How many days a year do you homeschool?

[JessMcG]

We're supposed to get in 180. Last year, the first I recorded, we did 190, going year round. I don't count sick days. Do you?

 

This year, as last, I am amazed at how far we are behind the public school "summer off" calendar. I feel like we hardly ever take off! I don't know how we'd ever manage to get in a summer break if we were to try. :001_huh:

[SailorMom]

Well - I don't really count days - I know how much we need to get done that school year, and when we're done we're done. I would say, though, that we get the 180 on paper, but not in reality.

[LarlaB]

178 days...August-May w/ several weeks off (holidays, travel etc)

[Karen in CO]

180. I don't count sick days, only days we "do school"

[JudoMom]

We're currently at 162 days. I don't count sick days, either. We'll get in well over 200 days this year.

[Parrothead]

175. The state minimum and no more.

[nmoira]

Between 210 and 220. However, we school year round and do relatively short days.

[sewingmama]

200 days is what is required in Australia. I just follow the public school year as my DH is a school teacher so we can only vacation on school holidays anyway. My kids (will) get the same days off as the public school kids. It's useless trying to make them work when DH is home - he is a big interuption. So the kids get the same days off as he does.

[GoVanGogh]

No state reg on school days in this state, but we normally get ~190 days of school in. Of those, about 30-40 days have typically been field trips. (Where I plan out lessons and/or we read related books about the topic.)

I don't count sick days.

[prairiewindmomma]

We are required to have 186 days. I don't count sick days either. We're usually somewhere in the 200s. We also school year-round.

[CalicoKat]

180 days is required.

 

B u t is that 180 calendar days or 180 days of scheduled work done?

 

That's my question here. I put together the schedule and do I make it rigid or do I let it flex?

[4everHis]

180 days is required.

 

B u t is that 180 calendar days or 180 days of scheduled work done?

 

That's my question here. I put together the schedule and do I make it rigid or do I let it flex?

 

This year we will have put in 180 calendar days but in past years if we've needed a few calendar days for a trip here or there or even for sickness, we would double up school work for a week or so. Still count it as 180 days.

[gingersmom]

We do 180 days and I do not count sick days.

 

After 180 days (which we usually hit in early May), I start counting any days after that towards the next year.

[Ellie]

365. :D

 

California doesn't require a minimum number of school days, but if it did, I'd have counted Monday through Friday, every day we got out of bed, until we had the required number of days. :D

[Snickerdoodle]

How many days a year?

 

All of them.

[LidiyaDawn]

 

All of them.

 

:iagree:

 

We view learning as a constant thing. :)

[Ellie]

180 days is required.

 

B u t is that 180 calendar days or 180 days of scheduled work done?

 

That's my question here. I put together the schedule and do I make it rigid or do I let it flex?

Do you have to *prove* those days? IOW, what other kinds of records do you have to submit?

 

Personally, I count everything--field trips, park day, everything--so in my home, there wouldn't be a problem getting a specific number of days.

 

The only exception would be if I had to submit a calendar showing the days we did school. In that case, I would not count legal holidays. There was an Incident in California once because someone submitted an attendance calendar showing her dc present on a legal holiday. That anyone was upset over it was stupid, but then so are attendance records for homeschoolers. I mean, you get up every day and there they are. :lol:

 

Furthermore, if there is a requirement for a specific number of school days, I would only submit that exact number, even if we did Official School Stuff for more days than that.

[JessReplanted]

In PA we are required to have 180 completed school days. So, I count that as any day in which we do school, or take a field trip, or when my son occasionally goes to work with my hubby and learns something. ;)

 

In reality, some of our school days are really light, while others are much more intense. We take a summer vacation, we still spend time on math and a lot of time reading so 'our brain cells don't die.' This summer we're also going to try to do our geography curriculum which we never had time for during the school year.

[Desert Rat]

210. We school 42 weeks of the year and very rarely have sick days. Fridays are very light with spelling, latin, memorization tests and math. We also go grocery shopping and to the library. I consider both learning experiences. My boys are super frugal shoppers and can pick out the best deal with ease.

As far as learning days? They all are!

[rootsnwings]

I don't really keep up with it but when I was devising our tentative year round schedule I counted 200 actual days of school.

[MamaT]

I am in NC and have to keep attendance records and "show" 180 days. We easily get in that many, especially if you count the days in summer that we do math and Latin . I just fill out the chart I am supposed to keep on file and forget it. I don't get up every morning and check attendance. :001_smile:

[Paula in PA]

210. We school 42 weeks of the year and very rarely have sick days. Fridays are very light with spelling, latin, memorization tests and math. We also go grocery shopping and to the library. I consider both learning experiences. My boys are super frugal shoppers and can pick out the best deal with ease.

As far as learning days? They all are!

 

This is similar to our schedule: 42 weeks, 210 days, with Fridays being a bit lighter still (I know that will be changing all too soon). Pennsylvania requires 180 days.

