What Much Time Do You Spend on High School Subjects? Part 1: Learner and Subject
/
Several parents asked me recently,
"How much time does your learner spend on one subject?"
There is no clear, cut-and-dry answer to this question. Answers depend on the learner as well as the subject. This has been true for our learners as well as for many learners we know. It also depends on how a learner prefers to schedule his or her day. I will talk about that in part 2.
The learner. It's no surprise that learners take in information differently as well as at different rates (and that doesn't change in high school). What takes one learner thirty minutes to read will take another learner an hour. Add the factors of listening to audio materials or whether or not a learner values the content and there are yet two more variables to consider.
The subject. Content matters. Again, there are many variables to consider. If a course is traditionally a one-credit course; for example, Algebra 1 or Biology, the course is written with the assumption the student will spend a minimum of one hour of study and instruction, five days a week. Lessons and content are formulated with the Carnegie unit in mind.
For non-traditional or elective courses, The student's interest in the content is one factor which can increase or decrease study time. Interest in subject increases rate and retention. On the other hand, interest in a subject may also propel a student to dig deeper in and spend more time in independent study. Instructional level of the material also plays a role in calculating how much time to spend on a subject. If the content is presented at a level higher than the instructional level of the learner, time needed increases.
Learning time varies greatly dependent on the learner and the subject, even in high school.
There is a general rule of thumb (read guideline) used to determine time spent on each subject. It is based on the traditional high school credit standards.
A one credit course (like math, English, social sciences, and science--even some electives) will require 45 minutes to 1 hour of learning each day--for a total of about 5 hours per week.
We have experienced this difference first hand. One of our learners naturally spent one hour per day on each of his core subjects. He preferred learning on that schedule. On the other hand, another learner naturally liked a block schedule. He would spend 3 hours on biology one day and 2 hours the next. Still another one of our learners learned in chunks. She spent great periods of time learning all she could about one topic. Each of our learners transitioned very well to life after high school.
Let's say a high school learner is taking college courses while in high school--dual enrollment. The student and content variables remain important, yet there is a different recommended guideline to study time.
For every one credit hour enrolled, a student will spend approximately 2 to 3 hours studying outside of class time. Therefore, taking three credit hours (generally one course) will equate to 3 hours in class and 6 to 9 hours of outside study time. It will follow that taking twelve credits of courses (generally four courses) will equate to 12 hours of in class work and 24 to 36 hours of outside study time.
As you look forward to this next learning season, consider the important factors of both learner and subject. Part 2 of this series will focus on scheduling.
