The Wolfe Pack {Reviews+Resources+Suggestions=Support for the Discerning Homeschool Mom}

providing the discerning homeschool mama with support on her journey

FOREIGN LANGUAGE: Three Out-of-the-Box Options

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{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.} 

Choosing ANY homeschool curriculum can be a very difficult process. There are just so many choices. So. Many. 

But choosing a FOREIGN LANGUAGE curriculum? That has been a special level of difficult.  It has been almost painful. 

I think, that if my son wanted to learn Spanish, with which I am at least a wee bit familiar after taking four years of it in high school,  I might not feel so lost. 

But, no, my kid wants to learn Chinese.

So,  looking for the right program to teach him the Mandarin language has been a rather foreign process for me. 

I mean, how do I even begin to assess whether a program is good or not? It’s NOT like I can read through it and get a feel for it myself. {I cannot read it!}

And, for some reason, FOREIGN LANGUAGE curriculum seems to be one of the more expensive subjects. So, though, I have been willing to shell out primo bucks for science and math, which my kid actually needs for his career goal of being a zoologist, I really didn’t want to spend a ton for this elective. And, I sure as heck didn’t want to spend hundreds on one program only to find it didn’t work for us and then have to buy another one. 

And, probably the biggest challenge for me is the fact that this is one subject with which I cannot help my kid learn. I mean, we all know that homeschool moms can teach almost anything to our kids, and when we find ourselves outmatched by a subject, we can outsource {like I do for math and science at the high school level.} But, again, I’m not sure I want to spend the same type of serious money on him learning Chinese that we invest into live, on-line science classes or the time that we spend with what I like to call my private 1:1 math tutor, Nicole The Math Lady. 

So, even after I have spent countless hours looking at options of how to teach a FOREIGN LANGUAGE, I have yet to decide which route we will take. 

But, I sure have learned a lot about HOW and WHERE students can learn a FOREIGN LANGUAGE! 

Hopefully, what I learned can help YOU make your FOREIGN LANGUAGE choice less difficult. 

Other than the huge selection of boxed curriculum you can find in your homeschool catalogs or on the web,  I found three other options for FOREIGN LANGUAGE instruction. 

Three Out-of-the-Box Options for Teaching a Foreign Language

 

ONE: YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY

This is a phenomenal option that could flat-out be FREE for your family. Obviously, different libraries will offer different options but it’s definitely worth looking into. 

I was pleasantly surprised to find that our local library offers MANGO for free to all card-holders.

MANGO is a self-paced online resource that offers over 70 world languages and dialects through courses crafted using conversational methodology. 

I know other libraries offer similar options including Duolingo and Babbel. We have not used any of these resources but considering it’s FREE, it sure seems like a great option! Even if we use it to simply “test-out” which language he might really want to pursue, it sure seems like a wise consideration. 

So, be sure to check out what your local library has to offer in terms of FOREIGN LANGUAGE instruction. 

 

TWO: DUAL ENROLLMENT

Now, this one won’t be free BUT, if your student plans on attending college like mine, then it could be considered an investment.

{If you are not familiar with the concept of Dual Enrollment, here is a great article that explains it clearly.}

The gist of Dual Enrollment is that your high school homeschooler can take classes at the college level that count as both a current high school class but also as college credit.  It’s an excellent way to take schooling to the next level of rigor, expose your kid to the changes that college courses will bring while still under your roof, and accumulate college credits at a reduced cost. 

Obviously, much depends on which college you are considering for dual enrollment, but while I was perusing the catalog for Columbia College in search of history and literature classes for my son’s 11th Grade year, I ran across several FOREIGN LANGUAGE options. 

I did not look too closely {because I don’t think we’ll be interested in a college-level Chinese class, eeks!} but I did take note of it for future reference. 

So, if you have a college-bound kid who would be interested in taking some serious FOREIGN LANGUAGE classes, Dual Enrollment would be a fantastic option for you to consider!

