Is anyone else taking school at a slower pace during December? This is our first year to school year round so I purposely marked December to go at a slower pace so we can really celebrate the Season and the meaning of it, do some baking, volunteering and just being able to soak the Season in without all of the rush,rush,rush. How do all of you do school in December?
We also school year round and we always slow down in Dec. We usually do school 2-3 times a week instead of 5 days a week. We have done this ever since my oldest was 5 and it has really helped us enjoy the season a lot more.
We always take December slower! I am like Minthia, we do school 3 days a week with the other two days cooking, sewing, watching Christmas movies... We have fun during Christmas. I make most of my gifts for family, so the girls help me during Dec.
In December we do Advent studies. I use December studies as a way to counteract all the "gimme gimme gimme" & materialisim the world tries to sale this time of year.
We do what we can when we can. DH is taking Phillip hunting all next week down at his aunt's place in southern Ohio. She owns half a mountain; her son owns the other half. He'll be taking his math (Fred) and literature with him, but I told DH whether or not it is done is up to him (dh, not Phillip, lol!). If he's up early and out hunting every morning, and too tired every night, that's OK. But if he's up watching TV every night, that's a different story! Faythe and I will be doing some school, but not much. We're going to conentrate on baking cookies and cleaning house. We're also on the last chapter of The Two Towers. I've been really pushing to get it finished before they leave. I told the kids we'd watch the movie when the guys get back, but wouldn't start reading The Return of the King until after the first of the year. I think it will be too hit-and-miss between now and then.
We do what JosieB described. I plan to do no school in December actually as far as the three R's. We'll do lots of stuff that would certainly qualify for social studies, science, art, etc. learning through life and activities. We actually stopped formal schooling Friday before Thanksgiving. I might have him do a formal lesson here and there to keep things fresh but definitely a MUCH slower pace the before.
We always have a lot field trips planned during Dec. I will also stop schooling (or just do a day or two of catch up) after Dec. 14. We do not do "school" after dd's birthday until the new year. I try to use that time for making cookies, watching Christmas specials and just some fun stuff. This year we are taking off the first week in Jan too since my Mom will be in visitng
We are taking off 2 weeks starting Dec. 19. I am so ready for it now. We will school normal up til then and take off for any Christmas parties, homeschool group gatherings, and such. We will also do Advent activities and watch Christmas movies during lunch times. I would rather school regular and get 2 full weeks off than hit and miss school and feel behind and have to work during the holidays.
We technically only take off the two weeks that the public schools do, but DD is rehearsing non-stop for a musical (Scrooge ), and will have performances for several weeks in December. We've already cut down to just math, science, reading and writing.
I planned to take off from Thanksgiving through New Year's, but we have a few things to wrap up, so we will be finishing up on Nov. 29th and have off from Nov. 30 (DS' birthday) through Jan. 1.
Oh yeah-Christmas movies! I try to do a Christmas show each evening in December-even if it's only a Christmas episode of a TV show. For us, the stress of trying to 'keep up' with a regular schedule in December would stress me out more than taking that month off from regular studies! Your post just reminded me how great homeschooling is, how each family can do what works for them-even if it 100% opposite of what works for another family!
We have a fairly busy next three weeks. But starting December 17th, we'll slow down to just the basics (LA, Bible & Math). And I think we're taking off until the 2nd and starting slow the 2nd, 3rd and 4th....with full load on the 7th of January. I try to do as much as we can to take as much as possible off in December. But even my kids are more concerned with getting off by the end of May, so....they are willing to push through and add days when necessary. I've changed our history curricula from 4 week units to 3 week units so that I can fit in the whole book and still fit in things I like to (like we took a 2 week break to fit in Elections). they seem to be surviving the pace, so I'm not going to stop now!
We've been playing catch up! We are at a "slower" pace, just because we have been so far behind on many things, as there have been weeks very slacked. So instead of doing a "full" day of school this past month, we've been just doing what we hadn't in a while, which mostly includes Math and Grammar, throwing in a little bit of Science for fun. We'll try to start up one regular week this coming week, but we might not bother until January, though my son is dying to do the Science experiments for Botany, so maybe we'll just do that!
We usually do school on days that my husband works, unless there is something that would get in the way. I'm of the mindset that we need to get as many days done as possible, so that we have plenty of time to take off when the need arises.
we follow DH's schedule. He's a prof at our local community college. He has three weeks of at Christmas and so do we!
We did that until this year, because Dh taught at the public school. It was just too much trying to teach when he was "off"!
I planned school as usual with two weeks off from the week of Christmas through the first week of January. However, life has stepped in and I've decided not to stress but to adjust. Last week was a three day week, the week before a four day week. This week will probably end up being a four day week. We have had community service opportunities come up as well as social fun. Choosing to just roll with whatever comes and being purposeful about not stressing is making this a very fun Christmas season so far.
Nope! Playing catch up! I wish we could take it off, but we took too much time during harvest to take Dec off. :cry:
