Mike Smith:
For homeschooling families, learning doesn’t have to stop with the end of the academic year. Summer is a golden opportunity to keep learning on a more relaxed basis. Why not use these months to pursue some activities that just don’t fit with the regular school year?

Summertime is flexible enough for activities that require extra driving or take a little more time. A field trip can turn into a day trip without any harm to your schedule. Your children can commit the necessary hours to a drama production or a robotics team.

It’s not just time-intensive courses that are ideal for summertime. Some courses are too short to mesh with the academic year. You can defer a biology lab or short theology unit until summer, when they will fit in around your other plans.

You can also treat June, July, and August as a teaching lab. Identify and investigate your child’s learning style. Experiment with different teaching methods. Try out a textbook or curriculum to decide if you want to include it in your next year’s lesson plans.

With the relaxed atmosphere of summertime, it’s easier to open up your home to others. You can turn hospitality into an educational opportunity by hosting missionaries, or by allowing a Bible study, choir, or play group to meet in your home.

This summer, add zest to your homeschool program by teaching something different. And until next time, I’m Mike Smith.