How Many Weeks Do You Homeschool?

[mommyto3boys2girls]

This is my first year hsing and we are in our second week. I am just very much a planner and was curious if you all have school 34 weeks or what you do?

 

Cheryl

[winoelle]

We have roughly 36 weeks, broken into four 9 week quarters.

 

Noelle

[TraceyS/FL]

We basically go year round. We have yet to have a year that a traditional calendar worked for us.

 

Case in point - the last 2 years my in-laws have spent multiple months camped in our front yard in the winter. It's almost impossible to conduct full time school with them out there (Because, then i'm a B for not allowing the kids out to see them you know? And the kids want to go out there and eat junk food and watch tv - so it's a constant, "am i done? am i done?"). It's funny how they aren't supportive of our homeschooling - yet have fully enjoyed the benefits of it huh? Wonder what they think it would be like when the divorce is final and they only get to see them on his days? And God forbid they get their way and they are ordered to public school. Homework and afterschool therapies sure aren't going to allow for much social time. Might wanna think this thru people.....

 

So here my kids sit doing school in the summer - because they can't visit Florida in the summer.... yet we'd like to go to the beach and do some other stuff... yet we do school.

 

But really, we don't have many issues with the year round schedule. It gives us flexibility during the year we need. I would however prefer to have it be something where we could only do 4 days in the summer. Again those multiple month visitors selfishly have taken that option away from the kids.

[Peela]

In Australia schools do roughly 40 weeks- 4 ten week terms. However they also lose a week or so to "pupil free days" through the years.

We do the same (minus puil free days, although my son never fails to try!). Its just easiest for us to follow the school terms.

 

We have a 7 or so week break over Christmas (summer holidays) then 3 two week breaks through the year between terms. I think it's really good spacing. Basically its 10 weeks on 2 weeks off, with a longer summer break.

[babysparkler]

30 weeks here plus 2 weeks of testing. We are really good about staying on schedule, so we don't need to factor in a "cushion." We have our year organized with several week-long breaks throughout the year for Grandparents' visits from out of town and my dh's work schedule, but a solid 30 weeks of instruction. We find that it works perfectly for us and we do take a summer vacation from the beginning of May to the end of July.

[babysparkler]

It's almost impossible to conduct full time school with them out there (Because, then i'm a B for not allowing the kids out to see them you know?

 

:iagree: same here :) But I finally limited them to 9-day visits Saturday-Sunday of the next week so that it doesn't interfere with our schedule too much. I give them the dates and they come those days... otherwise, they would come as often as they'd like and say as long as they'd like.

Edited July 23, 2009 by babysparkler

[2_girls_mommy]

I ended up w/42 weeks before we finished our math and L.A. and stopped recording. We are still actually working on Science & History over the summer. I guess that makes us a year round school too. Although we are taking an 8 wk summer break (from the math and L.A. anyway.)

 

3 of those weeks were holiday weeks where we only did a day or two of official school too.

[Snickerdoodle]

We go year round and take breaks when we need them. I have a general guide for what I would like to get done within that year and I'm mindful of progress.

[AudreyTN]

We go year round and take breaks when we need them. I have a general guide for what I would like to get done within that year and I'm mindful of progress.

 

:iagree: I am required to have 180 days per school year so that is really what I keep track of. One week we might do 2 days, the next 3 days. According to MFW that would count as one week.

[Shelly in the Country]

We school year round, but I stick to a 36 week (180 day) school year. We just spread our breaks out over the whole year instead of a long summer break. We especially like having a long break at Christmas.

[Paula in PA]

We school year round and will have a 42 week year, just like last year.

[Orthodox6]

I divide the work into the "standard" 36-weeks. (So records, such as they are, look normal.) How long it takes to finish the work is how long it takes.

[AllSmiles]

I plan for a 40 week school year.

[Chris in VA]

THis is terrible, but honestly, I start when school around here starts, and go until we are all sick of school--taking two weeks for Xmas, a week for Holy Week, and various days here and there, it's about 30 weeks.

[mama25angels]

we usually do about 32-34wks. and school some of over the summer. This year I have a 40 wk. year planned with 6wks. on and 1wk off for delight directed learning.

