward Progress
Summer slide is a real thing, and you can avoid it by skipping the summer break. Studies show that students can lose up to 20 percent of their school year gains over the summer break. When you continue lessons and encourage reading and math throughout the summer months, you can prevent this costly backslide.
2. Schedule More Field Trips
Many communities have extra programs and activities in the summer. When you continue to homeschool, you can take advantage of some of these by turning them into field trips. Those museum and park programs can become learning opportunities.
3. Build Up Buffer Days
Throughout the year, life can throw you a variety of curve balls that put your regular homeschooling behind schedule. Summertime schooling helps you build in an extra buffer so that you can spend a bit less time each day on learning activities and still be ahead of the game if any challenges come up during the regular school year.
4. Do More Projects
There might be some extra projects or special interests your children have that you weren’t able to find time for during the regular school year. If you don’t take an extended break, you’ll be able to fit these in and help your children explore new interests.
5. Keep Your Routine
Children do better when they have an established routine. When you homeschool during the summer, it keeps your kids on a predictable schedule. This structure can provide some children with a sense of well-being.
Disadvantages of Homeschooling Through the Summer
The main disadvantage of homeschooling through the summer is that no one gets a break. For kids, it’s tough to focus on school lessons without any breaks. The same holds true for parents that have to teach lessons and keep records. But, just because you aren’t taking the summer off, that doesn’t mean you won’t schedule some shorter breaks throughout the year. This is what many homeschooling parents prefer.
Get the Support You Need
Whether or not you decide to homeschool through the summer, taking on your child’s education is a big responsibility. And you probably need all the help you can get. The South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools (SCAIHS) provides encouragement and educational counseling to homeschooling parents throughout South Carolina.
We can help you choose a curriculum, track your student’s yearly records, and offer deals on educational materials. Contact us today with any questions or to learn more about membership in SCAIHS.