Choosing a Yearly Homeschool Schedule

Recently I asked the question on my Facebook page:  What kind of yearly homeschool schedule do you follow?

(This is part 3 of the series:  Plan A Successful Homeschool Year in 5 Easy Steps; part 1 is HERE, and part 2 is HERE.)

I got quite a variety of responses, but a common thread throughout all the comments  was the importance of working the yearly schedule around “life”.

New babies, things not going as planned, medical issues, or just taking time off when needed were some of the answers I got regarding what things they considered when choosing a yearly homeschool schedule.

Isn’t that one of the things that makes homeschooling so great? Most states require 180 days of school per year, but you can choose the schedule that works best for your family, whether it be year round, traditional, or a combination of days/weeks on and off that meet the required days.

I’m going to share some ideas you can choose from when setting up your schedule for the year. I love the different options, and have used several of them at different stages of our homeschooling.

Choices and ideas for setting up your schedule for the year

• Thirty-six five-day weeks

Traditional school year, though you can choose what months you want to start and end with.

• Twelve five-day weeks, then four weeks off

Three months of school, then a month off.

• Six five-day weeks, then two weeks off

Six two-month blocks per school year.

• Three five-day weeks, then one week off each month

This would be year round.

• Forty-five four-day weeks.

This gives you a three-day weekend, and you are still able to take seven weeks off per year whenever you’d like them.

Even when we did the traditional school year from September – May, we usually still did a little bit of academics in the summer months.

I found it was very beneficial for the following reasons:

1. It’s good to keep them going on Math all through the summer, even if it’s only two or three days a week.

That way when you start school back in the fall, you don’t have to spend the first few weeks reviewing all that they forgot over the summer.

2. It’s good to keep them reading and doing a little writing for the same reason.

You want to keep their skills sharp. Besides reading is SO good for them!

3. It’s good to keep them used to a little bit of structure and routine.

First of all, it keeps them happier if they are busy, and don’t have time to get bored.

Second, it’s easier for them to get back into the school routine in the fall when they have had somewhat of a routine throughout the summer.

Be sure and pray about your yearly schedule choice, and then choose based on what is best for your family.