A sabbath homeschool isn’t really religious at all despite it’s name. The main concept does come from the Christian idea of the sabbath however. If you aren’t familiar with what the sabbath is, it relates to the creation of the world in six days and on the seventh day there was rest from all the work. That seventh day is the sabbath.
So how does this all relate to homeschool you may ask? Well lets continue on to find out.
What is a Sabbath Homeschool Schedule?
A sabbath homeschool schedule works in seven week rotations. In the first six weeks your work and on the seventh week you take a break.
The idea is very simple but simple is sometimes what you need in a homeschool schedule.
Benefits of a Sabbath Homeschool Schedule
Predictability
In a previous post I spoke about a year round homeschool schedule. This marries up well with year round homeschool for the particular benefit of predictability. A sabbath homeschool schedule give you a clear idea of how long you are going to be schooling for and when your next break is going to be. The cycle is gentle enough that it can carry you through a full year without burning you out due to the frequent nature of breaks.
Frequent Breaks
One of the things I love about a sabbath homeschooling schedule is how frequent the breaks are. When I was in college this was actually the schedule they kept and it was brillant. Six weeks is the perfect amount of time to work hard before needing a rest.
Frequent breaks allow for plenty of time to go on vacation, catch up with friends and spend quality time together as a family. I know that sometimes we can become so caught up in the schooling and every day life things that we forget to do these types of activities that are really so important.
Knowing when your next break is going to be makes it easier to plan activities and give yourself something fun and exciting to look forward too. Six weeks is a great amount of time to build up that anticipation!
Less Homeschool Burnout
Homeschool burnout is a big deal. It can affect how you feel about yourself, your family, your life, your partner…you get the picture. One of the biggest causes of homeschool burnout is trying to do too much with out taking enough rest.
The majority of parents who do the homeschooling are stay at home parents who also bear a lot of the load of household chores, cooking, being a spouse and every day parenting. It is a lot to take on and definitely not for the faint hearted. It is so important to take a break and to take them often. This is where the sabbath homeschooling schedule really does shine.
Taking a break every six weeks instead of every 10 or so weeks in a traditional school year makes life just that little bit easier.
The breaks are not the only aspect of this schedule that takes a burden off. The fact that it is a predictable schedule removes the need to be constantly planning and scheduling. You could take a day during your sabbath to prepare and look over the next six weeks but it is a lot simpler and efficient that trying to plan large blocks of time or trying to plan as you go.
More Learning Rentenion
Those who undertake a sabbath homeschooling schedule will inevitably end up spending more time schooling that those who stick to a regular school schedule. The result of this is less forgotten learning. We have all heard of the Summer Slide where children regress in their learning over Summer because they aren’t using what they have learned through the year, not revising it or not continuing to build upon what they were already learning.
A sabbath homeschool schedule is so consistent that this issue becomes obsolete. Children continue to progress in their learning year round. One week is much easier to recover from as opposed to three months over Summer. However during the Summer months you may decide to have a lighter schedule to ensure their is enough time to play with friends and get out and enjoy the weather! Both very important aspects of life.
Negatives of Sabbath Homeschooling Schedules
The main downfall of a sabbath homeschooling schedule is the lack of flexibility it provides. Although you have frequent breaks it doesn’t really take into account all the unexpected events that happen in life.
If you are schooling year round you could definitely make up time though so it is possible to make it work.
As with all schedules, philosophies and ideas you can and should adjust them to suit your own individual needs. It is common to mix different schedules and different ideas together to come up with something that is entirely unique to your own family and children.
