The Stories Your Children Are Living Right Now

By: Lanette Judy

Every summer, homeschool moms start asking the same question. "How do I keep my children learning over the summer?" Maybe you've asked it too.

After all, we've spent the school year building good habits. We've worked on reading, writing, vocabulary, and communication skills. It's natural to wonder if all of that progress will disappear by the time September arrives. Let’s hope not! 

But can I gently offer a different perspective?

What if summer isn't a break from learning? What if it's where some of the most important learning happens? As a reading specialist, I've worked with many children over the years. And I've noticed something interesting.

The children who have the easiest time writing aren't always the ones who completed the most writing assignments. They're often the children who have something to say. They've experienced something. They've noticed something. They’ve thought about ideas. They've wondered about something. In other words, they've been living.

Charlotte Mason understood this principle well. Before children can communicate ideas, they need ideas worth communicating. That's one reason living books are so powerful. They give children rich stories, meaningful characters, and memorable experiences to think about.

But books aren't the only source of those experiences. Life itself is full of them. And summer may be one of the richest seasons of all. Perhaps your family is taking a vacation this year. Maybe you'll spend a week at the beach. Perhaps you'll visit grandparents, go camping, explore a museum, hike a trail, or simply spend long afternoons in the backyard watching fireflies appear as the sun goes down.

Those moments matter more than we sometimes realize. They become the stories our children carry with them. They become the memories that shape conversations around the dinner table. And often, they become the very things children want to write about later.

Think about it for a moment. Would you rather write about a random prompt asking you to imagine a purple elephant on the moon? Or would you rather tell the story of the time your tent collapsed during a thunderstorm? The day you spotted a dolphin from a boat? The museum exhibit you couldn't stop thinking about? The funny thing your little brother said during a road trip?

Real experiences and ideas give children something authentic to communicate. And authentic communication is at the heart of language arts.

Sometimes, as homeschool parents, we can become so focused on practicing skills that we forget where those skills are meant to lead.

• Reading helps us engage with ideas.

• Writing helps us communicate ideas.

• Vocabulary helps us express ideas and communicate thoughts.

But first, we need ideas.

Summer is wonderfully good at providing them. This doesn't mean you need elaborate vacations or expensive adventures. Some of the richest learning happens in ordinary moments.

• A nature walk.

• A family picnic.

• A visit to the local library.

• An afternoon helping in the garden.

• A conversation with a grandparent.

Children are naturally curious when given the opportunity to slow down and observe the world around them. And curiosity is often where great learning begins.

If you'd like to gently nurture language arts over the summer, consider keeping it simple.

• Encourage your children to keep a journal.

• Invite them to sketch something they observed during a trip.

• Ask them to tell you about the most interesting part of their day and why?

• Have them write a postcard to a friend or grandparent.

• Read wonderful books together and talk about them. How would they feel if they were in the character’s shoes?

• Most importantly, give them opportunities to experience life.

The stories they are living right now will become the stories they tell later. They'll become the memories they write about. The connections they make. The ideas they share.

So, dear homeschool mama, if your summer doesn't look like your school year, that's okay. Put away the pressure. Enjoy the adventure. Read aloud together. Explore new places. Laugh often. Notice the little things. Talk with your children.

Because while it may feel like you're taking a break from formal lessons, your children are gathering something incredibly valuable. They're collecting stories. And those stories may become some of the most important learning they carry with them long after summer ends.

We want to know! What fun things are you doing this summer that are collecting stories for your children?