Many years ago, I wrote a post about how we homeschool year round. Especially as summer approaches, I find I am asked more and more about homeschooling through the summer and our methods in doing so. Today, I’d like to give you some of the most often asked questions about homeschooling year round and our answers to these questions.
Visit my Homeschooling Year Round Resource Page for helpful tips and resources to make a smooth transition to homeschooling year round!
Question #1
What is the benefit of homeschooling year round?
As I mentioned in my original post, one of the biggest benefits are not needing to review materials from the previous year. Many textbooks and workbooks spend around 30 lessons reviewing the previous year’s work. Those lessons can be skimmed or skipped entirely if you homeschool year round.
Another benefit is that you can take breaks as needed. For us, this looks like a 4 day school week (we take Fridays off to clean the entire house) and vacation in the off-season. I don’t feel guilty for taking time off because we have that flexibility. Additionally, if there are family crises or character issues that need to take precedence over academic studies, you have the luxury of taking the time you need to address those without falling “behind” in studies. (I put “behind” in quotations because I don’t really believe in the notion of being behind. Grade levels are rather arbitrary and don’t offer a sufficient measure of success or mastery. 66% of government schooled 4th graders are not proficient readers and 19% of our nation’s high school graduates can’t read. Our measure of “behind” probably should not be the government schools. I don’t want to offer my kids information a mile wide and an inch deep. I’d rather they dug deep and learned to learn.)
Another benefit that goes hand in hand with what I said above is taking the pressure to “finish” off of the entire family. You can keep digging and not feel rushed. You can keep looking for mastery and not feel like you are on a deadline. I don’t worry that the math book isn’t finished by May 15th because we will keep going and they will keep getting the information they need to master the subject.
Question #2
Do I homeschool differently in the summer?
For some families, the answer to this is yes, but for us it is not. We continue the status quo because that is what the children are used to. There is much to be said for routine. We have an established routine (see my At-A-Glance schedule for more on what our daily routine looks like). It works for us, and since our summer does not look much different from the rest of our year (i.e. no ballgames, time off for Daddy, other changes in activities), it makes sense for us to continue with the same routine.
I did say in my original post that we will often move school to the afternoon in the summers. That still holds true, but I don’t move ALL of school to the afternoons. I still like to give the kids an educational kickstart to the day, so we will start with devotions and then I will work with my younger crowd to get their schoolwork out of the way so they have the rest of the day to play and explore. It really doesn’t take that long to homeschool the younger years and if I don’t get their work done first thing, more than likely I won’t get back around to it.
Now, I will say here that using summer school time to dig into those subjects and projects you never seem to find the time for during the regular school year could be right up your alley. Take the summer to crash course geography. Use the time to do unit studies or science projects. Go through the entire Art Class DVDs (See the Light is having a fun summer giveaway right now too! See their blog for details!) and don’t forget to do some notebooking along the way! There is so much that can be done, but you will have to plan it otherwise, you will let the entire summer slip away without actually doing anything you wanted to do.
Buy my latest ebook for a fabulous coupon to NotebookingPages.com!
Question #3
What do breaks throughout the school year look like?
As I mentioned above, we take every Friday off to clean the house top to bottom for the weekend. After Friday chores, the kids have the rest of the day as their own.
We also take several mini-vacations throughout the year. However, these trips almost always include an education of some sorts – museums, new geography and geological structures, history and so much more!
There are also times when Ty and I need to be away for conferences. We do not always take the kids along on these trips. I do not require the grandparents who care for our children while we are away to enforce school. The olders know to do their work, but the youngers need me to work through their schoolwork in a way they are used to, so I let their work slide until I am home again. Typically, these conference are only a few days and often over weekends.
I also take off time when morning sickness is too much for me to be able to school around, and often as we near the end of pregnancy. Once baby is here, I usually take about 2 weeks off and jump back in.
We are also a very spontaneous family, so I want the flexibility to take an impromptu trip at a moment’s notice and not feel like I’ve messed up my school day.
These are the kinds of breaks we take, but yours might be a little more organized than this. I know families who take a week off every 4 weeks. I know families who take a month off every 3 months. The benefit here is the flexibility to structure your school year the way that works best for YOUR family.
