We do a rotation of 3 weeks of school, 1 week off, year round. We have a 2 week break at the beginning of June and another one at the end of December. We also take 3-4 weeks during the year for field trips or vacations. School is M-T-Th-F with Wednesdays being flex days to catch up on homework. Of course this is a rough sketch of our year. We are grateful for the ability to flex when needed. For a more detailed description of our daily routine, see the blog “What do you do all day?”
BACKGROUND
Our schedule derived from years of trial and error. Our routines and schedule grows from the constancy of changes that come as we move through life, and we expect it to continue to evolve.
WHY DO YOU SCHOOL YEAR-ROUND?
We knew from the beginning that our children wouldn’t magically become self-sufficient when June rolled around. Our adult responsibilities both at home and work didn’t change for the summer. So, we didn’t even consider making major changes to our routines at the end of the school year. Ours is a way of life, and last time we checked, life happens all year round.
Some people baulk at feeling “scheduled” all the time, and if a “schedule” is misused it can feel a little oppressive. We find that having routines and a structure to our day empowers everyone to pursue life at their own speed and advance in their own interests. How does this happen? It happens because every moment is not a free-for-all. There is a time to sleep, a time to eat,, a time to study and a time to play. The idea of having consistency in our days allows everyone to plan and get their needs met and their objectives accomplished. For us it is a necessity when we are living with other people. It gives people limits and freedom at the same time. As a youth worker I had been trained that developmentally, children thrive in structured environments. We have certainly found that to be true in our experience. In fact, we all thrive! When we do not work our routines with the family, we find that many of our personal needs do not get met, there is frustration because expectations are unclear, and we find ourselves reacting rather than pro-acting to life around us. That being said, there are times and places each day, all year to be “unstructured,” and we love those times as much as any other part of the day.
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE 3 WEEK ON, 1 WEEK OFF ROTATION?
Every runner has a pace. They know what they can do and for how long. Homeschooling is not a sprint for us, it is a marathon. With that in mind we derived the 3 weeks of school, 1 week off schedule based on our own stamina and personalities. I only have to plan 3 weeks at a time which allows me to address any issues with curriculum or learning, to introduce new subjects or drop old ones or ones that aren’t working. The kids know how to pace themselves because it is consistent — and they work hard those 3 weeks. It fits my personality because I like the variety and flexibility throughout the year to try new things, get projects done and relax more frequently. It is a rotation our family can do year-round without feeling exhausted, burned out or bored.
WEEKLY
Melissa has a work schedule of four days at work, and one day work-from-home. This gives me a day during the week where I can run errands for the family and the kids can work independently on homework or larger projects. (It is really nice to run errands during a weekday while the stores aren’t so busy!) It is a nice mid-week break that works for us because of Melissa’s work schedule.
FIELD TRIP WEEKS
We used to be able to do our field trips on Melissa’s work-from-home days, but as the children grew older, other obligations took over that time. So, to keep our schedule from becoming too hectic on a weekly basis, we choose about a week a quarter to do some field trips. This is when we hit the local culture, places of interest — our “stay-cation.” It is the week where we don’t worry about routine and don’t get anything “done.” We just enjoy each other, gather with friends and try new things.