Search Blog
Search Blog

Homeschooling Year-Round vs Traditional

Written By: The Good and the Beautiful Published On:

Is a traditional or year-round homeschool schedule best for your family? Watch this video from The Good and the Beautiful YouTube channel to find out some benefits and drawbacks of each schedule.

I'm Jenny Phillips, a homeschool mom and the owner of The Good and the Beautiful. Today I'm doing a quick video for those thinking about jumping into homeschooling or for seasoned homeschooling parents considering a change in their schedules. 

Homeschooling comes with precious gifts, including freedom and choice. With homeschooling, you can tailor every detail around your family. This video is specifically about comparing homeschooling with a year-round schedule or homeschooling with a traditional schedule.

Year-Round vs. Traditional

Year-round homeschooling means that you either homeschool fewer hours each day and spread the work throughout the school year, or you take more breaks throughout the entire year and not just during the summer. You also continue to do a regular schooling schedule during at least part of the summer. A traditional schedule means that you take a long summer break.

Trends

So what do most homeschoolers do? In a survey we did with our customers, we found that 26% homeschool year-round. The remaining 74% follow a more traditional school year schedule. Which schedule is best for your family? It's really up to you, and it may change from year to year or season to season.

Visit these blog posts about homeschool planning and scheduling for more ideas.

  • Visit Post for FREE Download
  • Visit Post for FREE Download

Traditional School Year Benefits

I have found that choosing to follow a traditional school year with homeschooling offers a few benefits. It can be helpful in coordinating sports and activities if your children have a lot of friends in public school. Some children thrive on having a long period in summer when they can play without any formal schooling. Rather than breaking routine frequently throughout the year, you maintain a more consistent traditional schedule.

Some children thrive on having a long period in summer when they can play without any formal schooling. Rather than breaking routine frequently throughout the year, you maintain a more consistent traditional schedule.

Long summer breaks can allow parents time away from the physical and mental rigors of homeschooling and allow a parent to start a new school year refreshed and energized.

Year-Round Schooling Benefits

I have found that choosing to follow a year-round approach to homeschooling can have these benefits. Children retain information better. Long, complete breaks in learning, especially when children are younger, usually result in a loss of progress that has to be made up for when school starts again. You can homeschool fewer hours each day and fewer days each week. Children don't have summertime boredom that sometimes happens with a more relaxed summer schedule.

You can travel and go places when public school is in session, which often means that places are quieter and less busy. You can spread breaks and vacations throughout the year, giving both you and your children much-needed breaks to refresh and renew.

Summer Break

For some parents, a week or a few weeks is enough to get that refreshment, while others find that a whole summer break is needed. A year-round approach can also work well for those who could really use some flexibility, including those with newborn babies or littles.

But here's a caution about year-round homeschooling. It can be easy to become too relaxed, thinking you have all year to finish the growth your child needs. The number of days or hours skipped may be adding up more than you realize if you're not paying enough attention to how much schooling is actually taking place.

  • Find books and resources perfect for summer learning here.

    Summer Learning Resources

How to Choose

So what does my family do? It's actually changed in different seasons of our lives. Usually my family does a hybrid of traditional and year-round homeschool. So, we follow a consistent, full schedule during the school year. Then we do homeschool about one to one and a half hours per day in the summer, because we take more breaks during the school year than public schools do. We love to travel and go on outings when public school is in session and places are not as busy. We often bring our lessons with us when we travel and do them on days when it works to fit in some schooling.

Sometimes we homeschool on Saturdays to make up for a day we took off during the week. And I always want to make sure that my children get through the courses that we plan for the year. Sometimes an adjustment is necessary. Slow down a course in order to take it at the right speed for the child.

If you are just starting out and you are unsure which approach is best for you and your family, consider starting with a hybrid approach. Stick to a consistent schedule during the school year, but take an extra break here and there if needed. Then do some schooling in the summer as well.

Check out the other videos on The Good and the Beautiful YouTube channel to find support and to gain knowledge not only for homeschooling, but also for ideas and inspiration on finding joy and growth in this one beautiful life that we’ve been given. I’ll see you soon!