[kalanamak]

About 340

[Wamommy]

365. :)

We are learning all of the time here. We don't have to track our days.

[elegantlion]

In our previous state we tracked days, 180. I counted days when something educational is done. I also counted teacher in-service days because the public school counted theirs toward their yearly requirement. Found that out one year as we had been trying to follow the school calendar and were coming up short. :D We generally hit about 180 classroom days, that's 36 weeks.

 

Now we have to count hours, which is a greater pain, but the hours can be spread out during a 12 month period.

[Rosie_0801]

Not that anyone cares how many days I logged for 3 year old kinder last year, but my blog tells me I made 131 posts. I don't even care. I just wanted to play here in this thread too.

 

:tongue_smilie:

Rosie

[Barb_]

365. :D

 

California doesn't require a minimum number of school days, but if it did, I'd have counted Monday through Friday, every day we got out of bed, until we had the required number of days. :D

 

:iagree: Counting days is stupid. That is how legislators who have never met a homeschooler understand homeschooling. Taking attendance for homeschooling always makes me go :confused::confused::confused:

 

Son, are you here?

Yes.

 

Daughter, are you present today?

Yes.

 

Oh good, all accounted for.

 

:rolleyes:

[goldberry]

Colorado requires 172 days at an average of 4 hours per day. That would be 688 hours. We do 4 days per week, but then for a few months we do some extras on Friday (co-op choir and drama). Also I do more than 4 hours on the days we do, I figured 5 hours but that was conservative.

 

We are started Aug 23 and will finish June 3. Major holidays off, one week fall break, one week Thanksgiving, 2 weeks Christmas, 1 week spring break. I ended up with 769 hours if I stay schedule through the end of school. So we are way over.

 

I do not count hours, but count days and know what the average hours per day are.

[Donna]

I don't count sick days and have never really kept count of the days we do school. I do keep a record of what we do each day we do schoolwork. I just counted up and this year we have 145 days so far since August. That is not counting days we went on day trips which I am sure a school would count as educational. We do school some through the summer so I am sure we will do 180 days at least.

 

If I wanted to be really "creative" with what I consider "school" I suppose I could count every day in a year since dd does practice violin and do music study everyday for 2-4 hours but I don't.

[Ester Maria]

I plan with 210 (35 weeks x 6 days a week).

The minimum for schools in Italy is 200, so I am familiar with that format.

[TheAutumnOak]

We don't have requirements here, but I will need to do 180 days just to complete all that I have planned for the year...I know it will take us almost the entire year to do it...At least from July to May...We are planning to take breaks as we go, but take the entire month of June off...

 

At least that is the plan right now :tongue_smilie:

[KristinaBreece]

Ohio says we must school for 900 hours. However, no one's allowed to check on that. I plan on schooling year round and taking breaks when we need them and/or when we have a "stopping point" in what we're learning, KWIM?

[GTJo1996]

180 is required by the good old state of Georgia. I do keep count but I'm am very generous as far as what I consider a day of learning! We have done a ton of field trips and several days where all we did was read books. We plan to take about 6 weeks off for summer and then will start up again in July.

[NanceXToo]

Honestly- I don't stress over it in the slightest. We, too, have to get in "180 days" but I don't bother counting them or keeping track of them, partly because we follow a 36 week curriculum but mostly just because I believe that my kids are learning something every single day, that life and learning are pretty inextricable, and that "attendance requirements" for homeschoolers is beyond ridiculous.

 

Therefore, I just go about my business without "counting" or "worrying" about any such thing, and at the end of the year, I submit, with my portfolio, a statement saying something along the lines of "As homeschoolers, we believe that life and learning are inextricable and, as such, I attest that we have more than met the required 180 days of attendance."

 

It's never been questioned.

[Tammyla]

We exceed 180 days per year, and only count days worked.

[Ellie]

I am in NC and have to keep attendance records and "show" 180 days. We easily get in that many, especially if you count the days in summer that we do math and Latin . I just fill out the chart I am supposed to keep on file and forget it. I don't get up every morning and check attendance. :001_smile:

Actually, NC law says "nine calendar months of the year, excluding reasonable holidays and vacations" --no minimum number of days.

 

And in a state like NC where hsers are not required by law to show their attendance records, ever, requiring any "attendance records" is especially idiotic. :tongue_smilie:

[Guest momk2000]

I don't know, we just do the work until it gets done. I would say we definitely go over the 180 mark. :D

[FaithManor]

Michiganders are not required to report or track. So, I can't say for certain, but I can say it's rare that we have less than 200 days. We only take one month off in the summer and even then, they are working on science and history projects as well as woodworking, metalworking, and art.

 

Faith

[CalicoKat]

Do you have to *prove* those days? IOW, what other kinds of records do you have to submit?