[KAR120C]

So each quarter is 13 weeks, with the first quarter starting on Labor Day. The three "school year" quarters are our main full-time work (39 weeks total) and the summer quarter we either do one or two specific things or work on a project. That one gets interrupted with summer camp and more free time, and we do a much lighter load even when we have the time...

 

The 39 weeks are calendar weeks and include time off for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so it's really 37 weeks when you get down to it.

[Truscifi]

Last year I tried to follow the regular ps schedule, but life got in the way in the last half of the year. Fortunately my ds was working ahead anyway and we still finished early despite him taking off a month for spring break rather than the week I'd originally planned - I had to help my parents by a house among other things :tongue_smilie:.

 

Anyway, this year I am going with a modified schedule giving more time off at Christmas and spring break than I did last year, and planning to go year round unless he finishes early again. Of course, him finishing early last year just meant I had to find some 'fun' workbooks and reading to do over the summer. :001_smile:

[Mad Jenny Flint]

36 weeks, 180+ (183 days this year) days of full on, wall-to-wall school, with a few weeks for breaks, which this year will take us from 9/8/09 thru 6/30/10; July and August will be summer break and planning time for next year. When we school, WE SCHOOL.

[abcinnc]

36 weeks for us - 180 days for official records, but we try to keep reading and learning all year

[patchfire]

We're required to report 180 days, which is 36 weeks. I plan between 160 and 175 days for the every day subjects, and consequently we can take days for field trips, testing, and just plain gorgeous days. :)

[mommyto3boys2girls]

So with 36 weeks or 180 days...is that just school or are xmas break, spring break included in that?

 

Cheryl

[elegantlion]

We're required to report 180 days, which is 36 weeks. I plan between 160 and 175 days for the every day subjects, and consequently we can take days for field trips, testing, and just plain gorgeous days. :)

 

:iagree:We're required to do 180 days as well (Louisiana). Most subjects are planned between 30-34 weeks. There is always enough catch up or misc things to fill in the rest of the weeks.

 

So with 36 weeks or 180 days...is that just school or are xmas break, spring break included in that?

 

Cheryl

 

Breaks are not counted in our 36 weeks. We tend to follow a traditional school calendar, one week at Thanksgiving, 2 weeks at Christmas/New Years. We also take a week off in September for family and a week at the end of February. We take various days off in between, some days just because we can :D. We start Aug 10th and will end towards the end of May.

[Moni]

How Many Weeks Do You Homeschool?

 

All of them.

 

 

:seeya:

[NavyWifeandMommy]

Every year is different and this year I am doing 20 to 25 (if I am lucky to get that far) and we will stop. We are moving and don't have a house yet so the kids will go off to the grandparents. They will do school there but not formally like with me. Then when they come back to us we will finish up the year until I have 180 days or whatever the new state laws say. I think all my stuff will go for 36 wks for book learning this year.

[cslbda]

We normally do between 36 and 40 weeks of proper school and then a very light schedule during the summer. In between we take several breaks.

[LanaTron]

that's what I'm planning for the year starting September

[nukeswife]

We're part of the 36 weeks crowd because we are supposed to have 180 days although the state doesn't check attendance. So I'm similar to Chris in VA we start when we start and tend to just call it quits when we all get sick of it. As long as the kids have completed enough of their books to "pass" the standardized tests I'm required to turn in I'm good with that.

 

Chris I'm wondering if it's a "VA" thing :lol:

[melmichigan]

We school all year round. I think it was 250 days last year. :D But, and it's a big but. We do all subjects in a 40 week schedule and then take longer breaks with holidays. We do english and math all year round, with very light days in the summer. We also do more science in the summer, children led depending on what they want to pursue. It usually involves traveling or family away vacations. :auto: We did a unit study on woodlands with a trip up north this month. It works well here because we don't have to do review much and leaves our days more open. Plus one day a week is YMCA homeschool gym and swim during the PS schedule. That counts as PE!

[TraceyS/FL]

:iagree: same here :) But I finally limited them to 9-day visits Saturday-Sunday of the next week so that it doesn't interfere with our schedule too much. I give them the dates and they come those days... otherwise, they would come as often as they'd like and say as long as they'd like.

