Updated 9/28/2022
Are you considering homeschooling year-round, but worried that it would be too exhausting to never have a break? Years ago someone asked how it was different from following the public school schedule with time off from “school”. My response was:
I don’t teach year-round, I respond year-round, and that’s a big difference! So yes, it’s 24/7, since you never know what time of day or year a learning moment might happen. I think you’ll find a lot of homeschoolers do that. We respond and facilitate, and help our kids learn. It’s so natural, it’s not drudgery at all.
Most parents probably respond to learning moments during the summer without realizing that this is what year-round homeschooling might look like. It can work even if you have curriculum and a more formal plan. It might just mean that there are more relaxed days for other activities and no worry to stick to the school schedule, or feel that because of an unexpected blip in plans, that you are suddenly behind. With year-round schooling, there are plenty of learning days in the year, and you’re never behind!
Karen Taylor’s always homeschooled son attended a local community college after graduating from homeschooling. He transferred to UC Berkeley as a junior, and received a PhD in neuroscience from UCSF. She shares homeschooling comments and links on Facebook, Pinterest, and this blog.
