Some families take the whole summer off from home schooling. Some don’t. And I don’t think either one is right or wrong. We don’t and we have our reasons for it just like anyone who does take the summer off has reasons. The beauty of home schooling is that you get to do what works for your family. I love summer school because we have time to do things that we just can’t cram in during the busy school year. I also have found that if we take the summer off completely, the lack of routine destroys the peace in our home. So at the very least, we do morning school any morning we are all home.
I’ve also been noticing a lot Classical Conversations families wanting to find ways to prepare their children for the next Challenge level over the summer. Challenge is not an easy breezy academic picnic. It’s a lot of work and it can get overwhelming. Spending the summer gently preparing for the workload to come is a wise way to spend quiet moments over the summer. Just promise me, let your kids still enjoy summer. Doing a full school schedule in preparation for Challenge over the summer will suck the joy right out of the school year.
Great list. One comment: I have my student read the books in the summer and RE-READ during the school year. That way he can leisurely enjoy the story in the summer, and read it for the ANI in the winter. It has worked great for all three of my boys, the oldest of whom will be in Challenge III next year (for the really difficult books in Challenge I and II, I suggest reading abridged versions in the summer and the real thing during the school year).