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We did last year.... we pulled the kids out of school in November for various reasons.

For us, it was a really wonderful experience. The opportunity to bond with the kids was priceless. We also used the time to learn subjects that are not generally taught at regular public school: piano and Chinese; we tried activities DCs wanted to try: ballet and various art classes.

It was fun... they cooked in the kitchen and grew vegetables in the garden. For us, it was a good decision.

Good luck with your decision!
Mag

Don't you just hate when you change your mind about a post and we all respond anyway ! FWIW, I believe that the OP is already homeschooling so this may have been more about taking time off from formal hsing than public/private school.

Good luck sorting out whatever it is that you have going on.

Nah. I just had a really long post typed out and got interrupted, lost it, and didn't have time to come back. As Cricket mentioned my DC homeschool already so it would be time off from formal hsing. I have been struggling with my oldest DD11 and school this year and it has come up that she is far enough ahead in most subjects that she could just take a year off and it wouldn't hurt her in the long run so I wondered if anyone had in fact done so. The only thing going really well is AoPS and history.

We did last year, except for one class, now she is almost 11. She basically studied or read whatever she wanted to do last year.

We started up again a few weeks ago with a couple of high school level courses and her attitude is terrible. Boredom, Easy, Why do I have to?

She is PG w/ ADHD. She is way ahead and can do college work with mentors. On the other hand, she is not ready to go to college because of the issues related to ADHD. It is tough spot to be in for her and our family.

We have been discussing a "gap year" for DS8 before he officially reaches high school. It would be the year after next. He would like to spend the year immersed in Chinese in some way so that he is fluent when it's over.

I would love to have a year to take my DD around to National Parks, etc. She loves nature and they are so diverse...

My parents did this with me when I was 10. We moved to Europe for about a year and went to museums, gardens, historical places, ect. It was wonderful. We lived in The Netherlands and technically I was enrolled in a school but I only went when we were home. Mainly so I would have friends/ something to do when we were not traveling. I learned so much and so hope to do something like this with my kids when they are around that age.

Edited to fix an iPad typo!

She went on a trip last fall with her grandmother. She took the Empire Builder across country from Chicago to Seattle. She then took an Alaskan cruise and came back across country via some of the national parks over two weeks. Six weeks off was a great way to start the school year. I wish I could have gone with her.

I think she is frustrated. She can do high school work in science and history but struggles some with the composition involved. She is doing great with AoPS to the point it is down right scary. I think a year to work on any weaknesses and run with her own interests might be helpful in the long run. I'm just not sure how she will perceive it.

you know, in "A Nation Deceived" many of the accelerated kids say that acceleration has given them a gift of time. Even if you only skipped one grade, that is essentially a year to explore life or gain more knowledge before you are expected in the "real world" with your age peers.
Especially if you would use the time to work on weaknesses...using her interests to work on the weaknesses might be an effective tactic...

I took several years off to serve in the Army after HS. The leadership skills I picked up were key in getting me to where I am today.

I also basically took off the years from age 9 to age 14 when I got into a really good HS. I just hid in the back and read my books.

My DD really likes this idea! I was sure she wouldn't.

It made a difference when in PS, she actually would have needed another skip, but now that she is homeschooling it just doesn't seem to matter and I'd like to give her some freedom before she buckles down for high school. I let her go today and she spent the whole day either on Alcumus (math) or reading for history. I am thrilled about the math, especially since her online class is tonight as well.

we don't homeschool, but our experience with DD's school has been rather dreadful so far and even worse this year, though I think this is her best teacher yet. If we switch schools, I am considering letting her take some additional time off from the classroom environment to try to erase some of the past damage

I've never thought of this idea, sounds wonderful to me! My son is on a mission to get out of school as soon as he can and I'm exhausted. I would love to take a year off to just explore subjects. I'd say do it.

Personally, I LOVE this idea! My 11 year old (as of a couple days ago - 5th grader by age), is also doing great with AoPS this year, love his extras (circus, theater, spanish, etc), reads ravenously. But everything else is just ho hum. I've resisted taking him to high school level science because he doesn't LOVE it and I know he'd resent the work load right now. Even though he is more than ready for it. We don't do AoPS online either because I think the work load would kill him. Besides I *LOVE* doing AoPS with him. I feel like we're half way to unschooling right now. He's spending tons of time programming computer games, including designing his own graphics and writing his own music.

At least with my own gifted kids, I don't feel like straight acceleration in a classroom with a high output expectation is the best option. Grateful we can homeschool for the moment! Enjoy your year!

I read about traveling by freighter years before we had kids and thought it would be a great way to take an extended trip with an older child.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Freighter_travel

With the rise in piracy, I suppose I'm less inclined, although still quite intrigued by the idea.

When I first read the subject line of this thread, freighter travel was the first thing that popped into my head!