 

THREE: ONLINE OPTIONS

This option is, in some ways, the most obvious out-of-the-box option. 

I’m sure you have seen ads for Outschool, which offers a bazillion different kinds of classes, including FOREIGN LANGUAGE. 

And, if you are familiar with VIPKID {a popular money-making gig for moms to teach English to Chinese kids,} then you may have heard of their Chinese-English counterpart, Lingo Bus. 

Or, if you are a fan of the Time4Learning app, there is also a Time4Langages add-on you can consider. 

But, there are some other less-obvious online options as well. They might be smaller, but that does not mean they are not high quality. 

For instance, if your student is interested in learning Spanish, Dale and Robin Gamache have a small “mom and pop” online company,  La Clase Divertida, that comes highly recommended. 

Or if your family is interested in learning Hebrew, a great option is Hebrew for Homeschoolers, which is the beautiful creation of a fellow homeschool mom, Ana Willis. 

So, if your student is in need of a FOREIGN LANGUAGE,  consider these

Three Out-of-the-Box Options:

ONE: YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY

TWO: DUAL ENROLLMENT

THREE: ONLINE OPTIONS

Why Good Readers Can Be Bad Spellers

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I’m going to brag on my son for a second. But, don’t worry, it won’t last long because I will also admit an utterly embarrassing fail on my part as his mother. 

My son was reading at four years old. He was sounding out letters and CVC words at three and full on reading short chapter books at four.

There, that’s the bragging part. I told you it would be short. 

To say I was proud of him would be a bit of an  understatement.

To say I took his ability to read so early and mistook it for being an unusually intelligent and amazingly skilled child would be a MAJOR understatement.  

Seriously, as a mom, I was proud. As a certified teacher with a MAEd and  ten years of teaching First Graders to read, I was downright giddy.

And, for reasons I still cannot explain, I transferred that skill to ALL subjects and assumed he’d breeze through school and graduate with a PhD at the age of 12. 

Turns out, he was just a natural reader. He had an interest in letters and all things literacy from very early on. As soon as I noticed this about him, I definitely honed in on his interest with loads of books, games and activities. 

But all I was doing was adding to his own natural interest in and  “gift” for understanding the written word. I really didn’t do much. 

I cannot explain how he learned to read like he did. It just came naturally to him. 

But, guess what did NOT come naturally to him? 

SPELLING! 

Yeah. 

Like I said, when he was reading so easily at such an early age, I assumed all subjects would come easily for him.

{MATH was/is the worst subject….but this is a post about literacy so I’ve saved our looooooooooooooong math journey for another post, The Best Math Program for Kids Who Hate Math.}

But, boy, oh boy, was I wrong. 

He could read, read, read. And he could retain what he read. So, he excelled in several subjects and just soaked up history, Bible, science and literature as easily as he breathed air. 

But spelling?

Oh my gosh. Oh goodness gracious. The kid could not spell to save his life. At all. 

After loads of frustrations and lots of tears from both of us, it finally dawned on me what the issue was. 

I’m not kidding. It took YEARS for me to put this together. Did I mention that I was a certified teacher? Yeah. And I have a Masters in Education? Yup. 

But it took what seemed like forever for me to make the connection as to why a naturally good reader could be a horrible speller. 

But here it is….

Reading is the process of decoding words.

Decoding is just a fancy way of saying “how we apply what we know about letter sounds and  language patterns to figure out what words say.” 

Decoding is how we read. 

A more official definition would be: “Decoding is the ability to apply your knowledge of letter-sound relationships, including knowledge of letter patterns, to correctly pronounce written words. Understanding these relationships gives children the ability to recognize familiar words quickly and to figure out words they haven’t seen before.” 

So, my son could decode easily and,  more or less, instantly while looking at a word. 

What he could not do, apparently, was ENCODE. 

Encoding is the opposite of decoding. 

Encoding is using sounds to build and write words. 

Encoding is how we spell. 

