Do you school year round or follow the public school year?

We have schooled year round, for a few tears now mainly because my husband is military and we then are able to take time off when he does.  Plus none of us like hot weather, we like the fall, winter and spring, so like to take our main breaks then.  We school through Jun, Jul, Aug as it is too hot for us.  I still break my year into quarters, and then have a certain amount of days that we can have off – however the days off are on a list, as we take a day or days, I check it off then I know how many more at a glance we have to play with.  It works really well for us, because dad’s days off are so unpredictable, and he is usually unable to take long breaks.  We also take all the federal holidays off as well, as he gets those days.  We also take the girls birthday off in December, that is nice for them. That is the beauty of homeschooling, we can choose our schedules to suit our own families.

I told him, he and I thank you for that – it is important I have always thought for dad to be able to enjoy the days off with our girls when possible – this was the best solution all around for us, and it has worked well.  Next year we will have to rethink, as he may well be on shift work, making things a little less easy to manage as it may not be the same days off each week etc – but we will find a way, and juggle our days accordingly, again the beauty of home school. I hope that you are able to make a really workable schedule to suit your family like we have, so that your husband can benefit as well. Bless you this coming year.

We are in third year of homeschooling, and thanks to this very site, are using a planned calendar! Our state requires attendance be kept, certain number of schooldays etc. We started beginning of Sept..did 5 days/week for 6 weeks, took a week off for home renovation project and Zoo trip, then returned to 5 days/week until take a week off for Thanksgiving; return for 3 more weeks, then off 2 for Christmas/New Years; and so on for 3, 12-week terms, making sure to have a week off at least every 6 weeks (it does get tedious somehow…) and that will also allow us to take off the whole month of August, next summer when we go stay “at the river” before starting the next school year. I have 8yr-old girl (reading level tests her into 10th grade, but other work is 3rd grade) and 6yr-old twin boys, both 1st grade, (reading level tests into 2nd grade) and a 2yr-old daughter who believes she is either 8 or 6, but NOT 2 years old. The elder kids and I are much more organized with what needs to be done, I feel much less anxiety about meeting the state requirements; the breaks allow for flexibility with sick days/funerals/visits etc. and having it planned out has made pinning Dad down to taking time off much easier! The first 2 years in retrospect were very haphazard in comparison and I couldn’t tell if we were “getting enough done” This site is a VAST blessing, I wish I had found it before using Well-trained Mind for 2 years with DD; doing group lessons, then handing out individual assignment cards and personalizing their needs is immensely helpful. We were spending 5-6 hours/day prior to, for doing everything “ongradelevels” now we can complete more diverse classes, within 3 hours, once in a while 3 1/2, then have the afternoon to “play” or do other activities. Enjoy! My kids are always getting told how lucky they are to be homeschooled when they are out in public, by other kids that is. Meanwhile, other moms always tell me how lucky I am that I can do that. My latest reply was: I don’t believe in luck, I believe in choices. 🙂

We’ve always schooled year-round (14 years.)  Some times of the year may be lighter/more flexible but I love to be able to have that flexibility.  Plus we don’t forget what we’ve learned because we’ve not done “school” for 3 months, especially in the younger years. 

Since we operate through a charter school and meet with our *overseer* monthly, year round school wouldn’t technically work for us. But, what we do do is this:  We take off the days/breaks allowed or not, we begin school on the day school starts (usually May 13th or 16th) or not, we end on the day school is out or not.  I go by the the school’s schedule loosely.  I use it as a guide of sorts, but don’t allow it to lock us in. 

Now, we are required to turn in attendance sheets monthly so  I just mark an x on each date, because in my mind we did do some type of educational learning each day, no matter what it was.  We do meet with our overseer and on the occasion (once a quarter, I believe) turn in samples of our children’s work.  That’s not really a problem because we always have something to turn in because we’re always doing something or I can have them do a quick worksheet and use that as a sample.  Even when the boys do summer camp classes or simple work through the summer/breaks I save their work so I can use it for samples if I want to.  I get to choose what to turn in (at this stage) and usually have ample supply some type of work that needs to exit our house anyway.  I actually have a folder marked *samples* and put worksheets in it as the month passes instead of waiting til the last minute and have to rummage through workbooks, etc., like I used to. 

Getting back to the topic at hand….

My kids would not care for year round school at this stage.  We have gone by a school type schedule probably too long to change now.  They look forward to summer camps, camping, spending the night at their cousin’s house, trips with dad and just plain feeling like they’re on break.   We do hit the library alot, read alot and watch movies that we don’t indulge in during the school year.  Plus, I use it as a break for myself to purge things we don’t use, prepare for the next year, etc. 

We’re constantly evolving on this journey, so who knows what next year will bring, that’s the joy and freedom of hsing that makes it so exciting.  Plus, being able to school the way your family *bends* is the way it should be for everyone:) 

Gotta go….my 7yo is asking to do math:)