You may also like . . .

Join the Discussion

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.

Related Posts

  • Tips for Limiting Screen Time

    Tips for Limiting Screen Time

    Technology brings a wealth of information to our fingertips, but overuse of screen time has become an issue for many families. Jenny Phillips shares her family’s journey to limiting screen...

    Tips for Limiting Screen Time

    Technology brings a wealth of information to our fingertips, but overuse of screen time has become an issue for many families. Jenny Phillips shares her family’s journey to limiting screen...

    Read more
  • Is Sentence Diagramming Necessary for Learning Grammar?

    Is Sentence Diagramming Necessary for Learning ...

    Sentence diagramming can be a grammar exercise students either love or run from. Sit down with Jenny Phillips in this video and blog post as she discusses how and why...

    Is Sentence Diagramming Necessary for Learning ...

    Sentence diagramming can be a grammar exercise students either love or run from. Sit down with Jenny Phillips in this video and blog post as she discusses how and why...

    Read more
  • What Is a Solar Eclipse?

    What Is a Solar Eclipse?

    Witnessing a total solar eclipse is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most. Learn all about total solar eclipses and how to safely view one. Then download directions for a fun solar...

    What Is a Solar Eclipse?

    Witnessing a total solar eclipse is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most. Learn all about total solar eclipses and how to safely view one. Then download directions for a fun solar...

    Read more
  • Is The Good and the Beautiful Math Rigorous?

    Is The Good and the Beautiful Math Rigorous?

    What is rigor in mathematics, and is Simply Good and Beautiful Math rigorous enough? A rigorous homeschool math course teaches more than just memorization of facts and steps. Keep reading...

    Is The Good and the Beautiful Math Rigorous?

    What is rigor in mathematics, and is Simply Good and Beautiful Math rigorous enough? A rigorous homeschool math course teaches more than just memorization of facts and steps. Keep reading...

    Read more
  • Count to 15

    Count to 15

    Teach children how to count to 15 through music and illustration with our delightful video on The Good and the Beautiful Kids Channel on YouTube. Then keep reading for more...

    Count to 15

    Teach children how to count to 15 through music and illustration with our delightful video on The Good and the Beautiful Kids Channel on YouTube. Then keep reading for more...

    Read more
  • Count By 15

    Count By 15

    Count By 15

    Read more
  • Count by 10's

    Count by 10's

    Counting by 10's is an easy pattern to introduce to children once they have mastered counting by 1's. Print the free download. Then sing along with the children in this...

    Count by 10's

    Counting by 10's is an easy pattern to introduce to children once they have mastered counting by 1's. Print the free download. Then sing along with the children in this...

    Read more
  • The Good and the Beautiful Science: What It's All About

    The Good and the Beautiful Science: What It's A...

    Science is an important part of any homeschool education, but our team believes homeschool science curriculum should be fun and inspiring too! Our best-selling science units make science exciting to...

    The Good and the Beautiful Science: What It's A...

    Science is an important part of any homeschool education, but our team believes homeschool science curriculum should be fun and inspiring too! Our best-selling science units make science exciting to...

    Read more
  • The Good and the Beautiful Handwriting: What It's All About

    The Good and the Beautiful Handwriting: What It...

    The Good and the Beautiful's award-winning handwriting curriculum was named the most popular among homeschool families in 2022!  When you open one of our handwriting books, you immediately notice The...

    The Good and the Beautiful Handwriting: What It...

    The Good and the Beautiful's award-winning handwriting curriculum was named the most popular among homeschool families in 2022!  When you open one of our handwriting books, you immediately notice The...

    Read more
  • Homeschooling with The Good and the Beautiful: What It's All About

    Homeschooling with The Good and the Beautiful: ...

    Once there was a homeschool mom who loved books and nature and God. She created her dream language arts curriculum for her own kids. And then she shared it for...

    Homeschooling with The Good and the Beautiful: ...

    Once there was a homeschool mom who loved books and nature and God. She created her dream language arts curriculum for her own kids. And then she shared it for...

