By far, the most common google search I see on my sitemeter is a variation on "how many hours of school a day." It leads people to a post I wrote during my first school year in Pennsylvania, which is when I had to start tracking "school days."
I always wonder about the motivation behind that search. Who's asking the question? Are they kids wondering how long other kids are in school? Mothers trying to plan their lives once their kids get to school age? People considering homeschooling? People who are worried kids aren't spending enough time in school - or too much?
Are they trying to find out how many hours the child is actually in school, or the amount of time educational activities are going on? It's not the same thing.
Last month we started our third homeschooling year here. We still have to count our 180 days of educational activity. Both kids are getting 5 full days in this week: the boy is at Scout camp enjoying swimming (PE), rocketry (science), stream pollution (science again), hiking (more PE), working in the kitchen (community service), maybe doing some building projects. All with a bunch of other boys (socialization). There's more, I'm sure.
My girl is home but going to a history day camp at one of the many local historic houses. She's making crafts (art), playing active games (PE) - yesterday she got to try walking on stilts! - learning local history, learning about plants (science), and hanging out with other kids (socialization).
So, if you want to know how many hours a child spends, or should spend, in school each day, it's probably best to call the local school district. But, if your google search brought you here, go ahead and ask about homeschooling too.
2 comments:
Walking on stilts is probably too dangerous for regular schools.
I am glad we don't have to count days or put actities into slots. The way most homeschoolers live though you could probably put 365 school days. I would love to see the faces of the school officials when they look at that form!
Post a Comment