Is a traditional or year-round homeschool schedule best for your family? Watch this video from The Good and the Beautiful YouTube channel to find out some benefits and drawbacks of each schedule.
I’m Jenny Phillips, a homeschool mom and the owner of The Good and the Beautiful. Today I’m doing a quick video for those thinking about jumping into homeschooling or for seasoned homeschooling parents considering a change in their schedules.
Homeschooling comes with precious gifts, including freedom and choice. With homeschooling, you can tailor every detail around your family. This video is specifically about comparing homeschooling with a year-round schedule or homeschooling with a traditional schedule.
Year-Round vs. Traditional
Year-round homeschooling means that you either homeschool fewer hours each day and spread the work throughout the school year, or you take more breaks throughout the entire year and not just during the summer. You also continue to do a regular schooling schedule during at least part of the summer. A traditional schedule means that you take a long summer break.
Trends
So what do most homeschoolers do? In a survey we did with our customers, we found that 26% homeschool year-round. The remaining 74% follow a more traditional school year schedule. Which schedule is best for your family? It’s really up to you, and it may change from year to year or season to season.
Visit these blog posts about homeschool planning and scheduling for more ideas.
Traditional School Year Benefits
I have found that choosing to follow a traditional school year with homeschooling offers a few benefits. It can be helpful in coordinating sports and activities if your children have a lot of friends in public school. Some children thrive on having a long period in summer when they can play without any formal schooling. Rather than breaking routine frequently throughout the year, you maintain a more consistent traditional schedule.

Some children thrive on having a long period in summer when they can play without any formal schooling. Rather than breaking routine frequently throughout the year, you maintain a more consistent traditional schedule.
Long summer breaks can allow parents time away from the physical and mental rigors of homeschooling and allow a parent to start a new school year refreshed and energized.
Year-Round Schooling Benefits
I have found that choosing to follow a year-round approach to homeschooling can have these benefits. Children retain information better. Long, complete breaks in learning, especially when children are younger, usually result in a loss of progress that has to be made up for when school starts again. You can homeschool fewer hours each day and fewer days each week. Children don’t have summertime boredom that sometimes happens with a more relaxed summer schedule.
You can travel and go places when public school is in session, which often means that places are quieter and less busy. You can spread breaks and vacations throughout the year, giving both you and your children much-needed breaks to refresh and renew.

Summer Break
For some parents, a week or a few weeks is enough to get that refreshment, while others find that a whole summer break is needed. A year-round approach can also work well for those who could really use some flexibility, including those with newborn babies or littles.
But here’s a caution about year-round homeschooling. It can be easy to become too relaxed, thinking you have all year to finish the growth your child needs. The number of days or hours skipped may be adding up more than you realize if you’re not paying enough attention to how much schooling is actually taking place.

Find books and resources perfect for summer learning here.
How to Choose
So what does my family do? It’s actually changed in different seasons of our lives. Usually my family does a hybrid of traditional and year-round homeschool. So, we follow a consistent, full schedule during the school year. Then we do homeschool about one to one and a half hours per day in the summer, because we take more breaks during the school year than public schools do. We love to travel and go on outings when public school is in session and places are not as busy. We often bring our lessons with us when we travel and do them on days when it works to fit in some schooling.
Sometimes we homeschool on Saturdays to make up for a day we took off during the week. And I always want to make sure that my children get through the courses that we plan for the year. Sometimes an adjustment is necessary. Slow down a course in order to take it at the right speed for the child.



If you are just starting out and you are unsure which approach is best for you and your family, consider starting with a hybrid approach. Stick to a consistent schedule during the school year, but take an extra break here and there if needed. Then do some schooling in the summer as well.
Check out the other videos on The Good and the Beautiful YouTube channel to find support and to gain knowledge not only for homeschooling, but also for ideas and inspiration on finding joy and growth in this one beautiful life that we’ve been given. I’ll see you soon!
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