And my son could not ENCODE. 

Why? Because he really had not mastered all of the letter/sound relationships. 

As soon as I saw how easily he could read, I ditched any plans to teach him to read. We just read and read and read. He read on his own. He read to me. We read together. I read to him.

{Side note: don’t EVER stop reading to your kids! They need that for several reasons.}

What we didn’t do was work on letter sounds, chunks, diphthongs, etc.

Why would we? He could read already!

Why would we? Because apparently you need those sounds to be able to spell! 

So, there. That’s my short brag and my embarrassing fail.

Now, let me tell you what we did to teach him to spell. 

We used All About Spelling. 

“Developed for busy parents, teachers, and tutors, All About Spelling is a scripted, open-and-go program that teaches spelling in the most effective way possible.”

We started at the beginning of their program with Level One {even though my son was a Fourth Grader at the time} and worked our way through. 

All About Spelling took us step by step through the individual letter sounds, phonograms, blends, spelling rules, open/closed/ r-controlled syllable types and so much more. 

All About Spelling taught my son how to spell. 

I won’t lie and say he is now an amazing speller because he’s not. 

Spelling simply does not come natural to him. He has to work at it.

But, now that we have been through the seven levels of All About Spelling, he has the knowledge of how to spell correctly, which he does. 

Most of the time anyway. 

If you are at all interested in All About Spelling, check out  this free e-book . It will give you a glimpse into the proven strategies that make All About Reading and All About Spelling so successful!

HOMESCHOOLING in KANSAS: the Basics

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{The term “homeschooling” has been a hotly debated topic for years and is even more so today. This article is not to debate what equates to “homeschooling” but to help define WHAT you want for your kids and HOW to get it.}

If you are in Kansas and thinking about homeschooling your kids this year, there are a few things you need to consider.

But, more importantly, you first need to understand the basics of the process.

Before all of this crazy COVID chaos, it was a lot easier to dissect the different homeschooling concepts but things have gotten rather murky with dozens of terms that seem to mean the same thing:

Distance Learning

On-line Options

Public-school at Home

Charter Crossovers

Hyrbid Schooling

Virtual Classroom

and more…..

But if you find yourself wanting to keep your kids at home for school, no matter which term is being used, you need to understand the basics. And the best way to understand the basics is to ask yourself a series of questions. 

The first question you need to ask yourself is:

Do I want to school at home WITH the help of my LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT?

If you want to keep your local district involved, then that’s where you need to go to get started. There are as many different virtual/distance learning/hybrid plans from the districts as there are districts in the state. So, if that’s what you want, you need to seek them out for help. Only they can help you with the details. 

But if you want to cut ties with the local district and not take part in what they are offering as an alternative to coming into the classroom, the next question you need to ask yourself is:

Do I want to partake in the free PUBLIC SCHOOL AT HOME option that is offered through the STATE OF KANSAS?

This has been available for years and you’ve probably seen it advertised on TV {K12 and Kansas Connections Academy are two I see most frequently.} This is free and available to any kids in the state of Kansas. You can head here or here to check out some options. This route will remove you from your district but keep you in the Kansas State Department of Education’s realm. There are a few “schools” from which you can choose. They provide the curriculum and, at least some, provide laptops for you to complete their curriculum. If that’s the route you want to take, check out those links. They will send you loads of information on how to get started. I personally know some families that have had great success with this route and I can put you in touch with a few if you’d like. Just let me know. 

But, if you said “no” to those two questions above, your final question is this:

Do I want to HOMESCHOOL WITHOUT ANY CONNECTION to the public school system?

If your answer to that is “yes,” then these are the steps you need to take:

STEP ONE: UNDERSTAND that the state of  Kansas does not officially recognize “homeschooling” as an option. No worries, though. They just call us “non-accredited private schools.” It’s totally legal and any competent adult can do it {seriously, that’s how they define who can teach your kids….”competent adult.”} You can find more info from KSDE here and you can read the statues here. 

