From Barbara Whiting,
Your Guide to Stay-at-Home Parents.
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My three sons have attended year-round school since they began public school. One common misconception about year-round school is that it lasts longer than the traditional school calendar. In fact, the children attend the same number of days of school per year. I will discuss how our family feels about the often controversial issue of year-round schools.

The Advantages
Overall, I love year-round school. I like the shorter, more frequent breaks (my kids get a three-week break every nine weeks or so), and I don't miss the long, three-month summer vacation. Especially where I live in Yuma, Arizona, (our record high temperature was 126 degrees F. a few summers ago), it gets way too hot for the kids to play outside, so a long summer vacation leads to some very bored and restless kids. I also believe that the children benefit academically with shorter breaks, as they have less "re-learning" of old material after a long, summer vacation.

The Disadvantages
Personally, I haven't experienced any problems with year-round school so far. But I do know of some families here who have children in elementary school, which is on the year-round system, and children in high school, which is currently on the traditional school year system. So for these families, coordinating vacations is a little more difficult, although there is usually some over-lapping between the short summer breaks and the traditional summer vacation. My oldest son is now on a traditional school calendar and we have not experienced any difficulties coordinating their breaks from school.

Year-Round School: Additional Links

• The National Association for Year-Round Education
  This site by the NAYRE, a non-profit association advocating alternative school schedules, contains a wealth of information about year-round school terminology, different track schedules, and much more.

• Year Round School Research Summary
  Interesting summary of research concluding that year round school may not be as beneficial to school children as some people believe.

• Year-round Education: A Strategy for Overcrowded Schools
  From ERIC Clearinghouse, extensive facts about year-round schooling.

Your Turn
I would love to hear from any parents out there with your thoughts, experiences, or opinions about year-round schools. Please email me at homeparents.guide@about.com with your comments.