The long, warm days of summer are coming soon, and now is the time to start making plans. While you may be planning family vacations or other activities, keeping your child’s learning momentum going to prepare for the next school year or preventing learning loss over the summer is something to consider as well.
Learning loss, or loss of academic skills and knowledge, is a common phenomenon during the summer months when students take an extended break from school. This particularly impacts math and reading skills and development. It can set students back when they return to school in the fall and make the transition back to school more difficult.
The good news is that homeschool families have the benefit of experience when it comes to home learning. You already know the importance of maintaining a consistent learning routine and how to tailor learning experiences to your child’s individual needs, interests, and learning pace.
AOP has plenty of options to help and with these flexible learning options, you can still combine summer fun with courses or other learning activities to help your child enjoy the summer months while continuing to work toward their educational goals.
Let’s look at some AOP activities and programs for your child.
Join a summer camp or summer school with ICA.
Summer school is a fantastic way for your child to prepare for the next grade level. ICA offers summer school in which students can explore core learning skills in subjects like math and language arts.
This year’s summer camp opportunities include virtual classes in art, Spanish, creative writing, performance art, Bible study, and coding. Combining summer fun with rich learning opportunities, ICA summer enrichment camps provide students with interactive learning activities led by certified teachers and opportunities to connect with peers.
ICA has two summer enrichment camp sessions, and your child can attend multiple camps during the two sessions. Visit ICA’s summer learning site to find session dates and times, as well as more detailed summer camp information.
Use the summer for career explorations.
Middle and high school students can explore career options or simply start building skills with print courses through LIFEPAC or with online courses through Monarch and ICA.
High school students can learn practical financial math skills in LIFEPAC’s Consumer Math and students in grades 7-12 can explore math skills in the LIFEPAC Accounting elective course. Or your student could simply build some 21st-century skills important in the job market by working on Spanish I or Spanish II or Speech: Essentials of Communication elective
Monarch online Career and Technical Education (CTE) electives are available to students in grades 6-12 and can introduce your child to careers in a variety of industries. Some high school course examples include:
• Introduction to Careers in Architecture & Construction
• Introduction to Information Technology
• Careers in Marketing Research
• Banking Services Careers
• Introduction to Careers in Finance
• National Security Careers
Middle school CTE courses include Career Explorations I, Career Explorations II, Keyboarding & Applications, and Principles of Coding.
Ignite Christian Academy also provides CTE courses divided into 14 career clusters such as Business Management & Administration, Education & Training, Health Science, STEM, and more.
Earn college credits with Ignite Christian Academy dual enrollment courses.
Beginning with the summer after 10th grade, your student can begin earning college credits with dual enrollment courses through Ignite Christian Academy by AOP. These college-level courses provide dual credit for both required high school coursework and college courses.
ICA students can earn an associate degree through ICA partner, Oklahoma Christian University or participate in dual enrollment part time and simply get a head start on college. Dual enrollment courses can also transfer outside of ICA’s partner institution but must be approved by administration before the student begins any dual credit course.
Be sure to check ICA’s summer learning site to explore dual enrollment courses and view eligibility requirements, which include maintaining a 3.0 GPA from previous ICA courses.
Get your child back on track with ICA credit recovery.
If your child needs to make up for some lost time, ICA has credit recovery options for the summer. Students who enroll in credit recovery courses have the same one-to-one access to teacher and tutor support as those students who are enrolled in standard courses.
Credit recovery courses include diagnostic points at the start of modules that assess skills and if your student shows mastery of that module’s content, associated assignments will be skipped, providing your student with opportunities to progress through courses at a faster pace. Standard course length is 18 weeks, and students can work to finish courses over the summer or start any Monday and simply get a head start on the fall semester.
During summer school, teachers and education coordinators will frequently check in with the student and the family to review course progress and answer any questions. Visit ICA’s summer learning site to get started.
Whether you plan to enroll your student in online courses or summer camp programs, work through print courses, get started earning college credits, or engage in a summer reading plan, now is the time to start planning and registering for summer activities to keep your child’s learning momentum going, prepare for the next school year, and avoid the pitfalls of summer learning loss!
Start a summer read-a-thon challenge.
For students of any age, you can use Horizons print Phonics & Reading courses or LIFEPAC readers for a fun summer read-a-thon challenge. Set reading goals or challenges, identify some fun prizes, and watch your child grow.
LIFEPAC reading choices include classics such as The Old Man and the Sea and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as well as inspirational Christian novels such as The Hiding Place and In His Steps. Horizons Phonics & Reading courses for kindergarten through third grade include supplementary readers that may be used along with coursework or separately. Each reader features a variety of short stories sure to engage and inspire creativity.