STEP TWO: REGISTER with the Kansas State Department of Education as a non-accredited private school. It might sound daunting but it’s super duper simple. Go here to get that done.  All you need is your name, your address and the name of your homeschool. That’s all. You don’t even need your kids’ names, ages or grades. When it asks for “custodian,” that’s you. And you only need to do it ONE TIME. You do not need to do this every year. I did it in 2011 and haven’t visited the site since. 

THREE: WITHDRAW your kids from their public schools {assuming they attended previously.} I know this sounds daunting too, but it’s NOT! And don’t let the district bigwigs or local school secretaries freak you out. Just do it. Here is an example of a good withdrawal letter. You do not need to tell them anything else.  You can go here to see what you do and DO NOT need to tell the local school. Just withdraw your kids and move on. You are 100% within your legal rights to educate your kids at home in the state of Kansas {and every state for that matter.} 

FOUR: KNOW the requirements. Thankfully, in Kansas, the requirements are very few. No testing is required. No portfolio submissions needed. No curriculum approval process. No attendance is monitored. You can go here for an easy rundown on the requirements. But, believe me when I say it is very minimal. At the moment, in the state of Kansas, homeschoolers have a lot of freedom and luxury. It may not always be that way, but that’s the situation for now. 

FIVE: CHOOSE your curriculum. This is, by far, the most time-consuming step. And there is no way for anybody to tell you what will be right for your family. There are as many curriculum options as there are WalMarts in the country. Or more. This is where many families get overwhelmed and discouraged. The most important thing to remember is that whatever you choose to do, does NOT need to be forever. You can adjust as many times as you need to throughout the year. 

But, to get started, I would head over here and read about the learning styles of your kids. That will give you a good start and will, in the very least, help you eliminate several types of curricula.

I would also check out these two articles that discuss the various methods of homeschooling: How to Choose the Best Homeschool Teaching Method for Your Family and A Beginner’s Guide to Homeschooling. 

And this article offers a three step approach to deciding on curriculum and could really help you narrow things down. 

Another great resource is anything by Cathy Duffy. I have a couple of her books, which I loan out to potential homeschoolers all the time, but you can get a lot of her info online here {you can also buy her books there.} She has reviewed OODLES of homeschool curricula and does a great job of dividing things into helpful categories. She also outlines whether they are of a Christian, secular or neutral worldview. Using her resources should leave you with at least a few viable resources.

My last suggestion would be to reach out to both local homeschool groups and also national groups {which you can find plenty of online.} But, I would save that step for last. I’d arm myself with a wee bit of knowledge first and “arrive” in those groups with some specific questions. It’s really hard for veteran homeschoolers to answer “what’s the best way to homschool?” Why? Because, really, nobody can answer that but you…which, in truth, is the heart of homeschooling!

YOU GET TO DECIDE WHAT’S BEST FOR YOUR KIDS’ EDUCATION!

We know it takes a lot of time and energy to make the decisions necessary but, believe us, it will be worth it! 

The Best MATH PROGRAM for Kids {and Moms} Who HATE MATH

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{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.} 

The Best MATH PROGRAM for Kids {and Moms} Who HATE MATH

Math-U-See

Horizons Math

Life of Fred

Christian Light Education

Learn Math Fast

Math Lessons for a Living Education

You might be thinking this is a list of available homeschool math programs, and in a way,  you would be right. 

But, really, this is a list of math we have used in our homeschool.

And by used, I mean, actually used for a decent amount of time during a school year. 

And, the best part of this, is that all of them were for ONE KID. Yep, six different math programs for one kid.

He’s an only child and HE HATES MATH. 

He didn’t hate it from the very beginning when it involved counting blocks and tracing numbers. But as soon as it involved computing problems, even as simple as single digit addition, HE HATED IT. He could do it but HE HATED IT. 

And, the way he felt about math resulted in

TEARS,

FRUSTRATIONS and

more than a few whispered

SWEARWORDS

from me. 

