Tips for before you leave home
Talk about homeschooling before you leave for your trip.
Make sure to tell your children that you will be homeschooling them on the trip. That way, it won’t come as such a surprise when you start doing schoolwork!!!
They may have imagined a glorious, school free trip!
Look into the various types of home schooling so you can pick the one that works best for you and your child.
Join local homeschooling groups
There are many home school groups on social media that you can join.
To get tips and recommendations for home schooling, ask experienced home school families about what has worked for them and what they would do differently if starting again. Also, ask which websites or books have proved the most useful.
Research the national or state curriculum standards.
Instead of giving you topics or lessons to follow, these websites provide you with a framework of skills and expectations for each subject within your child’s age group.
If you have a child in formal education, you should arrange a meeting with your child’s teacher. This is easier to do in primary education than in secondary school.
Do not expect your child’s teacher to give you academic work to do or share their planning with you. Your child is not their responsibility once you leave the school.
Many teachers, especially in primary school, offered this help freely.
Do not feel overwhelmed by everything you have to cover.
Think of your curriculum as one cohesive unit instead of a bunch of individual lessons.
View homeschooling as an opportunity to learn through various topics, as opposed to individual subjects. Although certain subjects, like math, may need to be studied on their own, nearly every other subject can be integrated into a broader topic.
Geography is not the only subject that can be used to learn about volcanoes. For example, you can use literacy skills to write a news report about a volcanic eruption. You can also use IT skills to research online about volcanoes around the world. In addition, you can use history to learn about Pompeii and make a timeline of volcanic eruptions. Finally, you can use art skills to draw and label parts of a volcano.
This method of instruction is successful when teaching multiple children of various ages because it allows each student to explore the topic to a greater depth depending on their age and understanding.
Divide the curriculum into smaller sections so you can better estimate how much time your child will need to spend on makeup work.
Primary schools rarely have allocated a lot of time for geography in their yearly curriculum. For example, most school only have one hour set aside each week to learn about geography. In a 39 week school year, that would add up to a total of only 39 hours of geography instruction. Families planning a gap year should keep this in mind and try to find other ways to ensure their children are getting enough exposure to the subject.
Some projects take longer to develop and don’t need to be self-contained.
Ask your child for their opinions and ideas.
Do your kids have any specific interests or topics they would like to learn about? Try to make their learning experiences relevant to their interests – for example, it wouldn’t make sense to learn about polar bears while you’re on vacation in Hawaii.
Could you adjust your travel plans to include these interests and opportunities to learn?
We visited the world famous dinosaur museum in Trelew, Argentina because our son loves dinosaurs.
Don’t plan to use technology as your only teaching method for homeschooling – you might have problems with your WiFi connection being unreliable, or you may only have access to WiFi that you have to pay for. Also, you could lose or damage your device.
What is Roadschooling?
Homeschooling is traditionally an alternative to public school education conducted in brick and mortar buildings. Homeschooled students learn in their homes, which is most often led by their parents. This has many positive aspects for a child’s education, but it also has some challenges.
“Roadschooling” refers to homeschooling while living full-time in an RV. This practice has become more popular in recent years, as families choose to downsize and simplify their lives. For some, this lifestyle change is motivated by financial reasons; for others, it is a matter of personal preference. Regardless of the reasons behind it, roadschooling appears to be here to stay.
Is Roadschooling More Fun?
YES!
It’s rewarding to be able to teach your own child (or children) as their parent.
The power to guide how a child thinks, behaves, and what things they gravitate towards lies literally in the subject matter and experiences we give them in their education.
Let’s take a book, for example.
One roadschooling family may opt to have their young child read The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. This could be because they want their child to think creatively and look at the world in an alternative way.
You can also use books that are more science-based like What If There Were No Bees by Suzanne Buckingham Slade. This book is about how losing just one animal species, like bees, could have a big impact on the world.
The two students will have completely different experiences and even mindsets from one another just by this one difference in book selection.
Roadschooling is Custom to Each Learning Style
But there are also plenty of challenges that teachers face in the public school system that you, as a parent, don’t have to deal with. On the plus side, you will be able to give your child the best education possible according to your family’s needs and values. As a parent, you have the ability to give your child a different type of education than what a public school teacher can.
There are many demands placed on teachers these days, such as overcrowded classrooms and standardized testing, which often leaves students without the extra attention they need.
Seeing your child understand a new concept you taught them is very special. For example, when they have that “aha!” moment and their face lights up with understanding when you’re teaching them math is priceless.
Is Roadschooling Legal in Every State?
It is legal to homeschool in the United States as long as you follow the homeschooling laws in your state.
The Homeschool Legal Defense Association may be able to help you if you have any concerns.
Every state is different when it comes to laws, regulations, and requirements for homeschooling or roadschooling families. Some examples of what you might need:
- Send a written notice of intent to your school district superintendent.
- Maintain a portfolio of educational records.
- Make the portfolio available for inspection by the superintendent upon 15 days’ written notice.
- Provide an annual education evaluation of the student’s educational progress, usually by a Florida certified school teacher.
- Preserve the student’s portfolio for two years
- Submit a letter of termination and annual evaluation upon completion of the homeschool education program to your local school district.
Some states, such as Texas, have no regulations or requirements for full-time RV families choosing to homeschool on the road. In June 1994, the Texas Supreme Court guaranteed Texas homeschooling families the right to teach their children at home without fear of prosecution. Therefore, the state of Texas would be a great home base state for RV roadschooling families!
Although Texas is considered one of the more lenient states for homeschooling, this is not the case for all states. In fact, the states with the most restrictions and regulations regarding homeschooling are Ohio, North Dakota, Vermont, New York, and Pennsylvania.
What is Unschooling?
John Holt was one of the early homeschooling advocates and he came up with the term “unschooling” to describe a different approach to education than the traditional public school system.
Some people initially label homeschooling as being radical and unorthodox because it is not a traditional schooling method. The term “unschooling” may make it seem like parents are not going to educate their child at all, but this is not the case.
Homeschooling, unschooling, and roadschooling let children learn outside of the traditional school setting, providing a richer and more well-rounded education.
Roadschooling and Unschooling Provide Emphasis on Natural Learning
Many families who travel in RVs full-time provide their children with opportunities to learn in natural settings, free from the negative influence of other students. In these environments, children can thrive intellectually, supported by the loving guidance of their parents.
There is a debate among parents and teachers about what the best style of teaching and learning is. Some think that hands-on learning is best, while others think that traditional reading and writing is better for children.
You might find that it is ideal to use a combination of all learning modalities. That way, the child can experience learning through all different types of methods, and the parent can see which way the child learns best. The public school system often uses a cookie cutter approach, which does not work very well for many children.
Every family is different and what works for one might not work for another. Try different approaches and styles with your family to see which fits your lifestyle and your child’s learning style. Part of the fun is figuring out what works and what does not!
And remember – parents are their children’s best teachers.
How to Homeschool on the Road
- Select a curriculum or schooling style or method that best fits your child’s learning style.
- Set a roadschooling schedule and/or expectations to keep you and your child accountable.
- Seek out travel experiences to enrich your child’s learning and substitute for reading or written work!
- Schedule in plenty of rest and play.
Education takes on a new meaning as you have the option of choosing curriculum and methods that fit with your family’s needs and values and travel to places that interest you. Homeschooling on the road gives you more control over your child’s education. You can choose curriculum and teaching methods that fit your family’s needs and values, and travel to places that interest you.
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