Wouldn't it be glorious if we could just embrace summer to its fullest?

I used to think taking a complete break from "school" was best. The kids (and mom) needed time to decompress, relax, sleep in, and do all of the wonderful things summer has to offer.

Then reality set in.

After about a week of "embracing" summer, I started observing grumbling, boredom, and a spirit of discontent (and this was just from mom!). The kids were at loose ends and not so happy about summertime anymore.

Routine is a GOOD thing.

When my kids were younger we always embraced a gentle way to school throughout the summer. Now that they are older we need more formalized routines to maintain good moods and fosters peaceful relationships (can you relate?)

A routine also keeps academic skills sharp and inquisitive minds churning. It eliminates the need for questions and keeps kids off of devices.

Simple Summer Homeschool For Big Kids - A Routine to Keep them Engaged and Learning

It's all about SIMPLE in our homeschool.

Both my husband and I work from home. I need to be sure there is time for me to WORK in the mornings, so having this simple routine in place greatly helps our home run smoothly. We are both structured people and tend to become unhappy without routine.

It's just natural our children will need routine then, too.

This is nothing fancy, and it might look different in your homeschool, but here is our routine. Resources we are using will be listed at the end.

Simple Summer Homeschool Routine for Big Kids

Morning Time

We keep Morning Time going throughout the summer.

Devotions
Read-Aloud (I spend A LOT of time reading aloud - we're enjoying this part of our summer. We take turns reading aloud and using this fun color by number... makes read-aloud time fun.)
SQUILT (my son helps me preview SQUILT LIVE! lessons - I always try them out on him first)

Summer Read Alouds in a Simple Homeschool Summer Schedule for Big Kids

Chores

Take out the garbage, unload the dishwasher, make sure your room is picked up and bed made, etc...

Math

Math is too important a skill to let slide. My son completes a full math lesson each day (yes, I am a mean mom).

We are also peppering in some ACT practice problems this summer as well. I'm finding it's never too early to start this.

Vocabulary

My son enjoys words (I think a lot of this comes from learning Latin), so I ordered a set of ACT flashcards.

He enters them into Quizlet each day. I've challenged him to learn all 500 words by the end of the summer. If he can learn them I have promised him a trip to our local LEGO store.

Yes, I know - bribery.

Don't judge.

Building Vocabulary in Summer Homeschool

Piano Practice

Piano is another skill that needs constant attention. 20-30 minutes practice is required each day. I'm quite thankful my kids enjoy playing.

(If you don't have a musician, you might choose another skill your child enjoys to work on this summer - maybe it is art or some other creative outlet)

Read Alone

Once the other activities are finished, it's reading time. You can see some of the books my son has been interested in below.

Normally, the morning time, math, vocabulary, and piano take approximately 3 hours - then reading seems to occur for 30 minutes, or however long a book will captivate my son.

This routine seems to take us right to lunch time.

(I don't make the kids get up at any certain time in the summer, but they've seemed to figure out that if they sleep in too late they will be doing their required work longer, and that's no fun.)

After lunch there is usually time spent with a friend, errands to run, going to the YMCA, or something else to keep the day interesting.

Of course, we have a couple of vacations planned, the kids have a mission trip, and Grant is going to camp. This routine is in place for those weeks when we are home and need to be occupied.

That's it. I told you it was simple.

Resources for Summer Homeschool

Do you have a summer routine with your big kids? Tell me about it.

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Gentle Ways to School Throughout the Summer

Have you ever had a week where it seems like you are getting pulled in too many directions? Or maybe it's more than just a week. Maybe it's a few weeks or a season.

I'm right smack in the middle of one of those seasons where it seems one thing after another keeps pulling our family away from our "normal." Some of the things are good things, positive things for our family. Other things are just hard. But they all feel like they are pulling us, pushing us, stressing us, and keeping us from the normal ebb and flow of our days.

I know I'm not the only one.

Health problems, financial concerns, family responsibilities, over-committed schedules, or a whole host of other issues can place an extra burden on a homeschool family. And sometimes those things just seem to multiply all at once. Oh, how I know this to be true.