As you probably know, if your child hates doing something, it’s really easy to start hating the experience of asking that child to do it. 

So, soon enough, I HATED MATH too. 

But, we all know math is necessary to learn so we didn’t give up. 

But, we did try out a whole bunch of math programs. 

We started with Math-U-See and stuck with that for a few years. It was great for its hands on blocks and visual number street concept. I also loved the way the pages were laid out with their spacious work areas. And, the fact that Steve Demme taught all of the lessons was helpful. But somewhere along the line, Steve started using a strategy that made no sense to me, which meant I could not help the kid with it, and since HE HATES MATH, he always needed my help. So, I decided to make a switch mid-year. 

We switched to Horizons Math. I thought the kid would like the colorful pages and that I would like the spiral approach. But, the pages were crammed with too many problems and for a kid who HATES MATH and is a messy writer, more space and a better layout were necessary. But, we finished out the school year with it and then tossed the half-used book into the trash. 

Next up was Life of Fred. I had heard so many great things about this unconventional program with its story approach and real-life applications. I decided we’d give it a go during the summer months. But, with its unusual approach, I figured we needed to start at the beginning. So we started with Apples….and didn’t get too far. Neither of us really enjoyed the stories; we found them weird. And, there was simply not enough practice to accompany the stories. So, that was the end of Fred. 

When the fall rolled around, I was searching for yet another math program.  A fellow homeschool mom suggested Christian Light Education. The small booklets were appealing to me and I thought would be less overwhelming to my son. So, we did the placement test, which resulted in him being more than a grade level behind. Though I didn’t like that fact, I knew it must be true. After all, HE HATES MATH and we were now on our fourth math program {in six years.} So, I swallowed my pride, and ordered the level that the placement test suggested. But, apparently, I did not swallow ALL of my pride, because I was determined to catch him up within that year. So, we doubled up on math. Yeah. For a kid who HATES MATH, that was a really dumb move on this mama’s part. But, he’s a compliant kid and did what I asked….with lots of frustration, tears and whispered swearwords {from both of us, truth be told.}

And we actually used CLE for a few levels. He was catching up, but still hating it, and then I was offered a full set of Learn Math Fast for free and I took it. It is promoted as a program that works for kids who don’t like math, find math difficult to grasp or need to catch up. That was surely a description of my kid so we gave it a go! But, it is very clearly designed to start with Volume One {they don’t use grade levels} and work through the rest of the volumes quickly {that’s the “fast” part of the title, I guess.} Well, it didn’t work. Their approach was totally different to what he had learned with the other eighty-two programs he had tried {okay, it was only five by this point, but it felt closer to eighty-two}, so that program was abandoned fairly quickly and the remainder of the set was passed on to another family. 

So, now we’re sitting a few months into a new school year and,  yet again, need another new math program. So, Math Lessons for a Living Education it was! The name alone promotes a concept of learning math from the perspective of using it in real life. And it had stories to go along with it. At this point, I was so tired of math, that I figured if he could just learn how to use it in real life, I’d be satisfied and we could move on with life. So, that’s what we did for seventh grade. And we both hated it. The stories seemed totally random and didn’t really incorporate math into real-life situations and they certainly didn’t lend themselves to any type of excitement or anticipation about reading the next one. So, we finished one book of that during 7th Grade but I knew I needed to find something else for 8th Grade and beyond. 

And, then the kid announced his firm intention of being a zoologist when he grew up. And I knew that meant that I needed to make a very specific and rigorous plan for his High School science and math.

So, back to the drawing board I went. Or at least, I started to go. But then God took care of all of my math worries and woes by sending me on a quick and unexpected trip multiple states away close to the end of that summer.

While in California for a funeral, I stayed with my favorite auntie. This favorite auntie happens to be my ultimate role model for homeschooling. She homeschooled all of my cousins long before it was even legal to do so. And, in the end, she produced five well-adjusted, gainfully-employed, mathematically-literate adults. 

