Mike Smith:
Summer is here. For many homeschooling families, that means wrapping up the school year and taking a break. Not a textbook is opened until August, when Mom dives into planning for the coming school year.

Using the summer to rest and recharge is vital for families who follow a traditional academic calendar. But it can have an unintended consequence when September arrives—families find it hard to get back into the school routine. In fact, homeschoolers have come to expect a few false starts to the new school year. You can expect that students need review time in each subject before getting up to speed.

But you don’t have to sacrifice your summer break in order to eliminate the re-entry phase. Instead, why not use the flexibility of homeschooling to your advantage by planning your own version of summer school? By having your children keep up with some of their schoolwork during the summer, you’ll need less review time in the fall.

Summer school also takes off pressure during the regular school year. If your child is overwhelmed by schoolwork or having trouble in a particular subject, you can reduce the workload and make it up during the summer.

With a slight adjustment to your daily routine and a bit of planning, you can make the summer months a fun and relaxing part of the school year. This week, I’ll be sharing ideas for doing just that. And until next time, I’m Mike Smith.