Christmas Time

[momof4]

Hi Everyone. I was just wondering does anyone ever "take off" this time of the year to do "untraditional" homeschool learning? Meaning just being with your children cooking, baking, decorating etc. Using all of those things as learning tools. Especially the cooking and baking which uses a lot to teach your children. Included in that would be of course discussing, reading, etc about the true meaning of Christmas. I was just wondering if anyone does this. Thanks for your input.

[Aurie]

We are only taking off the week of Christmas. But we are downplaying the schooling much more this month. There is more crafts and cooking that will be part of the learning rather then the traditional schooling we were doing.

[sloan127]

I was wondering what people do during Christmas too. I think we will probably follow the public school schedule since our two sons will be off then. Beth

[KrisRV]

we kind of follow the ps schedule too. But, we do take the week off of Christmas and that is when we bake and do things, other then that we do crafts and things on week ends.

[ABall]

we take a lot of time too for baking and crafts.

[sixcloar]

We take off whatever time my dh is home. He is supposed to get 2 weeks off, but that never happens. It usually ends up being a week. We really don't need more than a week off, but I do take time, as I need it to get things done.

[Emma's#1fan]

Emma reads before bed for a half hour and I always count this as her reading. She is going to start reading Christmas books instead, which she loves, and still get credit for reading because it is.:D
We make many Christmas crafts this time of year, baking, visiting people, so she is working on home-ec, life skills, socializing. Her speller is going to be put aside in December and we are going to learn about the words in Twas The Night Before Christmas. We will take words for spelling from it too. This will also count as her poem memorization for the month. We are also going to learn about the history of this book as well as the history behind other Christmas books. We are going to study Christmas traditions throughout the world. Math for the most part will remain the same, I can't come up with any ideas for math. Please share if anybody has an idea. I am taking the information Ems is learning in Language and turning it into a Christmas theme. For example, instead of writing a short story about what the book asks for, she will write a short story about Christmas and include the proper punctuation and grammer skills the book requires. This is going to be fun. For science we are currently learning about the ear. We will continue to do this but also learn about snow and other winter information. This is a good thing because her book does cover winter but it is breif and not very interesting. Our Bible leassons are going to revolve around the Christ child. We have Christmas break the week of Christmas and a week after.
Patty

[Deena]

Usually we take some time off. This year we need to keep plugging away, since we somehow ended up with so many unplanned days off. We'll take some time off, but not two or three weeks---maybe 3-5 days. They already know that, and arre fine with that, after all, we DID get those other days off! :) We'll also do some baking and stuff too. That's always fun! And we won't have huge long days of schoolwork. We'll probably let them take of a couple weeks from their music (piano, voice and cello), although they'll do those things some too with just our little family.

[Jennifer R]

What grade level is Emma at in math? If it is not too simple, maybe you can come up with a way to use the countdown until Christmas but in a math form. Did that make sense?!LOL!

[Emma's#1fan]

Jennifer, Emma is in 3rd grade but works on 4th and some simple 5th grade math. Maybe she can make some multiplication and division flash cards shaped like Christmas trees or gifts. Hmmm!
Thanks for the idea.
Patty

[MelissainMi]

We will continue as we are and then add in the baking and crafts to our schedule. As long as Madison doesnt have to write much she will be happy and she LOVES to help me bake or be in the kitchen.

[Betty Collins]

We don't really take off.. but we definatly increase family time watching movies like the grinch charlie brown etc... We recently watched a direct tv songs of praise special that had alot of praise music. It was really good. anybody else catch that?

[AmyU]

We usually follow the ps schedule too. But we take time to do different things for Christmas. Baking, crafts and other christmas relate things.

[kbabe1968]

When I lived in AZ, I worked in a church doing childcare 2 days a week and my kids each went to a class. When they would break for the holidays, so would we. It usually meant a full month off!

Well, we moved back to PA and this is the first year I'm using a boxed curriculum...so we won't take off as long. ALTHOUGH...I'm working on getting all the subjects at a final test state so that we can take the week before Christmas and the week after Christmas off. Then I'll just do "living learning". Reading books and such. AND since my eldest will most likely BEG to do school work, I'm going to do some extras, printouts, Christmas crosswords and such. My son - the kinder will love having two weeks off!!!! :D

[Lornaabc]

I play December by the day. Some days something comes up and we take it off. Friday they have a party and that will be it for us except for reading.

Today we have a funeral for Scott's brother-in-law's sister so that messes up today. We may try to fit in a little in the afternoon.

Ansley has country santa on Thursday and it will count for school. We go to a man's house who helps needy kids and pack gifts for them. It is free and makes you feel very good inside that you had some small part in helping needy families have a wonderful Christmas.
Not too far from my house so that is nice too.

Lorna

[Ohio Mom]

We take one day at a time. Tomorrow is dgd 3rd birthday, so we will probably take that day off. Friday, I have a meeting about 2 hours away, dgs and dgd will go to mil house for the day - no school that day, she just plays with them, takes them to the library (school???) and then to McDonalds. Of course, with the other boys, who attend ps, we will take off when they have off, snow days (snow tonight) and about 10 days off between Christmas and New Years. We are ahead of schedule, so that will be fine.