We’ve been a year round homeschool family since the beginning of our home education journey in 2009. In fact, homeschooling year round is one of our favorite things about the homeschool lifestyle.
Don’t get me wrong. There are times that a three month break sounds heavenly. It doesn’t take long, however, to say “no thanks” to summer break and celebrate the perks of homeschooling year round.
Here’s a look at the benefits we enjoy from thanks to year round homeschool.
10 Benefits of a Year Round Homeschool
1. Control of the calendar
It’s a huge relief to know that the calendar doesn’t dictate our homeschool plans. Homeschooling all year long means we don’t have to stop learning simply because May is nearly over and the calendar says it’s time to wrap up the year. It also means we can start the new year in July if that works better for us.
We can learn on our own time, according to our strengths and interests because we control the schedule. We avoid the rushed feeling that comes with a calendar-dictated schedule and have the opportunity to encourage unhurried education.
2. Dependable routine
I love how our year round homeschool lifestyle creates a dependable routine. While we don’t follow a rigid schedule, my kids and I thrive on routines. Not having to break that routine when summer rolls around saves our sanity and provides stability for our days.
3. Avoiding summer slide
I remember well what back to school meant during my years as a public school student. When a new school year started, every teacher I had spent the first month reviewing material learned last year and establishing a new routine for their class. In essence, a three month summer break equated to four months down the drain. That’s so much wasted time!
With year round homeschool, that’s completely avoided. Reviews and routine changes can still take place as needed, but they don’t require an entire month to implement. They’re also unnecessary much of the time since the learning process and usual routines aren’t interrupted by large breaks.
4. Shorter school days
Our year-round homeschool allows us to be done by noon, more or less, each day. Since the school year never really stops, there’s no pressure to finish everything we’ve got planned in nine months or less. With that pressure gone, we can allow the school year to take an actual year and process what we’re learning in digestible chunks. We don’t have to take an all-or-nothing approach!
5. Relaxed learning environment
Knowing that we don’t have to finish our school year by a certain time or else provides a relaxed, low pressure environment for my kids. That’s something that’s a huge help to me also.
Since there’s less pressure to get everything done by a certain time each day or certain month, we have more opportunity to chase rabbit trails, enjoy learning for what it’s meant to be, and appreciate the journey.
6. Staggered subjects
Homeschooling year round provides the freedom to stagger subjects. There’s no need to begin eight different subjects at the same time when schooling this way.
Instead, it’s perfectly feasible to approach some subjects each day, but forgo others for weeks or months at a time if desired. By homeschooling year round, there’s plenty of room to adjust the schedule as needed and truly customize the homeschool schedule according to your family’s needs. There’s something to be said for allowing the school year to actually take a year!
7. Lifestyle of learning
Lifestyle of learning is a term that’s used frequently among homeschooling families. Year round homeschool makes that lifestyle a reality because it blurs the lines of school and life.
While blurred lines are sometimes bad, they’re good in this reference. When education doesn’t revolve around a calendar, there’s no need to separate it from the natural family rhythm. Homeschooling organically becomes a part of everyday life all year long and paves the way for a learning lifestyle.
8. Flexibility for traveling
One of my favorite things about year round homeschooling is that our travel options aren’t limited to specific months. Summer is usually a popular choice for vacations and family trips, but it’s a terrible time for us to travel due to my husband’s job. Summer is his busiest and most unavailable time.
It works beautifully for us to homeschool through our summers and do our traveling in other seasons. We’re grateful that we don’t have to cram all of our trips and visits into that three month span and add extra stress to an already packed season.
9. Keeping busy (in a good way)
A year round homeschool schedule keeps us busy when we need it most. While everyone is generally encouraged to get outside and enjoy the weather in the summer, our scorching hot, muggy southern weather keeps us spending most of our time inside. We all but hibernate in June, July, and August.
That’s yet another reason we’re grateful for year round homeschool. It helps keep us focused and moving forward at a time we’d otherwise be tempted to turn to video games and television just to have something to do.
10. Calling the shots
Perhaps the greatest benefit of year round homeschool — the one that sums up the rest— is that we call the shots. The freedom that comes from establishing the routine that works best for our family, embracing our own rhythms, and enjoying the journey before us is all a result of us calling the shots with our family calendar.
For sure, our family enjoys many benefits from year round homeschool. Even so, each homeschool family has to evaluate which scheduling works best for them: year round, traditional school year, or others.