Swickard: Do home school children have summer vacation?

Commentary by Michael Swickard, Ph.D. - Someone asked an interesting question recently on my talk radio program, “Do home schoolers get to take a summer vacation like public school children?” I did not know. My initial guess was that home-schooled students did not take three months off to laze on the couch all day. Why? It is obvious their parents know that learning is best when continuous.  I know several home schooler parents. All indicated to me that there was no summer vacation for their kids, but some of their learning tasks are focused on summer opportunities. Going to Yellowstone National Park is a learning activity. None of the home schooler parents said that when summer comes they just turn the kids loose to vegetate. So why do we do so with public school students? Home schooling is one of the most contentious issues in education. The public receives conflicting messages. On the one hand, they hear that parents are the most influential force in children learning. But, on the other hand, many education leaders say that learning at home is somehow different and inferior to “real” education by professional educators in a professional school setting. Read column

Swickard: Do home school children have summer vacation?