Our Summer break officially began back in April when we wrapped up Year 4 and Year 1. Since then, I have been moving along in finishing my planning for the next year, and gathering the supplies and remaining books before we start back up again at the end of June.
Aside from the homeschool planning that I’ve been sharing about lately, I do have actual plans to rest and reset this Summer, and I’m going to share with you those plans, today!
What’s Schole, you ask? Simply put, it’s leisurely learning that can expand outside of just reading books. Here’s my working definition of the idea:
“This is not to be mistaken for selfish gain, or self-care, where the time spent ends at self. No. The heart of my Schole time is that it gives me as a whole person, a will and responsibility beyond myself, to first and foremost love God and draw closer to him more deeply. Schole, a continuous restful learning, is stewarding my time that equips me to pour out to the relationships and duties around me, in a life-giving, faithful way.” -Amanda Cooper, Our Cooper Nest
I have 4 weeks until our new homeschool year begins, and now that most of my lesson planning is complete, I will use the Summer to recharge my heart and mind, steeped in books, and encouraging and equipping resources.
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Home Education Books and Reads:
- School Education by Charlotte Mason
- The Improvement of the Mind by Isaac Watts
- Common Place Quarterly Issue
Other Home Education Resources:
- Schole Sisters Resurrection of the Enchanted World Workshop: Schole Sisters always have interesting topics being discussed in their workshops that I don’t come across often, so this one intrigued me for my Summer!
- A Mother’s Education Plutarch: The Life of Brutus from Little World Wanderers: Beth’s course is currently full so I hope she’ll have more openings in the future for those who didn’t get to sign up! She has several Mother’s Education Courses to choose from in the meantime.
- I know the world of blogging isn’t as popular anymore, and many turn to YouTube channels, shorts, or Reels these days. However, I prefer and love to slow down, sit down, and read a lengthier blog article rather than watch something if I had the choice. It’s an entirely different art form of conveying ideas that resonate more powerfully with me. While there are still a few stand-alone bloggers who write consistently that I enjoy reading, I’ve recently turned to the world of Substack. Once a week I pull out my iPad, make myself a cup of tea (this one is a current favorite), nestle into my sofa with a cozy blanket (yup, even during the 105+ degree desert Summer), and dive in. I recently created an entirely new email account just to have it for subscribing to content that I want to read during this time, and not have it get lost in the sea of *mostly junk in my main personal email. I still love a good homeschool, homemaking, bookish, or theological YouTube channel from time to time, and of course, there’s Instagram. However, lately, if I’m going to consume something on the internet, I want it to be in written form with a bit more depth, and at my own pace.
Additional Resources I’m Including in My Summer Schole:
- Nourish Move Love’s Summer Workout Program begins June 9th, 2025! I’ve done her Perform 20 program 3 times now, and a few others at random, and I think her free programs are the best out there, by far!
- It was my goal two Summers ago to make exercise as convenient as possible so I would stop making excuses. I began with a walking pad and since then, I’ve upgraded to one that inclines and I love it for the additional challenge (especially with a weighted vest!).
- Lastly, I decided to pick up my nature journal again after neglecting it for about a year. I hope to take a moment each day and journal straight out from my backyard, or when we are out camping and hiking. Keeping it simple, but eventually, I’d love to include some watercolors in my entries.
A Mother’s Morning Time:
Last Summer, I created my own Summer Schole morning time with subjects we include in our homeschool morning collective. These subjects included poetry, scripture memory work, nature study, and literature. This Summer, my mother’s morning time will include poetry, some literature, Plutarch, and biographies from Ambleside Online’s Year 5 booklist.
My Mother’s Morning Time happens after my personal Bible time. My goal is to have my mother’s morning time three times a week, leaving two days open in the mornings and evenings (excluding weekends) for continued pre-reading for the rest of Ambleside Online Year 5 and other books on my TBR list. Below I’ve listed the resources I will use in my mother’s morning time:
To support and respect Ambleside Online’s free curriculum offered, the books below, which are part of their booklists, are AO’s affiliate links.
- Poetry: AO’s Volume 5 poetry collection which includes Kipling, Longfellow, Whittier, and Dunbar
- King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Green
- The Plutarch Project: Volume One (Revised) by Anne White
- Of Courage Undaunted: Across the Continent with Lewis and Clark by James Daugherty
- The Courage and Character of Theodore Roosevelt by George Grant
Final Thoughts
Though I won’t touch every book every day, and I may not finish my reading plans before our homeschool year begins, I believe this is going to be a wonderful use of my Summer break! I’m also hoping to try a few new recipes, declutter a few nooks and crannies in our rental, and maybe pick up my crochet again.
What will you enjoy reading and doing this Summer season?
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