5 Important Reasons to Switch to a 4-day Homeschool Week5 min read
Homeschooling, despite its many benefits, is still not the conventional way of teaching and hence, people have a lot of apprehension about the same. They think due to the lack of experienced faculty or not being able to separate personal life from work life or not giving enough personal time to the students, it might be a little less appealing. However, all these issues are trivial and can be resolved easily when taught meticulously and with precision and switched to a 4-day homeschool week. The 4-day scheduling method is one wherein, the students are taught for 4 days and are given one day off, in the end, to relax and calm down a little.No doubt that homeschooling can be really cumbersome if not done correctly. Hence, in order to avoid society’s constant taunts and enjoy homeschooling without feeling pressured or over-exerted, here are a few ways by which you can switch your schedule a little bit-
Contents
1. More time to spend with family and friends
Switching to a 4-day week might be a new concept and one is free to have their doubts and worry about it but, it will give a lot of advantages as well. It will provide more free time for friends and family in hand which could be utilized towards fun rapport-building activities, going out with friends, or simply a day out with the family to an amusement park. Usually, kids get too busy with their schedule and neither have the time nor the energy to do all these activities in their regular life. Moreover, taking a break will be good for both their mental health as well as promote interpersonal relations.
2. Easy to stay on track
Focusing on a 4-day schedule makes it easy to stay on the timetable. The extra day is a treat for both the parent/ guardian as well as the students. It not only takes the pressure off both of them but also gives them time to indulge in other activities as well. For instance- with a 4-day week, one reduces the pressure to stay on schedule and can as a result work at their own pace. This results in less stress and anxiety which means less stress for the kids and hence will lead to them being more focused and driven towards their studies. Not only this, but also, the students get time for miscellaneous activities such as going to the doctor, or going to the library to issue books or just repairing their car, anything really. Through this method, one will have a day of grace each week. Now one thing to keep in mind is that homeschooling is an entirely flexible experience and can change from time to time. So for example, Fridays are usually off but due to some emergency, Tuesday was given an off so in that case, it’s fine to just waver a bit and study/ teach on Friday. The schedules don’t have to be rigid. It just has to match your own time.
3. Greater time for exploring co-curricular activities
With a 4-day week, students will get abundant time to experiment and try out different activities and hobbies, be it, dancing, singing, acting, playing an instrument among many others. It will open doors for better opportunities and horizons and make one more confident and capable in their own skills. The extra day can then be used for even trying out different places and experiences till one finds out what works best for them. Going to concerts, trying different cuisines, or simply engaging in a leisure activity has never done anyone any harm to anyone. It will provide flexibility and a change in the monotonous routine. These activities will not only help to relax a little but also aid the child in fostering connections and making friends with people of shared interests thus, expanding their social circle and developing soft skills like communication, adaptability, creativity, empathy, compassion, etc.
4. Gives time for unwinding and catching up
This method allows one to stop and let lose a little bit. The constant pressure of keeping up with the studies can sometimes be overwhelming and therefore, it’s important to understand your own capabilities and unwind regularly. Just taking a step back, and relaxing will allow you to give yourself some time to even assimilate what was taught during the study sessions and help you to retain it in the long run. Furthermore, the extra time can also be used for catching up with the studies, completing the pending assignments, studying for an upcoming test or trying to get ahead of the study schedule by reading topics beforehand. Irrespective of the thing that you choose to do in the extra day allotted, it will always be relaxing to de-stress and slow down a bit. This will also create an atmosphere of calm, soothing energy which will certainly help in channeling your efforts towards one and one goal only- studying.
5. Ample time for life skills
Book knowledge is always different from practical, street knowledge and cannot be taught by another person. It’s something that one can only learn from their own experiences and as a result, most often than not, people fail to do so. Thus, a 4-day schedule provides plenty of time to try out different experiences and learn valuable skills like finance, networking, time management, and critical thinking. Expertise in any of these areas, will increase one’s efficiency to unthinkable levels and thus, would be invaluable in the long run. Real-life experiences and lessons can be only learned once children get out and face the real world, but if their schedule keeps them stuck in their own little bubble, they would be unable to maintain a healthy balance between the two.
