Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Elementary School Summer Academics - how much to push???

We're now homeschoolers, but follow our charter's traditional schedule with full academics. We try to use summer as a time for exploring different things and spending as much time as we can with our "age peer" friends since DS5 doesn't see them as much during the school year. We'll be busy in swimming lessons, a drawing camp (learning how to draw Star Wars figures), a "crazy" science camp, and vacation bible school (all w/ friends to make it more fun!). We're also planning some fun "field trip type" trips w/ cousins & grandparents. Meanwhile, we've got video recorders and arts out and are making movies and camps in our backyard and things like that. Oh, and of course books are everywhere. IMO, these are all equally educational as core curriculum, but use different skill-sets than what we're studying during the school year to keep him from getting burnt out.

The only other thing I do is pull out math games about once a week. While DS2 is in swimming lessons, DS5 and I play memory multiplication or other games out of Rightstart C. Again, though, we're doing math in a way that is different than what we work on throughout the normal school year.

I don't push at all but my DS7 insisted on academic camps for the summer. Last summer he was in outdoor game/sports/arts and crafts type camps and was miserable. When we were talking about what to do over the summer, he almost shouted, "I only want to do math camp!" We compromised with science (I couldn't find math over the summer that was not remedial tutoring) and he is happy. He is 2e (autism) so he thrives on structure which is part of the appeal of academic-type camps, I think. He just started camp this week and loves it so far, when he was off last week he was teary-eyed about missing school.

I did "push" about going to the library. He somehow felt that he wasn't going to read books over the summer. The good news is that we quickly grabbed a stack of books and he has already read several so hopefully it won't be a fight to continue our weekly trips.

I guess when I consider the music lessons, science camps, horse camp, fashion camp, swimming lessons, bible school and art camp we are doing quite a bit. I suppose that's why I don't push a set amount of school type work each day.
I do plan to have my oldest (9) do a typing program and a short math camp. We also do the library reading program.

I see summer as a chance to make up for not homeschooling.

Most of what we do looks like unschooling where I play the supporting role to their interests by taking them to the library, getting materials for sewing, finding the horse riding lessons, etc. The part that's more structured is math and I require they regularly try problems that make them think.

DD8 is working on long division and she's felt some frustration. The lightbulb went on today when I realized she's interested in sewing so I presented it as, "If you have 200 yds of fabric and it takes 12 yds of fabric to make a dress, how many dresses could you make?" She still made some mistakes but the difference was her attitude. She wasn't frustrated and wanted to keep trying. I can't expect a teacher with 25 students to do this so I'm glad there's summer!

DS finally has time for his Robotics class which he loves. He's also picked up quite a lot of board games and is wild for them now. We do some math daily - I signed p for HeyMath and he loves. He's also been asking for science experiments, so I looked through Supercharged Science recommended by Shari (thanks!!) - we'll start as soon as I work through the shopping list. I also have learning to type on the list, which brings me to ...

... handwriting. I'd really love for him to practice, but it's been a challenge (read not happening). At least I got him to do some sewing. And he just *may* be interested in art finally, so I'll keep asking.

And yes the swimming, football and playdates. It's fun and packed at the same time!

We kind of take the same attitude as Inky. For two of my kids, they learn very little at school, or at least aren't challenged much. For my oldest, he likes to really process things, so the summer allows him to review at his own pace until he feels like he truly gets it.

Mostly we just do fun things. We swim most days in our backyard pool, the kids get tons of unstructured playtime both indoors and outdoors, we travel. They also do different activities that they have picked out, all of which are just fun for them. Some of the things one or more of them do are soccer, tennis, horseback riding, gymnastics, the summer library programs, scout camps, a three-day theater camp for one, camp invention for another. If they didn't ask to do them we wouldn''t sign them up. And most activities are just for short bursts of time. Almost all of their daytime hours are free time.

Still, I feel like summer is a great time for us to kind of "homeschool." DS11 really likes the Civil War so he's gone to the library and on the internet to learn all he can about a battle he's interested in, is going to type up a short paper on it and edit it as best he can (typing and writing are definitely not strenghts and since he gets a laptop at school next year he really needs to speed up his typing) and then he wants to make a battle display like he saw another group of kids do at his school last month. He's also doing one worksheet page several days a week from a math workbood he picked out. DD8 has decided that she wants to work on girl scout badges over the summer, so she's doing all kinds of activies for each of the ones she's interested in. She, too, is doing a math page several days a week because she's really been underchallenged in math at school and she now has the chance to learn at her own level and pace. DS6 just wants to do learn some new math since he didn't learn anything in math at school last year (and he loves math!), so he either works in a workbook he likes or plays different card games or we just talk about different math concepts he's interested in. The other thing he's started working on is writing about what he's reading (really just 2-3 sentences). With sujbect acceleration next year that may encompass more than math due to scheduling, he's going to be required to write more and so far writing is the only thing he's appropriate in for grade-level. Nothing they're doing takes more than 30-45 minutes a day and they all seem to be enjoying it. If they stop enjoying it, we'll switch it up.

We don't require anything academic from DS10 at home over the summer. There are things that he'd much rather be doing. He usually ends up reading some each day, but not while there are kids to play with and things to do outside. Most of his reading is done in the car or after he's come in for the evening.

We did sign him up for a 4-day program that was really awesome. Heavy STEM stuff which is right up his alley. However, it was like pulling teeth to get him to go the first day. The program was very hands on and, by the second day, DS admitted he kinda liked it. I've been trying to figure out why DS is so opposed to doing anything that he deems 'educational' in nature even if it promises to be fun (they built/launched model rockets, for example). All I can come up with is that he's spent so much time being miserable in school that he imagines any type of 'structured' class will be the same way.

I'm a tad bit envious of all the camps and things that it seems other kids are looking forward to and doing. I'd love for DS to *want* to take part in some of these, but no dice so far. The other day he told me that he preferred to learn things on his own - he doesn't want the classroom type stuff, but just give him a book and he'll figure it out on his own. I hate to think that his school experiences have helped to formed this attitude.

We homeschool, all year round for the most part since it seems to work well and my kids don't forget and have to review basics that way. My older three will go to day camp for six weeks this summer so we cut back to just math and LA during most of the summer. We also do a lot of science while the weather is nice and experiments can be done outside.

My DD10 is going to be gone on a trip for five weeks this fall so we are working ahead a little over the summer so we can all take that time off or at least cut way back.

My youngest is mad that we aren't doing enough now that he is done "with that boring school" so he is planning on moving ahead full steam this summer. It should be interesting.

I kicked DS out of school for the summer. He works on his greek each day as we both agreed that learning a new language requires diligence but that's it.

I know it's asking a lot but I want him to at least "try out" being a regular little boy so I sent him to a day camp that is completely recreational. In response he informed me that "you can't make a turtle into a frog" and rolled his eyes. In spite of the drama, he seems to be having a good time.

just work on typing for a few minutes couple times a week to keep that up and improving. the few minutes usually lead more more minutes.

but child will probably want to do some investigative work because whenever a question is asked, I say lets go look it up