But, there’s so many words! It’s easy to get overwhelmed at the idea of learning definitions because ultimately, the words in the dictionary seem limitless. Believe me, I once read through half of the “As” and couldn’t get any farther! What are some ways to help your homeschool student learn new words this summer and thus become better at including these words into their writing?

I’ve got a few tips to help with that!

Sign up for the Merriam-Webster “Word of the Day” e-mail.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day

It’s simple to sign up for the word of the day at the link above. You and your homeschool student can have fun learning the new word of the day. Then, you can both try to creatively work the word into your conversations. You and your homeschool student could even have a competition: who will accurately include the word most within a day? Then, you get to start the fun all over again the next day!

Watch a movie with your homeschool student and ask them to write down every word they don’t recognize.

Then, ask them to write what they think the word means based on the context it’s used in. Your homeschool student can better guess a definition when they understand context by asking questions such as, “Who is speaking the words?” and “What is the setting?” For example, in Beauty and the Beast, what do the villagers mean when they sing about Belle that “behind that fair facade, they believe she’s rather odd”? And, what might “provincial life” be? Then, after the movie is over, you can pull out the dictionary and find the words together. Then, ask your homeschool student to write out the definitions and say the word aloud in the sentence. Perhaps the next time you watch that movie together, your student (and maybe you, too) will know what the words mean!

Look around your home on a vocab scavenger hunt.

You can ask your homeschool student to look around for unfamiliar words on books, magazines, packaging (though maybe not shampoo bottle ingredients), and write them all down on a sheet of paper. Then, once you’ve collected all the unfamiliar words, look them up in the dictionary. If you’d like to take vocab-learning to the next level, take out Mr. Thesaurus and invite your student to look up the new words to find their synonyms. Through this activity, homeschool students can make connections for how words convey similar and different meanings.

However you may choose to learn new words with your student this summer, I hope your mental appetite is satiated. (Maybe this can be the first word your student looks up in the dictionary!) And when the school year begins again, don’t be surprised when your homeschool student slips a brand-new vocabulary word into their writing from all the fun time you’ve spent learning new words together.

As Danielle referenced in last week’s blog, summertime can be an opportunity for homeschool students to engage learning while having all the summer fun, too. So, what are some ways to help your homeschool student develop a love for reading during the summertime and thus learn to cultivate their writing skills? Here’s a few ideas I’ve picked up along the way.

1. Encourage your homeschool student to participate in a summer reading program.

These programs can be found at many community libraries, and oftentimes, librarians offer students incentives for reading a certain number of books. These might be a trip to the local zoo, a free book, or even a snazzy new bookmark! Not only do students get incentives for reading, but they can also meet and get to know other students in the program. Perhaps even a sweet book-loving friendship might emerge from a summer reading program.

2. Challenge your homeschool student to memorize one or two classic poems.

Perhaps you could compile some poems (fun, classic, or summer-themed) for your homeschool student to choose from. Memorizing a poem can be both challenging and rewarding—especially because lines of a poem can remain in one’s mind for years to come. A couple of my favorites to memorize as a student were “The Village Blacksmith” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and “Busy” by A.A. Milne.

3. Read a novel with your homeschool student and watch the movie version of the story together.

Not only can it be a fun bonding experience to read a novel with your homeschool student, but you can help your student learn how to compare and contrast through watching the movie version of the book. You can discuss questions such as “How did the director interpret this book differently than you did?” and “What effect did the differences in the movie have in shaping the plot?” From Charlotte’s Web to The Chronicles of Narnia to Little Women, several movie adaptations exist of beautiful literature for all ages. By participating in this activity together, you can engage your imagination with your homeschool student, making memories that can bond you for years to come.

I hope this upcoming summer is memorable and meaningful for both you and your homeschool student as you soak up memories together.