I am an advocate of year-round schooling. The idea of school being held throughout the calendar year with several multi-week breaks makes a lot of sense to me.
Why?
There's an enormous amount of "gearing up" and "winding down" time in the present September to June schedule. Teachers and parents spend September and October acclimating their students and children, once again, to the world of school - getting them to bed early and on time to school in the morning, sustaining attention and productivity during the school day, doing homework and reviewing content material and study habits forgotten over the summer months.
As soon as warm weather arrives in April teachers and parents face an often losing battle keeping children on track and achieving as dreams of the complete freedom to come in June takes over. And let's not forget the holiday period from Thanksgiving through Christmas vacation when distractions from, and interruptions to, the curriculum are many. This all adds up to only a fraction of the September to June school year being the full learning experience it should be.
If school was a consistent part of kids' and families' lives rather than the stop-and-start schedule it is now I think it would be much more beneficial to all involved. It's almost as if school and teachers are the "bad cops" in the lives of children and families. With three months of complete freedom from a rigid bedtime and morning schedule, daily sustained attention and cooperation as a member of a group and the responsibility of homework, it's easy to see that when school rolls around it can be viewed as "no fun" and the culprit in robbing families of a much easier life-style.
Does everyone need a break from the school scene? Of course they do - and teachers are at the top of that list, believe me. If school were year-round that could still be achieved, and in a fashion that I think would be much more sensible. How about four significant breaks during a calendar year - say two 3 week breaks, one in the summer and another during the holidays. In addition, schedule two 2 week breaks somewhere in the period of January to June. The amount of time away from school would be the same as one long summer vacation but would be spaced to allow for refreshing breaks rather than a complete cessation of learning and family schedules for a whole summer. Teachers could stop spending two months of the school year reviewing and procede with no interruption in the curriculum and they could sustain progress and learning in warm weather without losing their classes to daydreaming about getting out of "prison" (school)!
I live in New England and people here are very devoted to their summers, so I imagine my views don't stand much of a chance being implemented any time soon. So here's my 2 cents on what kids should be doing over our long American summer vacations:
1. Read consistently, and make most of those books sufficiently challenging and of fine caliber. Have the child keep a dictionary nearby and look up unfamiliar vocabulary as they read. Draw or write about what they've read or discuss their books with others.
2. Review last year's math skills and be sure there are no problem areas - if there are, remedy them. Use math skills in everyday situations such as cooking, map reading, planning a party or working on a project. Be sure math facts appropriate to the upcoming grade are solid.
3. Read the newspaper or find something online or on TV that peaks an interest. Follow up on it and learn more about it. Write about it in a journal or letter to a relative.
4. Two weeks before school starts begin having children go to bed at their school-night bedtime and in the morning getting them up at their school-day time.
5. Day One of the new school year - SMILE - and remember that children are going to be working with a new teacher as a member of a group - a group that can achieve great things if everyone in the class has a positive, cooperative attitude.