Questions #4
How do my kids feel about it?
Honestly, I’ve never noticed them even noticing we school year round. They seemed pretty oblivious to the fact. We’ve been doing this for about 6 years. It’s second nature anymore. BUT, I thought I would ask them for the sake of an honest answer to this question.
My 16 year old son says it doesn’t bother him at all. He likes that we take off year round.
My 13 year old daughter said sometimes it bothers her, but not for long. When she really thinks about it, she doesn’t really care. It’s not like other kids are getting a bigger break than she is. Hers is just different.
My 9 year old daughter (who likes to be dramatic) put her hand to her forehead and fell back on the couch and said, “Yes, it bothers me!” Then, she jumped up and ran off to play. Not sure what to make of that.
My 8 year old son didn’t have anything to say and quickly followed his sister to go play.
The others are too little to have an opinion. They don’t even know what summer is besides hot.
So, there you have the main questions I am asked about homeschooling year round, but perhaps you have more questions. Feel free to ask your questions in the comments section, and I’ll answer there and maybe even compile a Q&A Part 2 if need be!
sarah says
This is our second year homeschooling, last year we took the summer off, this year in January we decided to change to year round. I hated that my daughter forgot so much that she knew over the summer, we spent at least the first month catching up. And my husband works away from home 2 weeks and is home 2 weeks, so we’ve been doing 1 week every 6-7 weeks, which ends up being every other time he’s home, and its so nice. We’re going to take the month of July off, to go on vacation, and then for me to plan and get ready for the next year. So far I think it will work great.
Amy says
Wonderful! It’s fun to hear how personalized this experience can be!
Lindsey says
I have to say that I absolutely love having summers off – maybe a flashback from when I was in school 🙂 With that said, every year I have had big plans to do “school” in the summer, if only an abbreviated version, but it never seems to stick. In the beginning of August though, we start to get bored and a routine sounds better to everyone so we end up starting to bring back math and language arts. Our warm weather is so short (we are in upper Michigan) and I rely on our garden for food so I relish the warmth and sunshine! This year we have a new baby due May 31 so I told the kids that when baby comes school is out 🙂
Amy says
Yes, you probably NEED to take advantage of your “6 weeks of summer” 😉 Enjoy the new little one!
Jillian says
I can’t wait to homeschool year round, unfortunately I haven’t figured out how to do it in NY. Each year, I have to send my instruction plan along with a list of curriculum I’ll be using. Then, four times during the school year, I submit a report explaining how much of the work we’ve gotten done. Aside from that, there’s the standardized test at the end of the year. I worry if we school year round, they won’t know what the need to know when it rolls around in May. :/ This is one of the main reasons we’re moving. Btw, your kids are too funny! 🙂
Amy says
Yes, those few states that have super strict laws make it quite a bit more difficult to break away from the government school model. Won’t be too much longer, though! And yes, getting a serious answer from my kids is like pulling teeth! lol
Mama Mirage says
What if you were to start and end your school year in May or June? Then the kids would have completed their grade at the same time as the public school students and any testing should reflect this.
As for the reports, could you divide your year into sections that coincide with the reports? If you have to submit a report 3 times a school year then divide your real school year into thirds. When you send your first report, can you simply state that this is the report for the first 1/3 of the school year? Even if you’re sending the report in at Thanksgiving, only include the information on what was accomplished between June and September because that was the first 1/3 of your school year. Say report #2 is due in February, you would include the information for what was accomplished in your school year between Oct. and January. Your final report in May would include the last 1/3 of your school year- February through May.
I don’t know- thinking outloud here. My state has no requirements and it’s wonderful to have the freedom to tailor our school times and subjects to our needs to better suit our family and my kids’ learning styles. So I don’t know if this would work for you, just thinking outloud.
Amy says
Hmmm…those are some good thoughts!
Christa says
Great post Amy to get us thinking about summer! We will take June off for vacation and church camp and then dive back in during the month of July. We have actually finished up our math lessons and history so we plan to dive deep into Science (a subject that was neglected this last school year), watch the Drive Through History Series on the Holy Land and take community summer art classes. We also plan to enjoy nature studies and lots and lots of P.E. (at the pool)! We still do school but it looks different during the summer.
