Kathleen Desmarais

Yesterday I posted an entry advocating block scheduling for homeschool. While I still believe it to be a good option for homeschool, I am aware that block scheduling has its opponents. Block scheduling has been tried in public schools with varying degrees of success. It has become popular in public schools in Canada and the United States (especially in Virgina, North Carolina, and Colorado). Testing of public school children has indicated mixed results with regards to the success of block scheduling. But as with most things, comparing the home school environment to the public school environment is synonymous with apples to oranges. I hesitate to take any reviews of public school block scheduling to heart, whether positive or negative. The environments and circumstances are just too different. Take, for example, some of the reasons public schools try block scheduling–less time in the hallways means less opportunity for kids to get in trouble, less papers for teachers to grade, and fewer behavior problems means fewer detentions. While this is great for public schools, it hardly correlates to the home environment. Listen to this criticism of block scheduling in public schools:

My experience is that when motivated students are hungry for knowledge and are being fed by a motivated teacher, a class could continue for hours and still be effective. But the realities of public education make this an unrealistic scenario. Typical students already have difficulty maintaining interest over a 50-minute class. — Jeff Lindsay

So, in other words, public school students have already lost a love of learning so why would they want their classes to be longer? Get in and get out is much more appealing! In my experience home schooled students like to learn and the opportunity to spend all day delving into a subject without interruption can be very rewarding and effective. While I have not engaged in standardized testing studies of the effectiveness of block scheduling (don’t get me started on my opinion of testing); I know my kids still remember a great deal of information from subjects we blocked over a year ago.

Also the type of block scheduling used in public schools is quite different than the schedule I proposed for homeschooling. The type of block scheduling used in public schools is generally called “accelerated scheduling” or “4×4 blocking.” With this schedule students study 4 blocks at a time with four 90 min. classes each day. Then there is the “alternative block schedule” or “A/B blocking” in which students study six to eight blocks at a time, alternating days with three to four blocks studied on one day and the others studied the next day, alternating each day. Personally, I think this is still too many subjects and contradicts the benefits of block scheduling. And a 90 min. period is not long enough to get fully immersed in a subject and participate in major projects. I suggest only one or two blocks be studied at a time. Also in public school blocking, no subject is exempt from blocking. Math, foreign language, and even music are blocked. The president of Saxon math had this to say about blocking:

The concept of “block scheduling” or “flex scheduling” has recently come into vogue and is being implemented in [public] schools throughout the country. Many Saxon users now face the challenge of implementing the Saxon program within a block schedule… Saxon Publishers does not advocate the use of block scheduling. If you are considering whether to implement block scheduling, we suggest you do not. We believe that children learn most effectively when they are exposed to concepts in small, easily understandable pieces called increments and when new concepts and skills are reviewed continuously. Dr. Frank Y. H. Wang, President of Saxon Publishers

In my proposal I suggest that there are courses, such as math , foreign language, and music, that are not conducive to block scheduling. These subjects require consistant drilling for better retention. Retention of other subjects, however, is improved when students take a real interest. Block scheduling allows the time for students to develop that interest.

While I have not always used a strict block schedule with my kids, I usually use some form of it every year. And for those times when our family life is busier than normal, we use block scheduling with surprising success.

Block scheduling is something I have turned to many times throughout the last several years of homeschooling my children. I find it has been a huge time saver during those times when I have had confusing or complicated circumstances going on in my family–like the birth of a new baby, moving, or starting a new business. And I have been pleasantly surprised to find that there are other advantages to block scheduling than just ease of scheduling and saving time. I find that my children really enjoy blocks and experience better retention of material and more enthusiasm for learning.

Block scheduling is far from a typical school schedule, in fact it is quite contrary to what most of us experienced in our school settings when we were young. Typical school schedules involve students studying several subjects in a day and in a week. A student may study math, English, history, science, foreign language, and several other subjects all in one day or at least by the end of the week. With block scheduling students focus on one main subject for several weeks, or even months, until the course is complete. Then they move onto the next block subject. For example, a student may begin her school year with a language arts block in which she will spend 6 weeks completing a writing course. Then she might begin a science block where she will spend 12 weeks completing a biology course. The block subject is the main subject and it is studied everyday of “school” for several hours. Sometimes a student may be studying two block subjects at one time. For example, a writing course and driver’s ed. The rest of the time each day is spent studying the subject or subjects that are not blocked. (See the list below for subjects that should not be blocked.)

Instead of having to redirect focus every hour or so onto another subject, blocking allows a student to become immersed in a subject. It is a more natural method of learning and is similar to the way we participate in hobbies or seminars. Blocking creates a sense of freedom of learning. Students have less to worry about with only one or two subjects each day, instead of four or five. Because they spend several hours each day studying the block subject, they have time to really learn the subject manner, exploring all aspects and going off on tangents and completing major projects. There is no rush to quickly finish-up and put away the books to get on to the next subject. Blocking creates a much more relaxed learning atmosphere that most students (and parents) find a refreshing change from the normal school routine.

Last year with the birth my baby, Grace, I used block scheduling with my oldest two children. Below is a copy of the schedule they followed for the year. For each course that I planned to block, I figured out how many weeks the course would take if studied five days a week. (Courses intended to take a year can be completed much quicker when studied as a block.) I spent a couple of weeks (before the baby was born) planning for the school year. I wrote block schedules for each child and gathered materials for the entire year. Each day they also studied math (a subject we did not block). I can hardly express the relief that block scheduling brought all of us. I was able to care for my new baby, publish three new courses with Pandia Press, keep my speaking engagements, and the kids had a great school year.

Our block schedule:

12 weeks - Science Block - R.E.A.L. Science Earth and Space plus they made science lap books and trips to the planetarium and Kennedy Space Center

4 weeks - Literature and Poetry Block - they each read 3 books and several poems and completed book reports (at the end of this block Grace was born)

(Here we took over a month off to enjoy our new baby and celebrate the holidays.)

4 weeks - Grammar and Writing Block - Sarah completed an online writing course with Brave Writer and Chris completed a grammar course.

14 weeks - History and Geography Block - History Odyssey, Middle Ages (2) - combines history with geography, literature, and writing. Included a field trip to Medieval Times restaurant and our local medieval fair.

4 weeks - Art History/ Art Appreciation - We studied the impressionists using several texts and a few museum visits.

Subjects that are conducive to block scheduling:

• Science - biology, chemistry, earth science, astronomy, physics, ecology, marine biology, tide pools and water ways, etc.
• History - all time periods and also US history, state history, etc.
• Geography
• Bible study
• Art - ceramics, painting, art appreciation, art history, etc.
• Economics
• Logic
• Consumer math
• Life skills - cooking, sewing, carpentry, etc.
• Writing course
• Grammar course
• Literature and poetry
• Handwriting - printing, cursive, calligraphy
• Business and investing
• Test prep - SAT, ACT, etc
• Driver’s Ed
• Speech / Rhetoric
• Community service project
• Computer skills - Excel, Powerpoint, internet, web site development, HTML, etc.
• Making books
• First aid /CPR
• Times tables / skip counting
• Agriculture
• Car maintenance and repair
• Animal care - horses, chicken embrology, 4-H project

There are a few subjects that should generally not be blocked. These subjects require daily and consistent drill for success. Subjects that should not be blocked:

• Math (except the supplemental math courses listed above)
• Music lessons
• Foreign language
• Phonics (with younger children, older children could block remedial phonics)