Why I hadn’t approached her about math before is beyond me. Maybe because it had been two decades since she had actually taught my cousins so I assumed she’d be out of touch with today’s programs? I don’t know. But, I should’ve known she’d have the perfect suggestion for us because, really, does math change? 

You can add manipulatives and color pictures. You can add DVDs, video streaming or live instructors. But, does the actual math really change? No. 

When I explained where my son was in math and where he needed to go, she immediately got up, walked into her garage and came back with the math book that all five of my cousins used in 8th Grade:

Saxon Algebra 1/2

I took that old, worn, hardbound book and opened it. On the inside cover I discovered the signatures of all my cousins and the dates they used the book. It made me think of when I was in school and had been assigned a textbook for the year. 

But beyond the sweet nostalgia of realizing that a second generation would be using that book, was the sudden “ah ha” moment of what my son needed. He just needed straightforward, simply presented normal math. 

So, I packed that Saxon book into my luggage with a newfound excitement for the upcoming school year. 

And then I got home and sat down to plan the lessons out and got overwhelmed.

It was straightforward all right. I knew it was what he needed to finally set a firm foundation in math and get him ready for the rigors of Algebra, Geometry and Calculus in high school. But, it was so straightforward that I knew he would need more than just the plainly written daily lessons for him to actually learn. And, now that we were dealing with the beginnings of advanced math concepts, I knew I could not teach it. 

And then God stepped in again. I wish I could recall exactly where I read about Nicole the Math Lady. I think it was in a FaceBook group for homeschoolers. But, I am not sure. But, no matter where it was, I am positive that God placed Nicole right there in my path for a very specific purpose. I had never ever heard of Nicole before. Ever. But, I will be forever grateful that I discovered her when I did. 

Nicole TEACHES Saxon math lessons to your kids. For a very low subscription fee, you can log into her videos and watch her go through EACH LESSON. She does it efficiently with nothing but a big whiteboard, some colored markers, total clarity and a sweet smile. 

It was like hiring a one-on-one private and highly qualified teacher to tackle the one subject that was hated in our house. 

The kid and I watched the daily lessons together {so I knew what he was supposed to be doing and could help him correct mistakes of his written assignments} and then he would do his daily assignment. Every day, Nicole saved the day in our home. I’m not kidding. I cannot adequately praise her approach or thank her enough for her lessons. 

After one year with Saxon and Nicole, my son is ready to take on Algebra for Ninth Grade! 

And, for once, it’s just the middle of the summer and we’ve already got Math all figured out: Saxon Algebra with Nicole the Math Lady. 

If you are interested in “hiring” Nicole the Math Lady, you can find the details by clicking on her name…just pick one of the 54 times I dropped it for you. Oh, heck, let’s make it a nice round 55 times because, in case you didn’t notice,  I LOVE Nicole!  

The kid may never love math, but I know we will have much fewer tears, frustrations and swear words with this approach to math. 

And I know this approach will give him what is necessary to take the required science courses in high school. 

And I know this approach will have him all prepped and ready to roll for college in four years. 

FEB 2021 UPDATE: We are now half-way through his Ninth Grade year and the kid is rocking Algebra! And, really, all of the credit goes to Nicole! Not only does she offer easy-to-understand videos for every lesson in his Saxon Algebra 1 textbook, she now also offers online grading. So, she does ALL THE MATH WORK for me! 

 

How to Slow the SUMMER SLIDE

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{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.} 

SUMMER SLIDE is a phrase used to describe the slide backwards that many children make in reading and math skills over the summer break. 

When I was a classroom teacher, the SUMMER SLIDE was to be expected. And reviewing for several weeks in the fall in order to combat the SUMMER SLIDE was also to be expected. It’s common practice for classroom teachers to build in several weeks of review at the start of each new school year. Unfortunately, it is impossible to target each kid’s specific “slide issues” so, instead, entire classes receive the same review.  Sally might’ve slid back twelve steps in math and three steps in reading while Billy slid back two steps in math and twenty steps in reading. But both Billy and Sally {plus their twenty classmates} would have to sit through the same review lessons. 

