Summer Scholé Plans

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In this post, I’m sharing our summer scholé plans this year in our home. Just because we are done with formal lessons for the year, I still want to fill our days with plenty of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.

But in a more leisurely and restful way.

First off, what does scholé even mean?

If you’re not familiar with the word, scholé, it is the Greek word for leisure and root word for school. It can be said that it means a restful learning, but it also does not mean idleness either.

And so, I thought it was fitting for how we are going to utilize our time this summer. In the past, we have taken the summer months off completely. I’ve even attempted a little bit of year round schooling in the past.

This summer, we are taking an approach that lies somewhere in the middle. With plenty of rest, but also with leisurely learning thrown in.

I don’t know about you, but the transition back to school in the Fall is a bit of a challenge when everyone’s routine has been completely relaxed. And so, I hope that this method of leisurely learning will aid in our jump back into formal lessons.

I don’t want to lose a lot of the skills that they’ve built over the course of a year or alter our routines and family rhythms.

Habits & Routines

First off, our focus this summer will be to continue to build upon habits and establishing better routines for the children in fulfilling their morning duties & chores.

While, I want to encourage rest, I don’t want to encourage idleness or laziness to develop.

So, I changed up their routines slightly, but also didn’t deviate from them too much so that the children could continue to improve in their habits & routines.

We are continuing in a morning time routine of learning, but I’ve changed the subjects and materials that we are using.

Here are two great sources for habit training if you’re new to the Charlotte Mason or Classical world:

• Laying Down the Rails
• Manners of the Week Flashcards

We are not unwilling to make efforts in the beginning with the assurance that by-and-by things will go smoothly; and this is just what habit is, in an extraordinary degree, pledged to effect. The mother who takes pains to endow her children with good habits secures for herself smooth and easy days; while she who lets their habits take care of themselves has a weary life of endless friction with the children.

Charlotte Mason, home education

Morning Time

In keeping with our routines, I put together a summer scholé morning time plan. This is to keep us in the habit of morning time together as a family. But also it is leisurely and full of fresh ideas for the summer months.

Our summer morning time rotates throughout the week and I’ve included the following:

• Christian studies (bible, catechism, saint’s stories)
• Summer nature study & summer themed picture books
• Hymns
• Folk songs
• Current events
• Manners / Habits
• Handicrafts
• Poetry, myths, fables, tales
• Read-aloud chapter books

Our morning time is simple and usually around 30 minutes, but sometimes longer as desired.

Nature Study

Living in the midwest kind of means that this is the best time for our nature studies. While there is plenty to see and explore in the winter months, I’m weak and don’t handle the cold weather well. 😅

My husband, who is a Nebraska native, and the children handle it with no issues or complaints. But…I basically hibernate during that time of year.

Anyway… summer is the time of year where we get out and explore so many things and make time for nature walks & leisurely study — almost daily.

Afternoon Educational Block

In the afternoons, I have added a small block of time to focus on additional light education to keep the children’s minds active.

During this block of time, we will rotate through a variety of topics and finish anything remaining that we didn’t accomplish during the year. One such program is Latina Prima, which we started later in the school year and I want the children to finish within the next few weeks.

These are not intensive or formal lessons during the summer scholé time. But they are to keep the children’s minds active and not to lose what they’ve learned during the year.

Also if we miss a day here and there because outings or other plans, there’s no stress about it.

Mother Culture

Lastly, I want to make sure that I’m taking time for my personal mother culture. I pulled and purchased several books that I want to read or finish reading during the summer time. In my basket, I put a variety of educational, spiritual reading books, and fun novels.

In addition, I also want to listen to a few Shakespeare plays on Audible this summer.

Lastly, I want to catch up on some of the courses that I signed up for on Hillsdale College as well as those on The CMEC.