My wife and I have talked about homeschooling our kids for various reasons and even though we haven't started yet, we already have a program in mind, and the next step is deciding on a schedule. Originally it just made sense to follow the local public school schedule as much as possible (August-May) and take summers off. The more we thought about it, we liked the idea of having a January-December schedule. So I created a 36 week school schedule (180 days) which would end in October and then built in another four optional weeks (20 days) in November and December if necessary to finish any remaining coursework. Here are the main reasons we prefer January-December: 1) We live in Arizona where the summer months bring average temperatures of 100-105 degrees. Having November and December off would allow the kids to have a lot more time outside. 2) The crowds are a lot smaller at public places such as museums, zoos, state parks, etc. 3) There are a lot of days off in traditional schools in the months of November and December due to the many holidays. By taking those two months off, we essentially save another two weeks to take off during the rest of the year since there's really only one holiday during the summer months. Any feedback is appreciated and I'm hoping some of you can play devil's advocate and bring up some drawbacks that you might see in using this schedule. Also, assuming we start in January 2015 (Jan-Dec 15), would that child be paired with children starting in August 2015 (Aug 15-May 16)? That way our children would always be six months ahead of their peers.
I know many folks who school year round and just take breaks when they want to. The only potential problem I see is when it comes to graduating high school, they would be done in Dec. instead of June which is really not that big of an issue. So if it works for your family's schedule go for it!
Sounds like a good idea. I like schooling year round so we can enjoy seasonal activities year round. Your January to December schedule might be fine in Arizona; it would be a minor problem here in PA, because our law sets the reporting period from July 1 to June 30. You could still do it here, but you'd have to keep a July to June record while planning a January to December year--for most people that would not be a problem, but I think it would make my brain explode!
What you've described is very, very similar to what we do. We've just completed our seventh homeschool year. Our oldest is 11, almost 12. We always start our year on the first Monday after New Year's day. Then we just work until we're "done." We take days off as we need them. If family comes in from out of town, we take time off. If my husband takes a day off work, we take a day off. If we really need a break, we take one. I find we can usually use a 3-5 day break in March or April, and then we need a full week come August. We have also lived in hot climates (TX and AL), and our experience matches up with your thoughts -- better to be inside in the a/c, occupied productively (with direct learning activities) during the hottest parts of the summer, and out and about when the temperatures are more pleasant. When we first began, I would map out a 40 week year (much as you have figured a 36 week year). What I found is all those days you take time off (especially the ones you don't expect), and all the interruptions like dentist visits and such.... While they are easy to work around, they have a cumulative effect on getting "behind." So, instead, while I will rough out a calendar, I don't worry about following it too closely. We just work until we're "done." I generally define "done" by selecting one subject. For example, for several years, it's been history. While our boys read a great deal of history in context of literature, we've also used most years a history text. When we finished the volume selected for the year, we've finished the year. This year, the boys finished October 17. One year, they went right up to the week of Thanksgiving. They have never gone past Thanksgiving. For other subjects, so long as they have been working diligently, I do not concern myself with them "finishing" a year -- it's more important to us that they have a solid grasp of the content. So... by standard (public) education standards, my oldest son is more than six months "behind" in math, and his next younger brother is two months "ahead." Whatever. We have success and comprehension of concepts. In January, we pick up where we left off, reviewing as necessary. I mention all that because I make an effort to avoid comparing the boys with their chronological peers (you mentioned your children being "six months ahead"). The longer we homeschool, the less what we study resembles what they study in school anyway (even when we are studying the same content). WE have the freedom to do what we need to do when we need to, so... we do. Re there being fewer crowds at zoos, museums, and parks: You are not taking into account field trips. We have learned, personally, to avoid those places on Mondays and Fridays. The first week of the public school year is great, because no one takes field trips. In our current city, we have learned there are few field trips to the science center on Thursdays, but other places we've visited, Thursdays are as crowded as Mondays and Fridays. We also visit these places after lunch (trying to arrive between 1 and 2) -- most field trip groups need to get back on their buses and return to school in time for the buses to turn around and transport children home. A few things we have experienced you probably want to be aware of: Different states, different laws. Even subtle changes can impact your plans. We moved from TX to AL in March, and here, we are legally compelled to "enroll" in a church umbrella school. Our current school has been flexible about working with our different, non-academic calendar, but it clearly does NOT work for their system. Really, there are days when I think it would just be easier all around to adjust the reports and still do what we need to do. Since we work at whatever level we need, does it matter whether our year ends in October or June? Community activities can sometimes be a puzzle. Many activities group children by their grade, and then "keep" them in that grade from Aug. through June. There is sometimes some figuring that has to be done, depending on how the groups are configured. If group is second through fourth grade for August through June, is my child who is in fourth grade in August still best placed in that group when he will be doing fifith grade work come January? Is it better to bump him up at the beginning of the year, or wait until the following year to move up. (Sometimes, changing groups in the middle of the session just doesn't work well) High school/college prep. As high school and college prep (and, hopefully, dual enrollment) loom closer, we have realized that dual enrollment probably means finally complying with the traditional academic calendar. I just don't see colleges adjusting to our idiosyncratic schedule LOL. The good news is that we've made a practice of having our children work as independently as possible for much of their work, so my hope is that this adjustment will not be disruptive. Eventually, they'll move to working (at a job) year round, anyway, One last thought: this year is the first time I've tried to do an enrichment session (kind of like the extra 20 days you described). It's NOT going well. In the past, our boys have just had freedom during their long break. There would be a week or two of adjustment, but then they'd get in the swing. This year, I thought more structured activities would be a good thing, since we are living in very limited physical space. Oh, MY. It is NOT going well. Don't misunderstand me -- they appear to be enjoying the work, they are VERY enthusiastic and interested, but their behavior as individuals and as a group, has.... deteriorated. Significantly. I really think they just need a long break where they can let their minds rest and simmer over what they learned in the first part of the year.