I agree with you Amy that whatever you do, you need a plan. Last summer I was at the end of a pregnancy and we sort of winged it. We didn’t get anything done so this summer we plan to be more intentional with our time.
Amy says
Sounds like a great summer plan, Christa!
Danielle says
We enjoy schooling year-round, also. Ours is set up a bit differently, in that we use Friday as Library/make-up day. If the kids get all their assignments done Monday through Thursday, then Friday’s free! We also school 6 weeks on, and 1 – 2 weeks off. It has dramatically helped with the dreaded “homeschool burnout”.
Amy says
I could definitely see how that would help with “burnout”!
Dawn says
If we lived somewhere other than the coast of South Carolina, I can see us homeschooling year round.
I struggle with bouts of depression, and summer is usually more difficult for some reason. I think it’s the oppressive heat and humidity of the SC coast. So we make weekly trips to the beach. Sometimes we go twice a week, depending on my need.
We do lots of reading on the days we are home, and we have an above ground pool that the kids spend every afternoon in.
It’s funny, because when the weather is perfect here in Nov, my kids always say, “hey, let’s do school all summer and have these perfect days off!” Then May comes, and the first beach trip, and they’re all like, “Wait! We didn’t mean it!!” LOL!!!
Amy says
Honestly, I do not enjoy summer at all. I prefer to be inside schooling during those days in the AC! lol So, it was a good fit for us. No beach here, though. 😉
Dawn says
I couldn’t imagine summer anywhere but here!! The beach is a lifesaver for us. It is an hour drive, but one that we willingly make.
My husband does heating and air conditioning work, so this is his busy season…as in- he is gone from 6:00 a.m. until 9-10:00 every night for a few months, April until September. People in SC during the heat of summer can’t do without A/C!!
So the kids and I make the best of it with movies, beach, and other fun stuff…while Daddy is making the money to fund it. LOL!!!
Gillian says
Hi Amy! My husband and I decided that we are going to start doing year round schooling just this year. We had our 6th baby and with schedules it just seemed to fit as we took off about 6 weeks of scheduled schooling. We also found that last year when we took our summer break it took forever to remember sitting still, and reviewing! My question is do you have a typical start date for the new curriculum/year? Do you take time off in between the “end” of one and “start” of another year to plan, and order books etc?
Amy says
I plan weekly, so no, I do not take off to plan the next school year. I like a smooth transition. I find that often, I am in need of new books around the end of summer, but I typically try to think ahead to what we’ll be needing and pick up those books ahead of time when we are at conventions.
Chelsea says
I have four littles (4, 2, 2, & 11 mos). I have been doing an informal preschool with all of them, but my biggest is ready for more structure and is starting to read. I’ve picked out my curriculum and am starting to plan out my basic schedule. However, I love your easy approach, not worry about getting through a level in exactly a year. I was going to wait until August to start, but I’m going to start at the beginning of June now and go year round. If we are both ready, why not! Thanks for the suggestions!
Amy says
Enjoy!
Kyle says
Well Amy, I know my 10 (almost 11) year old will complain but I think I am going to make the jump and personalize our homeschool a bit more. I know I need more time off during the year to avoid burn out. One thing that really hit home is that during the summer I modify our schedule it NEVER works. If we kept the same schedule and just added swimming after school we’d probably be more successful, Then trying to get them to switch to a new and temporary schedule. Great post and well thought out I LOVE how you live intentionally. Blessings Friend!! Kyle
Amy says
Sounds like a great plan, Kyle!
Mama Mirage says
I school year round too. I love it. The kids don’t know the difference. We take little breaks all the time as needed and we always take a break for morning sickness, new baby, and between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Kate Gold @ http://majesticgoldenrose.weebly.com/ says
Wow! My traditional public school year has been extended out until June 13, and I’m already so ready to be d-o-n-e. I mean, I just love the dedication you have with homeschooling.
