Are you wondering what type of schedule to keep when it comes to homeschooling year round versus keeping a traditional school schedule of nine months a year? Well, through fourteen years of homeschooling, we have had the opportunity to try a few different types of schedules, and we eventually landed one that works for many reasons. 

We have tried following the traditional public school schedule for a few years. We even tried a six-week on and one week off schedule for a spell. But nothing has worked as well as homeschooling year round. The flexibility that homeschooling year round provides is pretty awesome. So much so, that I want to share three of the best benefits for your family if you decide to embrace homeschooling year round. 

3 Ways That Your Family Can Benefit From Homeschooling Year Round

1. Freedom – One of the best parts of homeschooling year round for our family and many other homeschooling families is the freedom you will experience. Freedom to explore while everyone else is at public school has been a big perk for us. We can plan trips and vacations any time during the year to get the best rates. And as an introverted homeschool momma, I prefer to take my children on expeditions when fewer people are out and most places are less crowded. We have enjoyed many field trips and classes without crowding, which can make a huge difference in your homeschool experience. 
2. Flexibility – Another thing that I have learned over the years is that we value flexibility in homeschooling. When you homeschool year round, you have an abundance of flexibility. With homeschooling year round, we have more flexibility in our schedule, curriculum planning, and family life. In addition, it is so much easier to schedule doctor appointments and not worry that we will get behind if we take a weekday off. Year round homeschooling gives us a better sense of our long-term homeschool goals, and it fits our lifestyle much better. 
3. Peace – There is a certain peace that homeschooling year round brings. For one, we never feel behind when it comes to home educating. When consulting with homeschool families, I often hear that they feel behind when it comes to keeping up with their curriculum. Well, I think about it this way, if a standard curriculum has 160-180 lessons – the pressure to complete those lessons over nine months can feel constrictive. But what if you had a year? What if you could schedule those 180 lessons over 365 days versus 270? It takes so much pressure off when you have more time to plan and play with. 

How Do You Change Grade Levels When Homeschooling Year Round?

I want to address this because it is a common question that comes up when I consult families that are considering homeschooling year round. How do you level up your homeschool curriculum from year to year? It is simple, and I can use my own family as an example. 

We homeschool each year from August to August. Typically, we take time off in June or July for summer vacations and take time off in December to enjoy Advent activities in place of our usual homeschool routine. So we complete the current curriculum level by July of each year to promote each grade level in August. That way, we can still experience the back-to-homeschool buzz and traditional celebrations. 

But, another wonderful perk of homeschooling is that YOU get to choose what works best for your family! There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to planning your homeschool year. 

I hope these three significant benefits of homeschooling will encourage you to try homeschooling year round. There are so many ways that year round homeschooling can bless your family. 

Another (home) school year is about to start! Maybe you’ve already started your year, or maybe your school year never ended (you homeschool year-round).  Either way, what homeschool mom couldn’t use a little extra money for homeschool curriculum or resources? Winning a gift card to a major online homeschool retailer would surely help you check some things off of your curriculum wish list! I’ve teamed up with a great group of homeschool bloggers to bring you a HUGE gift card giveaway to Christianbook.com.  We will be blessing THREE homeschool families with a $200 gift card for you to use on curriculum, books, games, puzzles, or whatever educational supplies you might need! We know homeschooling can put a financial strain on families – whether it’s from living on one-income or buying curriculum for multiple children – the financial aspect of it can be stressful.  Our hope is that we can bless a few homeschool families (although we wish we could bless many more) and ease a little of that financial burden. To enter for your chance to win, simply use the Rafflecopter form below to enter.  Now I know this is quite a few entries, but each of these bloggers has generously chipped in their own money to make this giveaway possible, so I hope you will take the time to do all of the entries.  And hey, the more entries you do, the better your odds are of winning! Giveaway ends August 12, 2022 at 11:59pm ET.  Must be at least 18 years of age.  Must be a resident of U.S. or Canada to enter.  Selected winners will have 48 hours to respond to email notification to claim their prizes or another winner will be drawn.  By entering this giveaway, you agree to be added to the email lists of the participating bloggers (see the Terms & Conditions on the Rafflecopter form for the complete list). a Rafflecopter giveaway