Benefits of Homeschooling Year-Round

Let's rack up those 1,000 hours!

Author

Homeschool Fox
August 11, 2024

Benefits of Homeschooling Year-Round

Hey homeschoolers!

Last month, I was excited to share some special news! It really made my day to receive so many heartfelt responses from the community as well as a bunch of new subscribers to the newsletter.

If you’re new here, Homeschool Fox is a blog covering topics relevant to homeschooling, including curriculum resources, effective teaching strategies, community building, and daily lifestyle tips. Homeschool Fox aims to enrich students’ childhood with personalized learning environments that foster creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, social development, structure, and freedom throughout their daily lives.

Every month, I send an email highlighting a particular topic and give a round up of links to the latest blog posts. For August, as many of us are getting back into the swing of schooling, I’d like to offer some insight on why we have decided to homeschool year-round.

Why We Homeschool Year- Round

🔸 What does the Missouri law say about hours? Offer at least 1,000 hours of instruction, at least 600 of which will be core subjects like reading, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. At least 400 of the 600 hours shall occur at the regular homeschool location. Of the 1,000 hours, 400 can be electives such as art, music, physical education (P.E.)/health, or “other.”

 🔸 To achieve 1,000 hours per year WITH a breaks, you will have to spend more hours per day when you are in school mode.

🔸 To achieve 1,000 hours per year WITHOUT breaks, you will need to spend approximately 3.75 hours per day 5 days a week for all 52 weeks of the year (including electives).

🔸 Cranking out 3.75 hours per day each and every day of the year will be very easily manageable for our family, especially considering that is including electives like art and P.E.

🔸 Even if we decide to take a family vacation, you better believe we’ll still be schooling at the same time. Think of it as a big field trip— a geography lesson, social studies as we learn about the area’s culture and customs, plenty of reading as we try to find our way around a new place and dine out at new restaurants, and activity books to keep us occupied during travel time. It would actually be more challenging NOT to learn at all during a trip.

Benefits of Homeschooling Year-Round

🔸 Retention and Mastery Continuous learning helps prevent the “summer slide,” where students forget much of what they learned during the previous school year. By engaging in regular educational activities, our children retain knowledge better and achieve a deeper understanding of subjects. This consistent approach reinforces learning and allows for mastery of concepts.

🔸 Natural Learning Rhythm Homeschooling year-round aligns with the natural rhythm of curiosity and learning. Children are naturally inquisitive, and their interest in learning doesn’t take a break during summer. By maintaining a year-round schedule, we harness their innate curiosity, making education a continuous and integral part of their lives.

🔸 Flexibility and Freedom Year-round homeschooling provides the flexibility to take breaks when needed, rather than being confined to a rigid schedule. We can adjust our learning pace according to family needs, health issues, travel plans, or other life events. This flexibility reduces stress and allows us to create a balanced lifestyle that prioritizes both education and well-being.

🔸 Personalized Learning With a year-round approach, we can tailor our educational activities to our children’s interests and learning styles. We have the freedom to explore subjects in depth, pursue projects, and take field trips without the pressure of a tight schedule. This personalized learning experience fosters a love for education and encourages our children to pursue their passions.

From the Blog…

Happy homeschooling!