Due to various circumstances, i can't change my grandson to year-round schooling. Yet. Maybe we will. In the future. Sometime. This year his dad's vacation was a week in October. So he spent the week with his mom and dad and little brother. I'm not sure when we'll make it up. June, maybe. It makes sense here too, to be doing something constructive during July and August. But one thing I have found is that when we take a long break, like public kids do, it takes me six weeks or so to get his head back in the game. I would much rather take a week or two weeks here and there around the year than one long break like three months of summer. You may want to consider that. It doesn't matter when you start or finish, it's more or less continuous, with breaks. There are 52 weeks in a year, so pick out whichever 36 or 40 weeks you want to do school, and spread the breaks out over the rest of the time. If AZ doesn't have a problem with it, that is.
We are also in AZ and also do a (generally) Jan-Dec schedule. This isn't for any particular reason other than 1. AZ does not give a rip what we do as homeschoolers, and 2. When my oldest turned 5 (his birthday is in January) he was ready to start Kindergarten, even though his peers wouldn't be starting until that fall. Since we had always kicked around the idea of homeschooling we decided to start then, that way if it didn't work well he could always start public school with his peers in the fall. Almost two years later and we are still at the homeschooling, with our middle child ready to start kindergarten this coming January! The ONLY drawback I have had with this schedule is that during the summer, when we *should* still be doing school all of my kids' peers are OUT of school! I hate depriving my kids of the social contact with their friends, so we usually end up taking six weeks off in the summer to do swim lessons, VBS and have activities with friends. We usually start back up in mid-July. We also take three weeks off in December, and a week or two here or there during the year, or a long weekend once in a while, to travel or visit family. Honestly, because we live in AZ and the state just DOES NOT CARE what we do with our kids, you have the freedom to do whatever you want! If your kid flies through curriculum and has a firm grasp on things, you can do the whole "year" in half the time; if your kid is struggling, you can take a week or two off of the curriculum to focus on what they need help with. To me, the beauty of homeschooling (in AZ) is NOT having to adhere to strictly to a schedule! My kids learn at THEIR pace, not the pace that some bureaucrats have decided they should learn at. My advice is to relax, be observant as to how your student is learning, build in some "fun" days into your schedule, and enjoy the journey.
It wouldn't work for MY family, but that's one of the advantages of homeschooling. You do what you think will work best FOR YOUR FAMILY. Sounds like a good plan for you. Try it, and if it doesn't work quite right, tweak it. Good luck!
That schedule would't work for my kids, but each family/child has differnet needs. I know some states have laws about when/how many days per year, etc... and it would depend on Arizona's laws. You sound very organized already because you haven't started homeschooling yet, and are already in th einitial phases of planning. You'll do great!
Thank you for all your input and advice! I appreciate those that shared their own personal situations. I do agree that the state that you live in does dictate to a large degree whether an unorthodox schedule is even feasible. Thankfully we're in a state that seems to be very supportive of homeschoolers and doesn't seem to be disdainful of families that choose to spend more time with their kids and educate them at home. In Arizona there is also a law that homeschoolers be allowed on their local public school teams for extracurricular activities. I know that there are some homeschooling families that are skeptical of this as a ploy by public school administrators to force homeschoolers into more accountability such as standardized testing, reporting GPA, and forced curriculum. I actually see it as a strong-arm tactic by states that want to discourage homeschooling as a bargaining chip against those families contemplating homeschooling as a way to force them to send their kids to public or private schools to participate in extracurricular activities. Otherwise any athletic kids that are homeschooled in those states have virtually no opportunity to eventually earn an athletic scholarship to college. I don't want to be overtly political but I can't help but see the irony that those states that will not allow inclusionary policies for homeschoolers to participate in interscholastic activities as being the same states who most strongly support and encourage illegal immigrants to be fully integrated in their local communities without any penalties and regardless of cost to taxpayers.
I was interested in doing year-round schooling; however, a veteran homeschooling friend mentioned that she did not do this because of the summer activities that "blossomed" in June/July/August and the brick 'n mortar school friends that are most available at that same time.
Llama, I always wanted to slow down in the summer. Do a little math and reading in the morning, and then spend the afternoon at the pool. Well, I have three kids. My parents paid for them to each go to a camp for a week. In addition, they got to go to ANOTHER camp our church sent them to free or inexpensively. Then my parents would take them for a week, and often we'd go somewhere for a week as a family. THEN we have a few days off for the Fourth.... Yeah. It never happened! I gave up after two years!
