We do not follow a typical school year schedule. Our curriculum choices are eclectic (a mix of several different things), we usually do schoolwork M-F and we often do school all year. Let me explain. Each year looks different. When my kids were all elementary age, we started after Labor Day (mostly because I’m from the Midwest and that’s what I did as a kid) and we took breaks more often (whenever family came to visit or when we had plans with dad, etc.). My children have been doing a modified school schedule in the summer for years. We are often finishing a subject (not that we finish all the books in every subject, but to the point that they have learned what they need to), keeping up with math and reading (and Spanish this year), learning something else that we didn’t get to and/or doing something fun that I count as learning. So, it is just easier to say that we do school year round. The summer schedule varies each year. We take a day or a whole week off for summer birthdays (mine and two of my boys’), a week or two off around a mission trip (our middle and high schoolers have a mission trip every summer and every other summer, the whole family is included), and for any other reasons. I try to keep the “chunks” of school to two to three weeks at a time if possible with 1-2 weeks off in between. If an older student needs to redo any work, practice more or finish something, they may have more work or not have all the breaks the rest of us enjoy.
We are in our last three weeks of the 2022-2023 school year. We will have a break the first week of August, then start on the new 2023-2024 school year. That may mean new books, but we might also be using the same books for some kids for some subjects. For example, one son is 1/3 of the way through a math book. We took a break for the summer because it is technically for the grade level he is entering this upcoming school year. Another son is working throughout the summer to shore up his Algebra skills (we tried Geometry between Alg.1 and Alg. 2 and it did not go well). He will not begin Geometry when we “start school” in August, but will likely pick it up again around Thanksgiving (I’m hoping!). One thing that helps me with this type of “work through it until you’re done” schedule is that I write their high school transcripts by subject instead of by year. This way, the fact that we do not finish things in that grade level during a school year does not affect the transcript. The point is that they learn the information. And, in high school, you have four years (or more) for them to learn it. Then, you record all the things that they’ve learned at the high school level (this type of transcript is also helpful when your 8th grader takes a high school level class). So, summer school is not a punishment, but just part of our homeschool rhythm. Summer may have less “classes” and more flexibility, but I look at is as just as good of time to learn than any other time.
Do you do school year round? What type of schedule or rhythm do you follow?