Summer Break or Bust…
The idea of year round school has always intrigued me and maybe if circumstances had been different, I might have tried it, but I am a traditional girl at heart. Summers are not made for school.That doesn’t mean that you power down everyone’s brains for 3 months though! It simply means that the level of learning and all the deadlines take a break. A MUCH NEEDED BREAK.
So, if you are one to consider year round homeschool, here are a few ways I’ve seen families do it.
Some homeschoolers enjoy the lazy river approach (not lazy in the traditional sense), but a nice comfortable pace of schooling where everyone works through their school with no particular timeline. It’s the “we’re not in a hurry approach,” which is totally fine and works for some. Year round homeschooling is brilliant for this group because they can choose to take breaks throughout their school year (which is all year!) because they aren’t working toward a predetermined finish line per se.
Other homeschoolers use the year round approach to allow them to “catch up” through the summer months on assignments and projects that they didn’t finish during the school year. While this method doesn’t include doing all subjects year-round, it’s enough to feel like they are still tied to a school schedule. Think of this approach as a college student who takes summer school. They don’t typically take a full load, but it is enough to where there isn’t a true break from classes and school work.
As kids get older there are those that use the online school or the dual enrollment approach to take classes every 6-8 weeks. This can be useful if they know their plans after graduation. High school kids that do this can literally take 2-3 classes year round starting a new set of courses every 6-8 weeks. It’s brilliant for kids who love intense focus on just a few classes at a time.
So why don’t we do school year round? Selfishly I love summer and my kids have come to love it too. We love lazy beach days, drinking coffee on the deck, and taking a break from a scheduled school day. Summer also became the time to visit family members and friends that don’t homeschool.
So should you take summers off? Is there some unwritten law that requires you to take a summer break? Absolutely not!! The beauty of homeschool is being able to pick your path and enjoy the journey.
Enjoying the beginning of summer,
Karena
P.S. My book, Leap of Faith, is a witty story about a mom’s journey to homeschooling and is just what your mama’s heart needs this summer season. Snag a signed copy from our store or online on amazon.