 

Personally, I count everything--field trips, park day, everything--so in my home, there wouldn't be a problem getting a specific number of days.

 

The only exception would be if I had to submit a calendar showing the days we did school. In that case, I would not count legal holidays. There was an Incident in California once because someone submitted an attendance calendar showing her dc present on a legal holiday. That anyone was upset over it was stupid, but then so are attendance records for homeschoolers. I mean, you get up every day and there they are. :lol:

 

Furthermore, if there is a requirement for a specific number of school days, I would only submit that exact number, even if we did Official School Stuff for more days than that.

 

IF I had to prove it what would be considered a day of school wouldn't be determined by in in the end, right? It'd be up to the court? We are foster parents and so record keeping is higher on my priorities. Not that we've ever been asked or had to defend our homeschool. But we're "living on a fault line" so it's good to have put more thought into it all.

[Murphy101]

Approx 200

 

ETA: 104 out of 365 are weekends leaving 264

Another 10 -20 off for christmas and Easter leaves 254 - 244

Another 10-20 for various colds, vacation, births, whatever leaves 244 - 224

Edited April 18, 2011 by Martha

[Ellie]

IF I had to prove it what would be considered a day of school wouldn't be determined by in in the end, right? It'd be up to the court? We are foster parents and so record keeping is higher on my priorities. Not that we've ever been asked or had to defend our homeschool. But we're "living on a fault line" so it's good to have put more thought into it all.

It would depend on your state homeschooling law. If the law doesn't specify how many school days, how many hours, or anything like that, then a good attorney (plug for HSLDA :D ) would defend you vigorously based on your compliance to the letter of the law.

 

Given any specific attendance requirement, the most *I* would do is keep a calendar something like this one on Donna Young's site. I would only indicate absences (which is what is required in California for private schools) if I lived in a state that didn't require a minimum number of school days. If I lived in a state which did, I'd cross off the required number of days, Monday through Friday (and excluding legal holidays--a homeschooler in California was given a bad time because she had indicated that her dc were "present" on a legal holiday :glare:). The end.

[*Lulu*]

We are required to do 180 days of instruction, but the our state does not require record keeping. Even so, I do keep records in case I ever need them.

 

In the past we have done between 40 and 46 weeks. Since we school 6 days a week we always have had plenty of days. (And no need to worry about sick days, mental health days, etc. :001_smile: ) However, the problem I've run into this year is planning; now that I have three students the time I used to allot for planning seems insufficient. (And I am finding myself a little frazzled. :svengo: )

 

For next year I am planning 36 weeks, (still 6 day weeks). We will do 6 weeks of school then take 2 weeks off for planning and household projects. We'll also take a few weeks for holidays and our annual trip to see the my husband's family. I will have to more careful about taking mental health days, but seeing as most of our mental health days are for MY mental health......... :blushing:

[5knights3maidens]

We are supposed to have 180 days but I have counted more than 200 some years. Even on days that we just play and walk...that's PE. ;)

[Pretty in Pink]

I have no idea, honestly. I don't keep track! We school year-round so, even considering our breaks, I am sure that we get in our 180 days, and then some.

[RoundAbout]

365

 

I only have one Pre-K student though so practically everything is educational :001_smile: At a minimum we do read-alouds and nature studies (via backyard bird feeders) every single day. I even dragged puzzles and a suitcase full of books on vacation with us.

[Rosy]

Another vote for "all of them". :)

 

Formally, we do 144 (36 weeks x 4 days/week) + 24 co-op days. If I was reporting, I would also count camping and hiking trips, library trips, swimming, karate tournaments, or pretty much any other outing.

[Jenny in Atl]

Another 365 family... I log 180 formal days for the state, but I see everyday as chance to learn.

[babysparkler]

We do 30 4-day weeks, 2 weeks of testing, and Friday field trips alternated with co-op... so, if you count field trips and co-op and testing, 32 week x 5 days = 160 days. But then there are the summer "classes" and weekend educational activities... it is hard to count. (I'm glad I don't have to in Texas!)

[JessMcG]

Thanks for all the replies! To clear things up, I'm inquiring about formal schooling.

 

I think at the root of my thread is this... I feel like I'm such a hard a** when it comes to schooling. It's like pulling teeth to get me to give a day off. So I've been surprised this year and the last to only come up to 190 days (projected for this year). But I've never sat down and planned a whole year of school days vs. vacation. I just take off as I see fit. Perhaps planning is the key.

[MinivanMom]

We're required to count days for our state, but aren't required to have a specific number (just school for 9 months of the year). I try to be sure we have at least 180 days, because that's how many the public schools do here. I count days with formal instruction or with educational type trips (zoo, art museum, etc). I don't count days where we just lounge around the house reading books and doing art projects. Yes, they're learning on days like that, but I don't count them since it's the kind of good parenting stuff I would do even if they attended institutional school. We're on track to have well over 180 days this year.