It's times like these that the anchors in our days show their strength. They help hold us steady.

We have anchors built into our family life. Things like our morning and evening routines, regular mealtimes, weekly scheduled activities, family prayer time, etc. The predictability and consistency is good for our kids. It's good for me too.

But one anchor that has lately been helpful and healing to our family is our read aloud time.

Some of our anchors have us going in different directions. Like when we are each getting ready for the day, or me preparing meals while the kids work on school work, or different extracurricular activities throughout the week.

But reading aloud brings us together.

This is always a good thing. But when life is hectic and scrambled, it has even more significance.

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*This post is from guest contributor, Amy. Thank you, Amy, for sharing your heart with us today!

What We are Reading Aloud

We have been reading picture books during our family read aloud times for years. But we are now reading our first chapter book as a family read aloud with my youngest. She just hasn't wanted to sit still for chapter book read alouds in the past.

We are reading Charlotte's Web. This is the first chapter book I read aloud to my oldest several years ago. It brings back such sweet memories for both of us. I hope my youngest will have fond memories of reading it together as well.

Charlotte's Web was a favorite book of mine when I was a child. We are reading aloud from my childhood copy of this delightful book. It was given to me when I was seven years old and still has the inscription in the front of who gave it to me and the date. I have a few special books that I have from my childhood and this one is at the top of the list.

We are going to see a performance of Charlotte's Web in a few weeks. I can't wait to finish reading this aloud with my children and then experience it in person with them.

I think Charlotte's Web is a wonderful book for a first chapter book read aloud. It really draws children in with the characters and the story line. Stories by E.B White are a must-read to children in my opinion. Why not enjoy them together as a family read aloud? Trumpet of the Swan and Stuart Little are two more children's books by E.B. White to add to your read aloud list.

Read Alouds are an Anchor to Our Days

Last week we had severe storms in our area. Buckets of rain poured down. Tornado warnings sounded over the local stations. As our family huddled together in the bathroom, we read aloud.

When my daughter had to wear an eye patch for several days due to an eye injury, we spent lots of time reading aloud. I read Charlotte's Web aloud. Her brother read picture books to her. She "read" her favorite books from memory out loud to us. Her Daddy read silly stories to her.

My husband travels a good bit for business so it's important for us to maintain a steady routine for the kids whether he is home or not. This makes his leaving easier for all of us. When he was on an extended out of town business trip this week, the kids wanted to "camp" in the living room. We snuggled together and read aloud.

With a close family member having major surgery and initiating cancer treatment in recent weeks, our days and our emotions are frazzled. But we read aloud together at night before bed.

With the school year coming to an end in our Classical Conversations groups, our homeschool co-op, and other extra curricular groups, there are extra activities and events to attend. Some days we just don't get to all the things we have hoped to accomplish. But we try to make reading aloud a priority.

Reading aloud brings us together.

It calms us.

It helps bring peaceful moments to our hectic days.

It feels like an anchor to our days.

I encourage you to make reading aloud a priority if you are going through a tough season, a busy few weeks, or just need some more predictability and steadiness in your days. You may find that setting aside the time to read together reaps exponential rewards.

You may find that reading aloud together feels like an anchor holding your days in place even when the rest of your world is trying to push and pull you in a thousand other directions.

An Anchor for Our Souls

Ultimately, I believe the anchor that holds our lives steady and sure is Jesus. One of my favorite verses is...

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Hebrews 6:19

No matter the ebb and flow our of days, Jesus is the answer to leading a life of hope and security.

And along that journey, I hope you find reading aloud with your family brings you closer together and helps bring some steadiness and peace to your days.

If you don't already have personal copies of Charlotte's Web or any of E.B. White's other books, you may click through the links below to order. These sweet stories have stood the test of time and would be a wonderful edition to your home library.

E. B. White Box Set: Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, The Trumpet of the Swan Some Writer!: The Story of E. B. White (Ala Notable Children's Books. All Ages)The Trumpet of the Swan (full color)Stuart Little Charlotte's Web