But, one of the many benefits of homeschooling is that we don’t release our students into the wild summer with nothing but a library card and and our sincere hopes that they’ll do more than just watch TV, play video games and sleep late. We actually get to shape their schedules and continue to place expectations on their educations. 

But, unless our kids have no break in their school routines at all, homeschool kids are still prone to the SUMMER SLIDE. 

So, why not be purposeful in making sure our kids don’t lose too much over the summer break? Below are five of our top suggestions for slowing the SUMMER SLIDE. 

 

ONE: DO FUN UNIT STUDIES

This is always my favorite educational activity to do over the summer because we get to learn about all sorts of subjects, people and events that we didn’t have time for during the regular school year. The variety of unit studies that is available is endless and also fairly inexpensive. Plus, they are easy to add to/subtract from as fits your family’s needs and schedule. Teachers Pay Teachers has an enormous selection of unit studies on all sorts of subjects including some great current event topics including the 2020 Summer Olympics, the Presidential Election and Sharks! 

 

TWO: PLAY REVIEW GAMES

In order to keep school at least a wee bit fun during the school year, we try to play at least one educational game per week but, sadly,  the weekly game is always the first thing to get cut when we are running short of time. But, summer is the perfect time to be diligent about playing educational games. Whether you want to review math, science, spelling or history, there are several educational games that are both fun AND serve as a very purposeful review. Some of our favorites include Four Way Countdown {which covers all four mathematical operations so it’s perfect for nearly all ages/skill levels,} Game of the States {geography,} Wordical {spelling} and Totally Gross {science}.

 

THREE: SHARE a BACK & FORTH JOURNAL 

We’ve done this off and on for years and not only is it a fun way for my son to practice his least favorite subject, writing, it also provides us with a wonderful keepsake. You can make this super simple with a plain spiral notebook or much more elaborate with a fancy personalized journal. Either way, the concept is to have your child write to you about whatever he/she wants and then to for you to write back. This way, your kid is not only reading AND writing, he/she is doing it on a very personal level. And, as we know, the more personalized we can make the lesson, the more educational value will be found in it. My son, who is now 13 and HATES writing, truly loves when we do a back & forth journal. He especially loves asking me questions that I always take the time to answer and I love the fact that I have a precious journal to keep for the future. {Plus I seem to be able to show more interest in things like MineCraft, dragons and baseball through writing than I do in person.}

 

FOUR: FIND NEW SOURCES FOR RESOURCES

Sign your kids up for the summer reading program at the library. Or, finally look into their digital resources that you bookmarked in your web browser months ago {like me.} Do a deep dive into Netflix or Disney+ in search of a “new to you” educational series. Sign your kids up for an old fashioned magazine subscription or, instead,  a modern subscription box {I don’t even need to subscribe to anything….we can just dig out the 24 editions of Zoobooks my son has accumulated but hasn’t read yet.} I always have a stash of ideas that I wish we could get to but save “for when we have more time”. Well, summer is the perfect time to dig into that stash!

 

FIVE: USE LEFTOVER CURRICULUM PAGES

This is an idea that I came by accidentally but have used every year since I discovered it. As the school year winds down, I always go through all of our son’s work in order to finalize grades and organize things for storage. Inevitably, I discover incomplete pages amidst his finished work, additional practice pages in the rear of his textbooks, alternate test versions in the teacher’s manual and fun/trivial items that I purposely had him skip in the interest of time. All of these items make great review pages during the summer months. And because they tie in perfectly to what was just learned during the school year, they are not busy work, but rather purposeful pieces redesigned to serve as a review. 

What will you do with your kids to slow the SUMMER SLIDE? Let me know in the comments below! 

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