Learn More About Taking a Break with a Homeschool Mini-Mester!
Homeschool mini-mesters—like college mini-mesters—are simply courses done in a shorter amount of time than the regular semester or year. It’s an easy-to-do choice when schools are closed due to quarantines.
- Take anywhere from two to nine weeks or longer.
- Some subjects work better as mini-mesters—history, science, and electives.
- Reviews in math or reading could also work as a mini-mester course.
- Works for all ages.
- Focus on one favorite subject for a fun break from the regular routine.
- Finish your school year with a mini-mester or do a quick summer course!
Choosing Your Mini-Mester Course Materials
Adjust almost any homeschool course to complete it in a shorter time. Some courses have greater scheduling flexibility.
- Paradigm Courses are easy to modify because of the formatting. For example, Paradigm World Geography is an excellent choice for a mini-mester—Choose to start with your student’s favorite continent!
- Great Science Adventures are easy to adapt.
- American Government or Economics courses are also good choices.
- Everyone has to take a health course at some point—another good mini-mester choice.
- How about focusing on cursive handwriting for the older student? Teach Yourself Cursive or Horizons Penmanship can be mini-mester courses.
- What about physical education? A summer dance or gymnastics class might count as a short intense course.
- Most states require a state history course for your state. That is one you could do in a 6-week or summer session.
How Do You Plan a Homeschool Mini-Mester?
- After you choose your course materials, decide how long you want your mini-mester to last.
- If you want to break up your school year into mini-mesters, consider choosing 6 or 9 weeks
–Six-week segments leave room for six different courses.
–Or perhaps you have a math or reading program that you want to do all year. Use nine-week segments for four mini-mesters—your child could be doing two subjects in each quarter. - Find the course schedule/planner—Number of lessons, daily schedule, etc.
- Calculate the number of lessons your student needs to do each day or week to finish the course.
–For example, if there are 36 weekly lessons, and you choose a 6-week course, then your student needs to work six lessons each week.
–Though that sounds like a lot, students in summer school do it all the time.
Accountability
- It’s important to stay on track and keep your student accountable.
- Encourage your student to work ahead if possible.
- Set weekly goals with rewards to motivate your child.
- Don’t forget to record the work in your journal if you live in a state like Pennsylvania that requires daily logs.
Be Creative!
Make it work for you by being creative. There is no set rule for how long a mini-mester should last. Take a look at summer class schedules for different colleges to see what I mean.
Feel free to contact us if you have questions about mini-mesters or homeschooling!
Blessings,
Harriet Yoder