    Read more
  • Second Grade Sight Words

    Second Grade Sight Words

    Master second grade sight words! Download a free list of sight words used in The Good and the Beautiful Level 2 Language Arts and some fun sight word games for...

    Second Grade Sight Words

    Master second grade sight words! Download a free list of sight words used in The Good and the Beautiful Level 2 Language Arts and some fun sight word games for...

    Read more
  • Simply Good and Beautiful Math: What It's All About 

    Simply Good and Beautiful Math: What It's All A...

    The Simply Good and the Beautiful Math team knows homeschool parents need enjoyable open-and-go lessons that are just the right length, while also building a solid foundation of strong number...

    Simply Good and Beautiful Math: What It's All A...

    The Simply Good and the Beautiful Math team knows homeschool parents need enjoyable open-and-go lessons that are just the right length, while also building a solid foundation of strong number...

    Read more
  • First Grade Sight Words

    First Grade Sight Words

    Learning phonics and decoding is vital for first-grade reader. First graders benefit from learning a short list of words by sight as well. The most useful first-grade sight words are...

    First Grade Sight Words

    Learning phonics and decoding is vital for first-grade reader. First graders benefit from learning a short list of words by sight as well. The most useful first-grade sight words are...

    Read more
  • 4th of July Coloring Pages

    4th of July Coloring Pages

    Free Printable 4th of July Coloring Pages!  Enjoy these beautiful illustrations made into patriotic 4th of July coloring pages, available only from The Good and the Beautiful. Keep reading to...

    4th of July Coloring Pages

    Free Printable 4th of July Coloring Pages!  Enjoy these beautiful illustrations made into patriotic 4th of July coloring pages, available only from The Good and the Beautiful. Keep reading to...

    Read more
  • Skip Counting: Multiples of 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9

    Skip Counting: Multiples of 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9

    Skip counting is an important foundation for understanding and learning multiplication! Children easily learn the multiples of 2, 5, and 10 first, but the multiples of 3, 4, 6, 7,...

    Skip Counting: Multiples of 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9

    Skip counting is an important foundation for understanding and learning multiplication! Children easily learn the multiples of 2, 5, and 10 first, but the multiples of 3, 4, 6, 7,...

    Read more
  • 30 Outdoor Activities for Kids

    30 Outdoor Activities for Kids

    Looking for some outdoor activities for kids? Well, it’s time to get outside! The positive impact of nature and outdoor learning has been proven over and over again. Spending time...

    30 Outdoor Activities for Kids

    Looking for some outdoor activities for kids? Well, it’s time to get outside! The positive impact of nature and outdoor learning has been proven over and over again. Spending time...

    Read more
  • Multiplication Chart Printable

    Multiplication Chart Printable

    Multiplication! For some children, memorizing facts and recognizing number patterns is a fun puzzle and enjoyable mental challenge. For others, it’s a complicated chore. We are here to help with...

    Multiplication Chart Printable

    Multiplication! For some children, memorizing facts and recognizing number patterns is a fun puzzle and enjoyable mental challenge. For others, it’s a complicated chore. We are here to help with...

    Read more
  • Kindergarten Readiness Checklist

    Kindergarten Readiness Checklist

    Get ready for kindergarten! In this post, learn tips on how to prep your child for kindergarten, and be sure to download our free, printable Kindergarten Readiness Checklist! Preparing for Kindergarten...

    Kindergarten Readiness Checklist

    Get ready for kindergarten! In this post, learn tips on how to prep your child for kindergarten, and be sure to download our free, printable Kindergarten Readiness Checklist! Preparing for Kindergarten...

    Read more
  • What Do Grasshoppers Eat?

    What Do Grasshoppers Eat?

    Walking through a backyard in the spring and summer, you’re likely to spy a bright green grasshopper springing across your path. These medium-to-large insects have two pairs of wings and...

    What Do Grasshoppers Eat?

    Walking through a backyard in the spring and summer, you’re likely to spy a bright green grasshopper springing across your path. These medium-to-large insects have two pairs of wings and...

    Read more