More: You’ve Decided to Homeschool…Now What? Major Tasks to Prepare to Teach A School Year By Any Other Name Although homeschool is like “regular” school in that it is based on a school year, the definition of a year is really up to you. You can define what a school year is based on your personal preferences, such as the schedule you like to keep, vacation plans, and so on. As long as you meet your state’s legal requirement regarding the number of days your students must attend school, how you schedule those days is up to you. Here are some options you can consider:
A traditional school year. Homeschoolers who use this model keep to a traditional school year that starts in the late summer or early fall, has a Christmas break, has a spring break, and ends in the late spring or early summer. The summer months are off (for the students of course; homeschool managers use this “off time,” which will be used for planning the next year). Year-round school. Some traditional schools use this approach, too. Instead of taking a large break during the summer, several longer breaks are taken throughout the year and school continues throughout the year. Hybrid approach. Some homeschoolers take longer breaks during the year and include a shortened summer break, which is still longer than all the other breaks during the year.
One of the great things about homeschool is that you can choose the schedule that best meets your family’s needs. You can literally design your schedule the way you want it to be. Tip:
Speaking of breaks, another advantage of homeschooling is that you can easily plan family vacations at off-peak times for lower costs and fewer crowds. For example, you might take your summer vacation in early September when most public schools have started. You will be amazed at how much less such vacations cost and how much more fun they are because everything is less crowded.