Virginia Revoir says
Oh gosh, I just need some serious, serious guidance. I still feel like I’m searching for a good homeschooling program for our family. A couple of my kids do Switched on Schoolhouse and it works out really well. The only reason we didn’t have all the kids doing it this year was because of the cost. I fully plan on purchasing it this year for the next grades coming up. It’s worth it because I have seven kids and everyone younger will eventually need it. Some days are just so busy we often skip History and Science. I feel so guilty about this! Maybe I should take a month this summer and find some fun stuff to study for History? Can we just find some really neat documentaries and discuss them? Argh. I’ve only been homeschooling these last couple of years and it feels like I’m either searching for the right curriculum or hoping I’m not messing them up with the one they are using now. Need some serious encouragement even though I don’t ever plan on putting them back in school.
As of right now we always start our day with bible study, then homeschool, chores, and then play. Every day I stay consistant with things in that order.
Amy says
Hi Virginia! Sounds like you need to read this post: https://raisingarrows.net/2010/06/homeschooling-and-the-three-year-learning-curve/ 🙂 You’re doing fine! And yes, documentaries are a great jumping off point! YouTube is full of them! Pinterest also have tons of free activities to supplement your summer. 🙂
Katherine Holley says
I agree with Amy! You are doing a great job. I’d like to make a suggestion as well. One source of great support for me (besides this blog, which is honestly my favorite) is The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. They have great articles on tons of topics. Also, if you use Facebook, check them out there. You can post questions, and get tons of answers from other homeschoolers. Secondly, I had the same issue with history and science. I found I could not accomplish everyone’s lessons (I have no independent workers yet) and it seemed those always fell by the wayside. So, I switched to group learning for those two subjects. I use Step-by-Step Science by Carson Dellosa, and we use a mixture for history, Kids Animated History with Pipo (DVD) and a series of activity guides by Laurie Carlson. (Right now we are working on the middle ages, so we have Carlson’s Days of Knights and Damsels.) All my kids are grade 4 and under so this group learning works for us. Perhaps you could do something similar for your kids. Best of luck to you! You have your kids best interests at heart, and bible study first! It sounds like you are on the right track!
Rebecca Thorpe says
I loved reading this post. This was our first year of homeschooling (only Kindergarten) so we just went with the flow (K for both 4 & 6 year olds). We started in September and are finishing in May. I think for this next year when we delve into more subjects we will incorporate more breaks throughout the year. We are going to start right into the new curriculum in July , (after our break in June), then another 10 day break in August and then take more 4 day longer weekends in the year when daddy is off (military family) along with a week here or there. I am learning not to be so structured anymore, just have yearly goals I want to accomplish. Homeschooling seems to be a fluid thing year by year and I am learning to love that, mainly I just want our family to get closer each year and grow in our relationships with each other! Also give us flexibility to re-evaluate every year what works/didn’t work and go from there. Thanks for your post!
Amy says
Yes, fluid is a good word! You really can tailor it to your lifestyle with a little creativity. 🙂
Bethany says
We school year round as well. We take several weeks off for births and then there are those weeks that sickness invades, or at the end of a pregnancy, or when a ministry opportunity comes up that its more worthwhile to cancel school and minister….so we just go year round. 🙂 We typically do three weeks on and one week off…unless we are having a crazy busy time and keep having to take a day off or a week off, then we just go for a while before taking a break. A friend of mind found that by doing three on and one off, she was much more ready to teach and during that week off could catch up on stuff she let slide during the weeks of school. It works so well for us!! My question is how you do you plan? I will plan out the three weeks of lessons, but then if something happens and we miss a day (or more) I feel like we are so behind and like we HAVE to complete all the work that I planned out. Do you keep track of your lessons or just keep an attendance record? We are coming off a long weekend and my brain is still foggy and tired, so I may not be phrasing this the best way. :-/
Amy says
I do not plan with dates in mind. I plan in orders. So, I know what I want to accomplish in the order I want to accomplish it, but I never put down dates for anything. I also go week by week and day by day for much of my planning. I will get up in the morning and while the kids have breakfast, I’ll think through the school day and decide what definitely needs to be done and in what order for that day. Sometimes I can do this for an entire week, but that is not a season I am currently in.
Bethany says
Thank you!! I’ve been trying not to stress over this and figure out something that would work. It’s nice to hear how others do it. Thanks for taking time to reply!
Stephanie says
Thanks for sharing this as this may be the year that we have to do schooling year round…