Summer Vacation: The Best Decision for our Homeschool

A few summers ago, our homeschool tried out something new – we schooled right through the summer, instead of opting for our traditional summer vacation.

Our reasons were many, but the biggest factor was that we needed to make up some time with our formal books and lessons as we had to take an extended Spring break for a family move.

So we did it.

We worked on math and science, history, and Language Arts through the summer. Not at the same pace as we would during the “regular” school year, but we did. We worked outside whenever we could, and left the inside stuff for the afternoon when it was too warm to be outside.

We even took a couple of weeks off completely between the end of one school year and the beginning of the next. But after it was all said and done the kids and I decided that year-round homeschooling was not for us.

And this year we are taking the summer off.

The Case for Summer Vacation

Maybe it’s because we’ve always taken a summer vacation, but not taking our traditional break somehow made the summer seem less summery.

Even with a relaxed schedule, we still had school days.

And we never had that extended break where our brains could decompress and simply be.

For the kids, summer is a time of staying up late and sleeping in.

Sunshine-filled summer days that are packed with walks, bike rides, and simply playing outside.

It means extra time hanging out with friends or working on their own projects.

Freedom where their days are not planned by me but by them.

They have the time and ability to decide what to do and when to do it – within reason, of course.

For me, summer is a time when I clear out from one school year and prepare for the next. A time when I shift from ending one homeschool year to starting the next.

It’s a time when I can evaluate prior years and establish goals for the next. Books no longer needed are stored for later use. Supplies are inventoried and replaced. New curricula and other homeschool resources are purchased.

Summer is also a time for larger projects and some much-needed dedicated time on my business. A time where I can devote several hours at a time, rather than a few here and a few there.

And for our family, well it’s a time for late nights around a fire in the backyard.

Talking walks around the block.

Trips to the park or the lake.

It’s a time of the year when days feel like they move at a slower pace as many of the kids’ extra-curricular activities are on a break and the typical rush of the school year slows.

And yes, I know all about the danger of the summer slide, the time when children can lose a significant portion of their learning through extended breaks.

For us, summer vacation is still worth it.

For our family, the need to decompress is more important than opening our textbooks year-round.

However, one way we combat the summer slide is by utilizing a summer reading list!

More Than That Though…

More than all of that, summer vacation is our tradition and part of our family’s rhythm.

Taking the summer off is part of our routine just like our extended break in December.

A rhythm we are used to.

The official end of one year is followed by a break before we begin the next.

It’s those weeks in between that help us transition and allow us to start the new year refreshed and energized – something that was sorely missed at the beginning of this year.

With just a couple of weeks off between the two, it wasn’t enough. We hadn’t enjoyed any of our typical summer routines. We didn’t break long enough to really feel refreshed.

So when the books came out we had no excitement, no energy.

It was no different than if we had taken time off in April for Spring cleaning or in December for Christmas.

And Maybe We Did It Wrong

I’ll admit that maybe we did year-round schooling wrong.

We hadn’t started our school year planning on taking twelve months to complete it instead of ten.

In fact, the only reason for schooling through the summer was making up lost book days due to rehabbing a home… a project that took more than a year to complete, overshadowing many homeschool days.

And while I did count the days working on the house as school days, I still felt the pressure to not fall behind in academics even as we all learned life skills in the form of electrical, plumbing, painting, collaboration, and more.

I was just so dissatisfied with our progress that I put on a happy face as I announced the decision to continue academics through most of the summer.

It wasn’t a decision I liked or even wanted to make, but one I felt we needed.

Yet now, several years past our failed year-round homeschooling experience, I still remember sitting at the end of the school year and can recall just how exhausted we all were the year we skipped our summer break.

I can still remember how we all looked with multiple years of busyness and stress wearing on us all.

And for me, that’s enough of a reason to say yes to a summer break every year, regardless of what we finish in our books

A Homeschool Perk

As with so many other things homeschool-related, being able to create our own schedule is a benefit.

We can assess the needs of our home, our children, and even ourselves as homeschooling parents.

We have the ability to create both a day-to-day rhythm and routine that works for us – and a yearly plan that accommodates the educational needs of our family.

For many families, year-round homeschooling does that. They are able to enjoy four-day school weeks, schedules that allow for frequent breaks, and travel when the opportunity arises.

Many families opt for year-round homeschooling to accommodate a parent’s work schedule or to prevent the summer brain drain that is common when taking an extended break.

As for our family, we are taking the risk of a loss of learning.

We are working to pack our minimum number of student days into ten months, rather than twelve. Taking the time that our family needs because, for our family at least, summer vacation truly is what works best for us.

Speaking of Summer Brain Drain!

We actually have 2 great methods to avoid the summer brain drain while enjoying summer vacation!

The first is reading! Yup, we are always turning the pages in our favorite books both together for read-alouds and independently.

Second, we work on a variety of fun and free learning packets and summer coloring pages throughout the summer. These low-pressure, fun activity packets help keep brains sharp and ensure we are ready to start in the fall.