How many hours per day for middle school?

[AuntPol]

I always telling my DD when she complains, "you can go to school from 8-2:30 and then have hours of homework to bring home". I can't believe the amount of homework PS kids bring home. I think to myself, "what are they doing AT school?" If we happen to school from 9-3, but then have no homework, we are putting in a lot less hours than traditional school, but only because our hours are more efficient.

 

Ditto

 

Our public school goes from 7:30 to 2:30 w/ 30 minutes lunch. They have 6 classes in that timeframe. They get language arts, math, science, and social studies, health/PE, and one elective (band or foreign language)

 

Then they have 1-2 hours of homework a night and if you are behind, you have extra lessons after school.

 

We school for about same time as the school day here but no homework and we cover more subjects and go way more in depth with those subjects.

 

I find discussion of hours interesting. I do count all reading except free reading, most discussions (except those that come up later at dinner or in car by chance but narration/discussions are part of curriculum), nature study, etc because my kids see those as school. If it is assigned, it is school. They wouldn't read on their own (or wouldnt' read the books I assign), etc.

 

I don't count music practice, handicrafts (Unless part of a assigned project), journal writing, movies/documentaries, and playing educational games as school because I don't assign them. (I do put them under the subject area when I tally what they study though).

[Mallory]

In our district, DS would get in the bus at 8:30am and would get off the bus at 4pm.

 

The bus goes by my house at 6:30 and 4:30, that is 10 hours a day even without homework- even if my Ker went. :001_huh: And they aren't allowed to open thier backpacks on the bus (because of problems with throwing pencils and paper), so they're not supposed to work on anything during the time they'd be on the bus.

 

I try to keep school time between 1/2 and 1 hours per grade level. So if my 5th grader was doing less then 2 1/2 hours of school or more then 5, I'd want to change things (assuming they weren't dragging things way out). This count is basically seat work, I don't count read alouds or free reading (but I do count assigned reading), I don't count sports or extra lessons, or discussions that happen outside of school time (even if on school topics).

 

But to really throw a wrench into things, I am planning on fitting most of it into 3 days. So we have 3 days with nearly 7 hours planned (from 7am-9am, from 10:30-12:30 or 1:00, and from 4:30-7:00) and two days with just the early time slot. But averaged out over the week it makes about 5 hours a day. This streached out schedule really works for us, because if the boys get up and get started before the little ones wake up about 9, we can get as much done that first 2 hours as the whole rest of the day. Then they have a break while I exercise, then we do fun subjects, then lunch. The long afternoon break is nice for outdoor play/work and for seeing Dad (who works night so if he is home and up it is during this time) and for preparing/eating dinner. Then after Dad leaves for work we finish up school.

 

So far in my children's educations there have been big steps up around 3rd grade (we are very light from K-2nd) and 6th grade. There also is a big change around say 9th grade, but it isn't in time per day so much as in responsibility (I homeschooled my sis from 5th to 10th grade, so this isn't all theoretical ;))