 

Not an option here, in fact the last "discussion" we had on it, led to my current pending divorce and involved the police. I'm happy for you that your DH is on board with it and that the grandparents respect your wishes, sounds like a normal household!

 

Here is an example.... my MIL has said that when FIL dies, she will just travel around and stay in her RV with friends for a few months at a time. Rotating them around.... she/they don't ever think that they are an imposition for long stays, and she wouldn't think to ASK those friends what they thought of a house/yard guest for multiple months, each year. They think that everything just goes on as normal.

[momto2Cs]

36. We pretty much follow the ps schedule.

[Rainbows]

Since we don't have to do any paperwork with the state or the district yet (not until 3rd grade, only in 1st now) we don't have a certain number of weeks planned out right now. My goal is to start at the end of Aug/beginning of Sept and finish by sometime in June (when my PS kids get out of school)

[Jean in La]

We are required to have 180 days, so 36 weeks.:001_smile:

[rainforest mama]

We have done various schedules in the past, depending on if we have a move, new baby, etc. We tend to school year round, taking time off as we need it. Right now we're still finishing up Math and History.

 

This year I'm scheduling 36 weeks of work and when we get it done, we're done for the year.

[Carol in Cal.]

I think that that means that we have about 44 weeks of school.

I figure on 2 weeks off at Christmas time, sometimes 3.

1-2 weeks of pure fun summer camp.

1 week off after state testing

1-2 weeks of vacation--usually local or a visit to relatives

And then we take off days here and there.

 

I would say that we don't cover as many subjects per day as those who are on 36 week schedules. It has been great to be able to speed up and slow down in math and grammer as the material varies in difficulty. Right now we are doing a major math review--I decided to drop DD back about 15 lessons in Saxon 87 to solidify some things that we realized she really hadn't absorbed as she went through them. Since we are not schooling for a rigid school year, we can do that and still make a lot of progress.

 

I am sometimes concerned about whether I have failed to convey the importance of outside deadlines, and that is on my list of things to work on during the next year or two as we prepare to transition her to high school. But overall I really like our schedule!

[Laura Corin]

About 39 weeks.

 

Laura

[Chris in VA]

We're part of the 36 weeks crowd because we are supposed to have 180 days although the state doesn't check attendance.

 

Chris I'm wondering if it's a "VA" thing :lol:

 

We are? I read the statute differently.:confused:

[Pongo]

42 weeks

[nukeswife]

We are? I read the statute differently.:confused:

 

Well Darn, here I got my FL and VA laws mixed together and I don't have to worry about how many days, just the testing. Well that will make my year a lot easier :D

 

I'm glad you said something Chris.

[tdeveson]

We use a 36-week curriculum. We learn year-round, but we're using our co-op's classical enrichment program and that's broken down into 36 weeks.

[Aletheia Academy]

Our school year begins the day after Labor Day and ends @ August 15. I plan 37 weeks of work. We take off around holidays, for travel, and when we just need a break. :D

[s.z.ichigo]

I do a 36 week because that's the way most programs fit best. I fool around with SOTW to make it fit. In 1st grade I did 42 weeks and fooled with everything else to fit all of SOTW in but that was just unnecessary.

 

In general I split the 36 weeks up into four 9-week terms with a week break after each term. I shuffle this as needed to make sure there's a week or two at Christmas time, a week around my daughter's birthday, a week around Halloween and/or Thanksgiving, or other planned events. If I need to take a week for unexpected occurrences it's no big deal.

 

The consequence is that I begin each year a week or two after the previous one ends so I'm way off the "begin in September" schedule which is fine with me. Since my school year, including breaks, takes about 42 weeks my daughter is about half a year ahead of her peers which is also okay with me. It makes her (and me too) proud when people react to her age, which always seems young for her grade.

[CookieMonster]

I plan on 42 weeks, knowing that we'll get interrupted and probably make only 40 weeks. Also, it leaves me a few weeks if something weird happens and I need to make up weeks just to get to forty full weeks of school.

 

You can see my planned out year here:

 

2009-2010 School Year

 

I really like having a plan like this for more formal learning. I didn't do it for K4 because I didn't want the pressure. Now that I've got some schooling under my belt, a schedule like this doesn't pressure me, but empower me.