Summer School is in Session!

We do school year-round at our house. This is for two reasons:

1. Over the years I've found that too much idle time for boys leads to much unpleasantness. We don't live in the country, so there's not a lot of outdoor work to be done on a daily basis. And we live in a neighborhood where 90% of the children are either toddlers or in day-long child care all summer. I need to have something structured for the boys to do.

During the normal school year and in June, we take lots of days off of school when the weather is nice so that we can do special things: hikes, field trips, picnics, park days, etc. We spend a lot of time at the pool as well. This summer all 3 boys will be on swim team.

In the late summer, when the weather is miserable and you just want to hide inside all afternoon, we do. And we do school then.

2. Our family has moved a lot. A LOT. Since 2001 we have lived in 6 cities and 9 homes. That's a lot of disruption. Schooling during the summer gives us flexibility to take time off to pack, unpack, and explore a new city.

This summer I've also given the boys Summer Reading Lists. They're actually fairly excited about them, and Colson is tearing through his. For those interested, here are the lists I've come up with for the boys. I may need to add more to Colson's.....

Braden's Summer Reading List (Rising 9th grader)

Mr. Midshipman Hornblower
The Scarlet Pimpernel
The Dragon and the Raven
The Eagle of the Ninth
The Secret Garden
The Black Stallion
The Hunt for Red October
According to Plan (by Graeme Goldworthy. This is a Biblical theology book.)
Liberty and Tyranny (by Mark Levin. This was one Braden wanted to read.)
All Creatures Great and Small
Johnny Tremain


Brogan's Summer Reading List (Rising 4th grader)

Key to the Treasure
Baby Island
Boxcar Children
Little House in the Big Woods
Little House on the Prairie
Encyclopedia Brown, 100 p.
Homer Price, 149 p.
Mr. Popper’s Penguins, 139 p.
Crabby Cat Caper
Creepy Sleep Over
Green gravy
Midnight Mystery
Misty of Chincoteague
Paul Bunyan
Stuart Little

Colson's Summer Reading List (Rising 1st grader)

I Can Read Books
• Morris Goes to School (Level 1)
• Frog and Toad (5 book series, Level 2)
• Mouse Tales (Level 2)-
Each Peach Pear and Plum, 32 p.
Drummer Hoff, 32 p.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, 20 p.
Doctor DeSoto, 32 p.
Corduroy, 28 p.
Circus Caps for Sale
Curious George, 36 p.
Harry the Dirty Dog, 32 p.
Bread and Jam for Frances, 32 p. (5 book series)
The Little Engine that Could, 37 p.
Floss, 32 p.
Ox-cart Man, 40 p.
Blueberries for Sal, 32 p.
The Magic Fish, 32 p.
Gregory’s Shadow, 32 p.
Maybelle The Cable Car, 42 p.
Madeline, 46 p. (6 book series)
Seaman’s Journal: On the Trail with Lewis and Clark
Poems to Read to the Very Young, by Josette Frank