Summertime, and the Living’s Easy
By Mimi Rothschild
Summer is supposed to be a relaxing time. However, the constant family vacations, social events, sports and lessons can make it seem stressful. Making literature and writing a part of your homeschooled child’s summer can alleviate the boredom and stress of summer.
When the sun is at it’s peak and it’s too hot to go outside, this is a perfect time to plan a family afternoon together. Select a theme, such as Native American folk tales or ancient Egypt to bring out your child’s natural curiosity. Teaching history and culture through narratives is a good way to draw them into a different time and place.
Learning about a specific location, such as a planned vacation destination is a great way to liven your homeschooler’s interest in reading. Have them study up on the places you plan to visit. This will give them some insight into the location and its culture as well as familiarize them with the various activities they might participate in, such as nature hikes or rafting trips.
Have your homeschool child bring along a sketch book to document their trip. By stopping to sketch a particular scene, the trip will be much more personal and memorable and the small details will be retained for years to come. They can also write short descriptions to go along with the drawings to really bring the memory to life.
Hikes are a great way to begin a journal. Have your homeschooler write down detailed descriptions of the hike, not only what they see, but how they feel as they take the trip. The journal will not only bring them closer to their subject, but will also be a prized possession later. A journal is a great way to cement the memory of their vacation in their minds. A trip to Washington D.C., for example, could inspire many great experiences and feelings, which, once written down, could be relived later as your child grows older. NOt only will the memory of that trip be preserved, but the thoughts and feelings of the child as well.
After visiting a site, have your homeschooler write empathically about the experience. Empathic writing is about writing from the viewpoint of the person who had lived at the site. For example, if you visited a Civil War site, your homeschooler could write from the viewpoint of a Confederate soldier or a citizen of the town or city the battle was fought near.
Summer is a great opportunity to include reading and literature to your homeschool student’s lessons to break up the monotony and pressure of the summer vacation. Your homeschooler will not only enhance their education and learning, but will also have some great memories preserved.