What is the harm in taking a 4th grader out of school for 2 separate family vacations in the same season?

Travel is an education in itself, no matter where it is, or what you do. If you are worried about him getting behind in school work, ask the teacher for projects he can do in the downtimes, to keep up... ie: spelling words, math quizzes, etc. We always had the kids do travel journals too. go away without guilt, and have fun!... family time is more important at this age! You would do more damage leaving him home with a sitter, just so he could go to school.

First, congratulations for asking the question. This means that you have some concerns about whether or not it is right to take the kids out of school. As a teacher and a parent, I am trying to look at your question from both sides. The teacher side is winning this internal discussion, because I see this all the time; kids are pulled out of school for vacations, and they get confusing mixed messages. Not to mention all the make-up work that they end up having to do when they return to school! The harm I see is that your child will learn several things that you likely don't intend them to learn. Please note that what I am about to write DOES NOT apply in special cases - a visit to dying relatives, the installation of your uncle as Cardinal, the inauguration of your cousin as president. It applies in cases where you are traveling for pleasure, avoiding designated school vacation times because they are inconvenient or too expensive. Taking kids out of school for vacations sends the following messages: 1. That your needs are more important than theirs. School is their work, and by allowing them to miss "work," you send the message that what you are asking them to do is more important than what they should be doing. When they get back to school, they will struggle to make up what they missed, plus while they are making it up, they will be either missing the current work, or staying after (or in at recess) to make things up. They get the message that they are being punished. 2. That you don't value their education. There are vacation times set up in the school calendar, and there is a huge summer vacation in most places. If you need to take the kids out of school at other times, clearly it must be more important than any work they could possibly be doing at school. If it's really not, and it's something you could do during a vacation instead, then you are telling them that being in school doesn't matter. 3. That pleasure is more important than work. This lesson sets kids up for years of frustration and disappointment, because somehow I don't think their bosses will put up with it when they are older. 4. That you don't need to follow the rules, because they don't apply to you. This thought will sink into kids' minds pretty quickly. Most teachers and principals that I know will stress the importance of being at school. They tell the kids this. It is an understood expectation. That's why there are consequences for being tardy, skipping school (formerly known as truancy) etc. WHen a parent tells a child, "We are going to take you on vacation rather than having you go to school," the kids figure out that they are somehow exempt from all of these rules. 5. That you don't value the work their teachers are doing. Obviously, if that cruise or trip to Disney is more important than being at school, the message comes through loud and clear that the child isn't really missing much by not being at school.

Make sure he doesn't fall behind because 4th grade may not seem like it, but it is a crucial time in development. Kids are preparing ofr middle school, which is a big transition. Falling behind could hinder him next year and cause a ripple effect. I know that 4th grade is crucial because I skipped fourth grade. I wish that I could have taken it because I feel like I really missed a lot. I didn't fall behind, but the social aspect as well is so essential to a child's life and growth.

Just so it doesn't get him so behind on school work that he can't catch up.

I believe that by taking him out another time for vacation, you deprive him of a sense of responsibility, and being aware of what is most important in his life, at this point: his education.

vacation while there is school will tell the child that leisure is more important than education. It may affect his sense of priorities.

no harm as long he/she completes all the work the rest of the students did

I agree that travel can be educational,but I work in a school with year 3"s and I see the other side of the argument too,children can miss a whole topic by being out of school for just a week and its nearly impossible for them to catch up as the resorces and teacher will have moved on. Although as a mother of four I know how expensive the holidays become once the kids break up for half term,so I think something needs to change with the travel agents to make it easier for parents to keep their kids in school term time.