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• Consider schooling year-round. Many families homeschool through the summer months, although the academics are usually light to allow for all the fun activities we associate with June, July and August. To change things up a bit, you might choose to teach summer related subjects, such as 1) How bouncing on a trampoline relates to kinetic and potential energy 2) how and why a lightning bug lights up, 3) why falling stars aren't stars at all, etc.
   
• Take an 80% break from book related learning. Use the summer months for fun yet educational activities that you may not have time for during the school year. These might include swimming lessons, music, art, baseball, hiking, camping, gardening, and more. Even if you take a break, don't make it a 100% break. As mentioned previously children who take the entire summer off, tend to lose academic skills. On the other hand, children who read as few as six books over the summer maintain the level of reading skills they achieved during the preceding school year.
   
• Catch up during the summer. Some families may have a child who didn't do too well in a certain subject this past year and they want to help their child catch up. Summer is a good time for an independent study program, tutoring service or an online distance learning program. Consider eLearningK12--eLearningK12 is offering 30% off their Level 1 services during the summer months.
   
• Go to camp. The number of summer camps for homeschoolers and their families are growing and they are varied. These camps combine fun with educational opportunities, for the kids and for the entire family.
  
  If your kids don't want to go away for camp, consider local day camp options in your community. These offerings probably include drama, horseback riding, swimming and more. Your children can participate in a different program each week and finish the summer with a great bit of knowledge!
   
• Take a summer vacation. Some families take long vacations to visit family, historical locations, or both! Travel provides many educational moments. As with camps, there are destinations that have special homeschool times and discounts. When possible, have the kids help with the vacation planning and decision making processes. For instance, have the kids plot the trip on a map and estimate the mileage -- a built-in math lesson!
  
  Stay vacations have become popular in recent years. If you don't want to load up the car or hop on a plane, look into all the fun and educational opportunities your town provides. People often overlook what's in their own back yard. What amusement parks, botanical gardens, museums, theaters, etc. are near you? Check to see if they have homeschool programs/discounts.
   
• Start learning a language or take an elective! eLearningK12 offers foreign language courses in five languages (Chinese, French, German, Latin, and Spanish) for grades K-12, and eLearningK12 offers many high school electives.
   
• Enroll in junior college classes. Most colleges offer summer enrichment classes (think cooking, drama, sewing, etc.), for all ages of students. In addition, many junior colleges allow high school teens to enroll in college classes through a dual enrollment program, where they earn high school credit and college credit at the same time.
   
• Become involved in support group activities. Don't have one near you? Start your own!
   
• Get a job or volunteer. A teen's first summer job or experience as a volunteer is certainly a learning experience! Think about it--what did you learn in your first job?
   

This summer, check out the many educational and enrichment programs that are available in your area -- and consider spending part of the summer with eLearningk12. After all, it's important to be a summer learner!
 

eLearningK12 is a personalized, guided, web-based education system for students in Grades K-12.  We provide quality, engaging curriculum aligned to state and national standards, as well as assistance from our team of professional educators and friendly customer service. eLearningK12 offers a variety of services to meet the needs of individuals and families, either near one of our learning centers or anywhere on the planet.