Finish Strong

It's almost May - the weather is looking great here this week and with temperatures forecasted in the 80s, we have summer on our minds. I find this to be the hardest time to stay on track when it comes to homeschooling. The end is in sight, but we have to be intentional about finishing what we've started. Our winters tend to be gray and rainy, so when the sun comes out, it's tempting to throw in the towel and soak up the sun. Especially when it's very likely the rain will return and stick around another month or two.

Here are some ideas I'm hoping to embrace that will allow us to do both...enjoy the sun and finish strong.

Maintain morning routine ~ Most of our school work is done during the morning hours. Although the sun is shining in the morning, the temperatures are still relatively cool, so if we maintain our morning school routine, we can head outside at lunch time and enjoy warmer temps all afternoon.

Study outside ~ We live near a beautiful park with many different areas where we could set up school. It only takes a little bit of extra time and effort to pack school work and lunch and head up to the park for our studies. On days with less time, we can head to the back yard for math and history, or across the street to the neighbor's dock for lakeside lessons.

These were from three years ago!

Field trips ~ This is a great time to take advantage of our zoo membership, the many local parks and gardens and everything else this area has to offer. I don't want to be on the go every day, but I do want to try to have one big outing a week in May.

Backyard science ~ I have gardening on my mind. Usually the girls help me, but this year I want them to plant and tend their own garden. I can think of no greater way for them to learn about the life cycle of plants than to have first hand experience. And this is a project that will last all summer.

Start something new ~ As much as we want to finish the subjects and books we've started, I don't want the learning to end when we head into summer. I'm not sure how long it will last, but we've just gotten brand new science books and experiment kits - our first official science curriculum - and plan to start it this week. We are also going to start a baking/home ec unit with the intent the girls will plan and host their own garden party this summer.


I'd love to hear your ideas if you have any to add. How do you stay focused and push through until the end?