weighing in on year-round school. and changing up its name.
I’m thinking about school for next year.
Because I’m kind of over thinking about school for this year.
I have been entertaining thoughts about year-round school.
This article really spoke my language about why I think the schedule could fit our family.
I love the idea of more frequent breaks instead of drudging through until summer for this giant long break where we forget everything anyway. Then we begin again in fall with all this renewed vigor only to review every math lesson we already learned but forgot from lack of use and then our enthusiasm quickly fizzles out just as the more difficult subjects arrive on the scene.
I love how short terms – say six weeks on, one week off – would allow me to capitalize on how I operate best ….. high enthusiasm, short attention span. I can rally the troops for a stellar six weeks focusing on American History or Van Gogh knowing that I get to regroup and find some new energy after those six weeks.
During the non-focused week I can schedule dental appointments and haircuts – because those sorts of things take up all day if you schedule all five kids at once and all term if you schedule only one kid per week.
Plus, I’d like to use that in between week here and there to focus on specific writing projects for myself. It would be lovely to think those opportunities need not wait for summer break.
(Oh – we’d still take a month off in July for certain. So the idea of an extended break wouldn’t completely be lost.)
I like the flexibility of choosing which weeks I’d like to be off. I love really enjoying autumn hikes and autumn weather and scheduling time to embrace that is so appealing. Working at school an extra week in the winter when we all want to be tucked inside the “warm” house anyway fits us just fine.
I’ve already pitched the idea to the ones most affected by this choice – and, let’s face it – to the ones most likely to balk at the conversion.
And you know what?
Their response was completely unexpected.
After I explained my logic and shared the basic schedule of short, focused sessions paired with a complete week off, every single member of the Wildwood Halls of Ivy was enthusiastically on board.
So I’m thinking about it.
Actually, what I really mean by thinking about it is – I’m going to do year-round school if I can ever sit down and plan that idea out fully before the next school year is supposed to begin anyway.
But I’d love your help.
Two things.
First.
What do you think about year-round school? (Particularly if you are a homeschooler and have tried it.) Pros and cons and how it has worked or not worked at your house. I love specifics – as in ….. did you take the whole month of December off?
Second.
Can we please coin a better phrase for it than year-round school?
I mean, year-round school sounds like never-ending work. Like, you do school year-round!
But really truly you do school the exact same number of days.
The exact same number of days, you guys.
There are not 365 days in the year-round school calendar. Just the same old average 180.
So – what else can we call it?
Because we all know to sell something well, it needs a good name.
And year-round school just isn’t a title that is doing anyone any favors.
So share your thoughts in the comments. Link up some articles if you have any. And let’s give this grand idea a more inviting name!
10 Comments
Rebekah
Oh I LOVE the name sabbath schooling!! That’s perfect! I’ve been contemplating how to keep my kids from completely forgetting everything they’ve learned all year since schools about over… This is a really good idea. I think it’s a more organic way to learn too. They learn from doing and having fun and playing just as much as structured learning (maybe more) and giving those breaks where they have time to play sounds wonderful! As long as I can keep their play as something other than just video games……
One battle at a time.
laceykeigley
Yeah – one battle at a time.
Tracy
We typically do things differently, and it is similar to year round school, and it has worked well for us. We take 5 to 6 weeks off for summer and do school the rest of the year, but we don’t stick to 6 weeks on and 1 week off. I just sit down with a calendar each year and mark the days I know I want off. I typically like the whole week of Thanksgiving, 2.5 weeks at Christmas, 1.5 to 2 weeks for an extended spring break, and the 5-6 weeks off for summer. Then I just start circling days to find 180, giving us some time off each month. For example I just circled our days for next year and it ended up we’ll have 3 weeks on, 3 days off, 3.5 weeks on, 1 week off, 8 days on, 7 school days off for an extended family camping trip in October, 5 weeks on, week off for Thanksgiving, 2.5 weeks on, 2.5 weeks off for Christmas, 3.5 weeks on, 3 days off, 3 weeks on, 2 days off, 4 weeks on, 3 days off, 3 weeks on, 1.5 weeks off for Spring break, 7 weeks on, and 6 weeks off for summer. The 7 week stretch is surrounded by 1.5 weeks off before and 6 weeks after, so is not so bad. And the 2 or 3 days off here and there are paired with weekends, so feel longer, as really 4 to 5 days of no school. It looks a little different each year depending on our plans. The October camping trip this year changed things a little. I have a funky 8 days in there, but I like the flexibility. I will have 3 days leftover (to make 180), and I plan to fill them with Saturday field trips. This may seem choppy, but it really doesn’t feel that way and boys seem to retain things just fine over our breaks, as they are typically not too long. This gives us lots of breathing room, with plenty of stretches for continual learning. You could easily make this work for your writing I think! Anyway, hope this helps as you think through ideas :)!!
laceykeigley
Yes – I love the flexibility you are talking about. I think that’s something I picture happening for certain. I am actually looking forward to breaking out the calendar and circling away.
Rebecca Timmons
So…I’m kind of a blog creeper…I hope that doesn’t freak you out. I taught in a year-round public school and we called it a “continuous learning calendar”.
I find your writing inspiring. Thank you.
Rebecca
laceykeigley
Blog “creepers” aren’t creepers – that’s what a blog does – it’s there for everyone. 🙂 I am glad you come over and read! Thank you!
judy kay
You know my opinion! It’s been our best school year yet and those re-focused break times sprinkled here and there felt like a lifeline. But those break weeks go super fast. I learned that I do need to give some focused attention before hand, even just for myself, if I wanted to actually accomplish anything during that week. I started reminding my kids the week before a break that it was coming so they could think about some sort of time-occupying project they’d like to work on.
We took the whole month of December off from our normal school schedule, but I did make a sort of “Christmas term” that I could count two weeks towards our 180 days (different read alouds, different memory work, different music study…). And the kids still did math for those two weeks because they can do it by themselves. Then the next two weeks we were completely and totally off.
And taking the entire month of July off is huge, I think. That helps make a new year feel like a new year, which I’m a sucker for.
I’ve heard this pattern called Sabbath School (work 6, rest 1), but we just call it awesome.
laceykeigley
I DO know your opinion — and love it! 🙂
Reminding kids ahead of time is a good idea too. Do their time-occupying projects have anything to do with school or simply a means to not be wasting away their days?
I love the Christmas term idea because I don’t really want to not do school that entire month – I like other break times more than the rainy days of SC Decembers. Plus – I like seasonal activities – seasonal writing and such – that makes for a fun break in learning the regular old stuff.
Sara
I pretty much do that for Jasmine. I will say that since I only have one child that I’m homeschooling right now and she has Down Syndrome (and maybe I’m just a tad disorganized with this planning/scheduling thing), there is little true organization or Plan involved.
I just keep doing the next lesson in math and grammar and spelling handwriting and any subject that is kind of workbook driven. She still uses a reading curriculum for reading comprehension so it is also easy to just do what’s next.
For social studies, science, novel reading, creative writing, general knowledge info, we kind of just focus on it in spurts like you mentioned-a few weeks at a time until she and I are bored with that or until the book is done.
We are more relaxed in the summer months when I have garden and in December when there is much happening. I just try to do a little most weeks and not stress if I miss some days.
And she is thriving. Her skills are so improved since she is at home. Her general knowledge and specific academic scores are much higher.
I would love a new name for this type of schooling. It definitely needs a better spin since people act like you’re crazy to do it. But I completely agree that enthusiasm is better maintained in spurts.
laceykeigley
Hey – sometimes “doing what comes next” is the most successful strategy around.
Someone suggested the term “balanced schedule” which I kind of like.