I’m so happy to have Yvie on the blog again today, sharing with us how her family hits the road each year for road schooling. Road schooling is my dream, and although it may not be possible for us at this time, I’m sure you, like me, will find ways to incorporate a little road schooling into your homeschool using these tips. If you’ve done road schooling, share your tips with us in the comments!
Road Schooling is quickly becoming a new ‘thing’ in the homeschool community! Families travel, allowing the places and experiences to drive learning, and exploring the world together…
There are as many different reasons for road-schooling as there are places to visit, but our family chose this direction because my husband’s job required full-time travel. We spent nearly six years travelling around the United States with his job, and I wouldn’t trade a second of it!
Through our decision to road-school, our family was able to form a tighter bond, forge wonderful memories, and see things that otherwise may not have been possible. There was a learning curve for the first year as we fumbled our way, but we’ve listed some of our ‘life lessons’ to make your start a little smoother.
Even if you don’t have the ability to travel full-time, taking a few weeks to explore can be just as fulfilling. If that’s not an option either, have you considered looking at your nearest cities the way an outsider / tourist would? You probably have some pretty amazing sights and experiences hidden just under your nose!
Tips & Tricks for RoadSchooling
Once in a Lifetime Experiences. You may not study NASA in a regular year, but if you’re going to meet an astronaut in Houston, it only makes sense. And now, we get to continue following her journey on the Space Station!
Introduce New Ideas.Most children aren’t interested in architecture, but when they visit the Biltmore House, Overholser Mansion, and Cornwall Iron Furnace, each with their distinct styles, they suddenly want to learn more!
Living History. Some of the places we’ve stepped back in time to include: Williamsburg, the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Westward Expansion, the Civil War, the First Flight, and post-war America. These visits sparked the We Were There adventure novel studies!
Factory Tours. We’ve learned to make cheese, maple syrup, ice cream, chocolate, pretzels…hmm…methinks this sounds like we’ve eaten our way across the USA!
Follow the law.Regardless of where you’re currently located, you must follow the homeschool requirements of your home state. Check with Homeschool Legal Defense Association to make sure that you are completing all homeschool requirements.
Do the leg work.It’s never been easier to prep for your road-schooling adventure! You can research museums, events, festivals, factory tours, and anything relevant to your destination, all while driving down the road! (Well, while someone else is driving.) Usually, websites will have free educational resources to help guide your field trip.
Write it down.Whether or not your state requires documentation, you want to be able to show that you’re providing your children with an education. Field trips count as school days, but you want to have ‘regular’ days in there also. Gypsy Road is our family’s journal of road-schooling adventures!
Mix paper and e-curriculum.While I’m all in favor of physical books, too many will take up precious space in the car. We use (or create) materials to accompany what we’re studying, and then share them on our Unit Studies page. See the record-keeping in action? And with the advent of so many libraries going digital, you can check out e-books from your home library!
Frankie Says, ‘Relax.’We school through the summer, on the weekends, at midnight…pretty much whenever we want. By the time you count field trips, we get more than the required days in, and that’s fine. Want to know which style helps the kids learn and retain the most? Life experiences, of course!
There are days when we are sick of each other and want space; there are days when we’re sick of being on the road and want to be home; and there are days when we’re just plain sick. But seeing the children experience this great country from sea to shining sea, having them enjoy the learning process, and watching them find and follow new passions is totally worth it!
“Life’s a journey, not a destination!” ~Aerosmith
After five six years of road-schooling, Yvie now practices the art of simple living with her chickens, goats, dogs, and house full of boys in rural America. She loves acoustic guitar, historical novels, and anything with dark chocolate! Find her at Homeschool on the Range, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.
